Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas House Bill HB1221 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
2		-	Act 153 of the Regular Session
3	2		MBM044 01/17/2025 10:19:28 AM MBM044
4	3		State of Arkansas 1
5	4		95th General Assembly A Bill 2
6	5		Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1221 3
7	6		4
8	7		By: Representative Ray 5
9	8		By: Senator K. Hammer 6
10	9		7
11	10		For An Act To Be Entitled 8
12	11		AN ACT TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING INITIATIVES, 9
13	12		REFERENDA, AND CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS; TO DECLARE 10
14	13		AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 11
15	14		12
16	15		13
17	16		Subtitle 14
18	17		TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING 15
19	18		INITIATIVES, REFERENDA, AND 16
20	19		CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS; AND TO 17
21	20		DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. 18
22	21		19
23	22		BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 20
24	23		21
25	24		SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 7 -9-103, concerning the signing of 22
26	25		initiative or referendum petitions, is amended to add an additional 23
27	26		subsection to read as follows: 24
28	27		(e) A signature on an initiative or referendum petition is not valid 25
29	28		and shall not be counted for any purpose if the signature was obtained after 26
30	29		the date of the next general election following the certification of the 27
31	30		ballot title and popular name under § 7 -9-107. 28
32	31		29
33	32		SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 7 -9-107, concerning the filing of the 30
34	33		original draft of a proposed measure with the Attorney General before 31
35	34		circulation, is amended to add an additional subsection to read as follows: 32
36	35		(g) The certification of a ballot title and popular name under this 33
37	36		section shall expire on the date of the next general election after the 34
38	37		certification of the ballot title and popular name. 35
39	38		36 HB1221
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42	41		1
43	42		SECTION 3. Arkansas Code § 7 -9-126(c), concerning the counting of 2
44	43		signatures on initiative and referendum petitions, is amended to read as 3
45	44		follows: 4
46	45		(c) The following signatures shall not be counted for any purpose by 5
47	46		the official charged with verifying the signatures, including the initial 6
48	47		count of signatures: 7
49	48		(1) A signature that is not an original signature; 8
50	49		(2) A signature that is obviously not that of the purported 9
51	50		petitioner; 10
52	51		(3) A signature that is illegible; 11
53	52		(4) A signature that is not accompanied by personally 12
54	53		identifying information; 13
55	54		(5) A signature for which the corresponding printed name, 14
56	55		address, birth date, or date of signing is written by someone other than the 15
57	56		signer except under circumstances of disability of the signer; 16
58	57		(6) A signature obtained before the submission and approval of 17
59	58		the ballot title under § 7 -9-107; 18
60	59		(7) A signature obtained after the date of the next general 19
61	60		election following the certification of the ballot title and popular name 20
62	61		under § 7-9-107; and 21
63	62		(7)(8) A signature that has any other material defect that, on 22
64	63		its face, renders the signature invalid. 23
65	64		24
66	65		SECTION 4. SEVERABILITY. The provisions of this act are declared to 25
67	66		be severable and the invalidity of any provision of this act shall not affect 26
68	67		other provisions of the act which can be given effect without the invalid 27
69	68		provision. 28
70	69		29
71	70		SECTION 5. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the 30
72	71		General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that the process for citizens to 31
73	72		propose initiated acts and amendments to the Arkansas Constitution is 32
74	73		critical to a well-functioning democracy in this state; that it is of the 33
75	74		utmost importance that the integrity of the initiative process be 34
76	75		strengthened through this act so that voters maintain a high degree of 35
77	76		confidence in the actions of government; that few things are more important 36 HB1221
78	77
79	78		3 01/17/2025 10:19:28 AM MBM044
80	79		to the public peace, health, and safety than maintaining trust in the actions 1
81	80		of government; that the changes to the initiative process under this act are 2
82	81		critical to ensure that integrity is maintained in the initiative process; 3
83	82		and that any delay in the implementation of this act would disrupt the 4
84	83		initiative process for the 2026 general election, which would have a 5
85	84		detrimental effect on the public peace, health, and safety of Arkansas. 6
86	85		Therefore, an emergency is declared to exist, and this act being immediately 7
87	86		necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health, and safety shall 8
88	87		become effective on: 9
89	88		(1) The date of its approval by the Governor; 10
90	89		(2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor, 11
91	90		the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the 12
92	91		bill; or 13
93	92		(3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is 14
94	93		overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto. 15
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97		-	~~APPROVED: 2/25/25~~ 18
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