Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas House Bill HJR1002 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to the Arkansas
2	2	Constitution.
3	3	MBM016 11/20/2024 8:44:59 AM MBM016
4	4	State of Arkansas 1
5	5	95th General Assembly 2
6	6	Regular Session, 2025 HJR 1002 3
7	7	4
8	8	By: Representative A. Collins 5
9	9	6
10	10	7
11	11	HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 8
12	12	AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION TO REPEAL 9
13	13	THE EXCEPTION TO THE PROHIBITION OF SLAVERY AND 10
14	14	INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE. 11
15	15	12
16	16	13
17	17	Subtitle 14
18	18	AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS 15
19	19	CONSTITUTION TO REPEAL THE EXCEPTION TO 16
20	20	THE PROHIBITION OF SLAVERY AND 17
21	21	INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE. 18
22	22	19
23	23	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY -FIFTH GENERAL 20
24	24	ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS, AND BY THE SENATE, A MAJORITY OF ALL 21
25	25	MEMBERS ELECTED TO EACH HOUSE AGREEING THERETO: 22
26	26	23
27	27	THAT the following is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of 24
28	28	the State of Arkansas, and upon being submitted to the electors of the state 25
29	29	for approval or rejection at the next general election for Representatives 26
30	30	and Senators, if a majority of the electors voting thereon at the election 27
31	31	adopt the amendment, the amendment shall become a part of the Constitution of 28
32	32	the State of Arkansas, to wit: 29
33	33	30
34	34	SECTION 1. Intent of amendment. 31
35	35	(a) Arkansas Constitution, Article 2, § 27, permits slavery and 32
36	36	involuntary servitude as a punishment for crime. 33
37	37	(b) As the Arkansas Constitution is the moral and legal foundation of 34
38	38	our state, abolishing all forms of slavery in the Arkansas Constitution 35
39	39	represents the fundamental values held by the citizens of Arkansas. 36 HJR1002
40	40
41	41	2 11/20/2024 8:44:59 AM
42	42	(c) If a prisoner is working, he or she should be compensated for that 1
43	43	labor with money or "good time" to aid his or her re -entry into society. 2
44	44	(d) The intent of this amendment is to repeal the portion of Arkansas 3
45	45	Constitution, Article 2, § 27, allowing slavery and involuntary servitude as 4
46	46	a punishment for crime in order to fully abolish slavery in the State of 5
47	47	Arkansas and recognize the moral and economic benefits that will result from 6
48	48	ending this practice. 7
49	49	8
50	50	SECTION 2. Arkansas Constitution, Article 2, § 27, is amended to read 9
51	51	as follows: 10
52	52	§ 27. Slavery — Standing armies — Military subordinate to civil power. 11
53	53	There shall be no slavery in this State, nor involuntary servitude , 12
54	54	except as a punishment for crime . No standing army shall be kept in time of 13
55	55	peace; the military shall, at all times, be in strict subordination to the 14
56	56	civil power; and no soldier shall be quartered in any house, or on any 15
57	57	premises, without the consent of the owner, in time of peace; nor in time of 16
58	58	war, except in a manner prescribed by law. 17
59	59	18
60	60	SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This amendment to the Arkansas 19
61	61	Constitution shall be effective on and after January 1, 2027. 20
62	62	21
63	63	SECTION 4. BALLOT TITLE AND POPULAR NAME. When this proposed 22
64	64	amendment is submitted to the electors of this state on the general election 23
65	65	ballot: 24
66	66	(1) The title of this Joint Resolution shall be the ballot 25
67	67	title; and 26
68	68	(2) The popular name shall be "A Constitutional Amendment to 27
69	69	Repeal the Exception to the Prohibition of Slavery and Involuntary 28
70	70	Servitude.". 29
71	71	30
72	72	31
73	73	32
74	74	33
75	75	34
76	76	35
77	77	36