1. (a) As used in this section, "county office" has the meaning set forth in IC 36-1-8-15 .

2. (b) The general assembly finds the following:

   1. (1) That due to events that occurred at different times in Indiana's history, the beginning of the terms of certain elected county offices varies from a uniform date due to changes in the dates of general elections, vacancies in offices, and other events described by the Indiana supreme court in the following cases:

      1. (A) Howard v. State, 10 Ind. 74 (Ind. 1857).
      2. (B) Greible v. State, 12 N.E. 700 (Ind. 1887).
      3. (C) State v. Menaugh, 51 N.E. 117 (Ind. 1898).
      4. (D) Scott v. State, 52 N.E. 163 (Ind. 1898).
   2. (2) That on many occasions at the beginning of the twentieth century, the general assembly attempted to standardize the beginning of the terms of county offices.
   3. (3) That the voters of Indiana approved an amendment to Article 6, Section 2 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana at the November 2004 general election authorizing the general assembly to provide by law for uniform dates for beginning the terms of county offices.
   4. (4) That the variation in the beginning dates of the terms of county offices is not a general condition but affects only a known and fixed set of county offices.
   5. (5) That a statement of a rule applicable to each county office whose term varies from a uniform date would be clearer in application than a general statement of a rule to make the beginning of the terms of those county offices uniform.

3. (c) The general assembly enacts this chapter to:

   1. (1) provide a rule applicable to each county office whose term of office deviates from a uniform date as of June 30, 2005; and
   2. (2) implement Article 6, Section 2(b) of the Constitution of the State of Indiana to provide for a uniform date for beginning the terms of county offices described in Article 6, Section 2(a) of the Constitution of the State of Indiana.

As added by P.L.16-2009, SEC.33.