Governor's ten days to act on bills
Official text rightpowerlimitif conditionlegal term
Section 1. Article II of section I of Chapter I of Part the Second of the constitution is hereby amended by striking out the second paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-
And in order to prevent unnecessary delays, if any bill or resolve shall not be returned by the governor within ten days after it shall have been presented, the same shall have the force of a law.
Section 2. Article I of the Articles of Amendment to the Constitution is hereby annulled and the following is adopted in place thereof:--
Article I. If any bill or resolve shall be objected to, and not approved by the governor, and if the shall adjourn within ten days after the same shall have been laid before the governor for his approbation, and thereby prevent his returning it with his objections, as provided by the constitution, such bill or resolve shall not become a law, nor have force as such.
Section 3. Article LVI of the Articles of the Articles of Amendments to the Constitution is hereby annulled and the following is adopted in place thereof:--
Article LVI The governor, within ten days after any bill or resolve shall have been laid before him, shall have the right to return it to the branch of the in which it originated with a recommendation that any amendment or amendments specified by him be made therein. Such bill or resolve shall thereupon be before the and subject to amendment and re-enactment. If such bill or resolve is re-enacted in any form it shall again be laid before the governor for his action, but he shall have no right to return the same a second time with a recommendation to amend.
Section 4. Article LXIII of the Articles of Amendment to the Constitution is hereby amended by striking out Section 5 and inserting in place thereof the following section:--
Section 5. Submission to the Governor. - The governor may disapprove or reduce items or parts of items in any bill appropriating money. So much of such bill as he approves shall upon his signing the same become law. As to each item disapproved or reduced he shall transmit to the house in which the bill originated his reason for such disapproval or reduction, and the procedure shall then be the same as in the case of a bill disapproved as a whole. In case he shall fail so to transmit his reasons for such disapproval or reduction within ten days after the bill shall have been presented to him, such items shall have the force of law unless the by adjournment shall prevent such transmission, in which case they shall not be law.
Simplified explanation
Amends four articles to give the governor ten days: an unreturned bill or resolve becomes law; a pocket veto applies if the general court adjourns within ten days; the governor may return a bill recommending amendment once; and item vetoes or reductions in appropriation bills must be explained within ten days.