Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to the Arkansas
Constitution.
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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly 2
Regular Session, 2025 HJR 1017 3
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By: Representative Ray 5
By: Senator J. Payton 6
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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 8
AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION PROVIDING 9
THAT A PROPOSED STATE -WIDE INITIATED ACT OR 10
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT SHALL TAKE EFFECT AND BECOME 11
A LAW WHEN APPROVED BY A MAJORITY OF THE VOTES CAST 12
UPON THE MEASURE AT THE ELECTION AND ALSO APPROVED BY 13
A MAJORITY OF THE VOTES CAST UPON THE MEASURE IN A 14
MAJORITY OF THE COUNTIES OF THE STATE; AND PROVIDING 15
THAT AN ACT, A MEASURE, OR A PORTION OF AN ACT OR 16
MEASURE SUBJECT TO A STATE -WIDE REFERENDUM SHALL BE 17
REPEALED IF REJECTED BY A MAJORITY OF THE ELECTORS 18
VOTING UPON THE MATTER, REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF 19
COUNTIES REJECTING THE ACT, MEASURE, OR PORTION OF AN 20
ACT OR MEASURE ACCORDING TO THE VOTES CAST IN THE 21
COUNTY. 22
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Subtitle 25
A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PROVIDING 26
THAT A PROPOSED STATE -WIDE INITIATED ACT 27
OR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT SHALL 28
BECOME A LAW WHEN APPROVED BY A MAJORITY 29
OF THE VOTES CAST IN THE ELECTION AND A 30
MAJORITY OF THE COUNTIES OF THE STATE. 31
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY -FIFTH GENERAL 33
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS, AND BY THE SENATE, A MAJORITY OF ALL 34
MEMBERS ELECTED TO EACH HOUSE AGREEING THERETO: 35
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THAT the following is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of 1
the State of Arkansas, and upon being submitted to the electors of the state 2
for approval or rejection at the next general election for Representatives 3
and Senators, if a majority of the electors voting thereon at the election 4
adopt the amendment, the amendment shall become a part of the Constitution of 5
the State of Arkansas, to wit: 6
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SECTION 1. The subsection of Arkansas Constitution, Article 5, § 1, 8
titled "Majority", is amended to read as follows: 9
Majority. Any measure submitted to the people as herein provided 10
shall take effect and become a law when approved by a majority of the votes 11
cast upon such the measure, and not otherwise, and shall not be required to 12
receive a majority of the electors voting at such election. In addition to 13
approval by a majority of the votes cast upon the measure at the election, a 14
state-wide measure shall take effect and become a law when approved by a 15
majority of votes cast upon the measure in a majority of the counties of the 16
state. However, an act, a measure, or the portion or an act or measure 17
subject to a state-wide referendum shall be repealed if the act, measure, or 18
portion of an act or measure is rejected by a majority of the electors voting 19
upon the matter, regardless of the number of counties rejecting the act, 20
measure, or portion of an act or measure according to the votes cast in the 21
county. Such measures A measure approved under this amendment shall be 22
operative on and after the thirtieth day after the election at which it is 23
approved, unless otherwise specified in the Act. 24
This section shall not be construed to deprive any member of the 25
General Assembly of the right to introduce any measure, but no measure shall 26
be submitted to the people by the General Assembly, except a proposed 27
constitutional amendment or amendments as provided for in this Constitution. 28
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SECTION 2. The subsection of Arkansas Constitution, Article 5, § 1, 30
titled "Conflicting Measures", is amended to read as follows: 31
Conflicting Measures. If conflicting measures initiated or referred to 32
the people shall be are approved by a majority of the votes severally cast 33
for and against the same under this amendment at the same election, the one 34
receiving the highest number of affirmative votes shall become law. 35
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SECTION 3. Arkansas Code, Article 19, § 22, is amended to read as 1
follows: 2
§ 22. Constitutional amendments. 3
Either branch of the General Assembly, at a regular session thereof, 4
may propose amendments to this Constitution; and if the same be agreed to by 5
a majority of all members elected to each house, such proposed amendments 6
shall be entered on the journals with the yeas and nays, and published in at 7
least one (1) newspaper in each county, where a newspaper is published, for 8
six (6) months immediately preceding the next general election for Senators 9
and Representatives, at which time the same shall be submitted to the 10
electors of the State, for approval or rejection ;. and if a majority of the 11
electors voting at such election adopt such amendments, the same shall become 12
a part of this Constitution An amendment submitted under this section shall 13
become a part of this Constitution if a majority of the electors voting at 14
the next general election for Senators and Representatives approve the 15
amendment and the amendment is also approved by a majority of votes cast upon 16
the amendment in a majority of the counties of the state . But no more than 17
three (3) amendments shall be proposed or submitted at the same time. They 18
shall be so submitted as to enable the electors to vote on each amendment 19
separately. 20
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SECTION 4. Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 70, § 2, is amended to 22
read as follows: 23
§ 2. Additional Constitutional amendments authorized. 24
In addition to the three (3) amendments to the Constitution allowed 25
pursuant to Article 19, § 22, either branch of the General Assembly at a 26
regular session thereof may propose an amendment to the Constitution to 27
change the salaries for the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, 28
Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer of State, Commissioner of 29
State Lands, and Auditor of State and for members of the General Assembly. 30
If the same be agreed to by a majority of all members elected to each house, 31
such proposed amendment shall be entered on the journals with the yeas and 32
nays, and published in at least one (1) newspaper in each county, where a 33
newspaper is published, for six (6) months immediately preceding the next 34
general election for Senators and Representatives, at which time the same 35
shall be submitted to the electors of the State for approval or rejection. 36 HJR1017
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If a majority of the electors voting at such election adopt the amendment the 1
same shall become a part of this Constitution An amendment submitted under 2
this section shall become a part of this Constitution if a majority of the 3
electors voting at the next general election for Senator and Representatives 4
approve the amendment and the amendment is also approved by a majority of 5
votes cast upon the amendment in a majority of the counties of the state . 6
Only one (1) amendment to the Constitution may be referred pursuant to this 7
section. 8
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SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This amendment to the Arkansas 10
Constitution shall be effective on and after January 1, 2027. 11
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SECTION 6. BALLOT TITLE AND POPULAR NAME. When this proposed 13
amendment is submitted to the electors of this state on the general election 14
ballot: 15
(1) The title of this joint resolution shall be the ballot 16
title; and 17
(2) The popular name shall be "A Constitutional Amendment 18
Providing that a Proposed State -Wide Initiated Act or Constitutional 19
Amendment Shall Take Effect and Become a Law When Approved by a Majority of 20
the Votes Cast Upon the Measure at the Election and Also Approved by a 21
Majority of the Votes Cast Upon the Measure in a Majority of the Counties of 22
the State; and Providing that an Act, a Measure, or the Portion of an Act or 23
Measure Subject to a State -Wide Referendum Shall Be Repealed if Rejected by a 24
Majority of the Electors Voting Upon the Matter, Regardless of the Number of 25
Counties Rejecting the Act, Measure, or Portion of an Act or Measure 26
According to the Votes Cast in the County.". 27
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