Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas House Bill HJR1017 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	MBM046 02/11/2025 3:28:46 PM MBM046
4	4	State of Arkansas 1
5	5	95th General Assembly 2
6	6	Regular Session, 2025 HJR 1017 3
7	7	4
8	8	By: Representative Ray 5
9	9	By: Senator J. Payton 6
10	10	7
11	11	HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 8
12	12	AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION PROVIDING 9
13	13	THAT A PROPOSED STATE -WIDE INITIATED ACT OR 10
14	14	CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT SHALL TAKE EFFECT AND BECOME 11
15	15	A LAW WHEN APPROVED BY A MAJORITY OF THE VOTES CAST 12
16	16	UPON THE MEASURE AT THE ELECTION AND ALSO APPROVED BY 13
17	17	A MAJORITY OF THE VOTES CAST UPON THE MEASURE IN A 14
18	18	MAJORITY OF THE COUNTIES OF THE STATE; AND PROVIDING 15
19	19	THAT AN ACT, A MEASURE, OR A PORTION OF AN ACT OR 16
20	20	MEASURE SUBJECT TO A STATE -WIDE REFERENDUM SHALL BE 17
21	21	REPEALED IF REJECTED BY A MAJORITY OF THE ELECTORS 18
22	22	VOTING UPON THE MATTER, REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF 19
23	23	COUNTIES REJECTING THE ACT, MEASURE, OR PORTION OF AN 20
24	24	ACT OR MEASURE ACCORDING TO THE VOTES CAST IN THE 21
25	25	COUNTY. 22
26	26	23
27	27	24
28	28	Subtitle 25
29	29	A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PROVIDING 26
30	30	THAT A PROPOSED STATE -WIDE INITIATED ACT 27
31	31	OR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT SHALL 28
32	32	BECOME A LAW WHEN APPROVED BY A MAJORITY 29
33	33	OF THE VOTES CAST IN THE ELECTION AND A 30
34	34	MAJORITY OF THE COUNTIES OF THE STATE. 31
35	35	32
36	36	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY -FIFTH GENERAL 33
37	37	ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS, AND BY THE SENATE, A MAJORITY OF ALL 34
38	38	MEMBERS ELECTED TO EACH HOUSE AGREEING THERETO: 35
39	39	36 HJR1017
40	40
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42	42	THAT the following is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of 1
43	43	the State of Arkansas, and upon being submitted to the electors of the state 2
44	44	for approval or rejection at the next general election for Representatives 3
45	45	and Senators, if a majority of the electors voting thereon at the election 4
46	46	adopt the amendment, the amendment shall become a part of the Constitution of 5
47	47	the State of Arkansas, to wit: 6
48	48	7
49	49	SECTION 1. The subsection of Arkansas Constitution, Article 5, § 1, 8
50	50	titled "Majority", is amended to read as follows: 9
51	51	Majority. Any measure submitted to the people as herein provided 10
52	52	shall take effect and become a law when approved by a majority of the votes 11
53	53	cast upon such the measure, and not otherwise, and shall not be required to 12
54	54	receive a majority of the electors voting at such election. In addition to 13
55	55	approval by a majority of the votes cast upon the measure at the election, a 14
56	56	state-wide measure shall take effect and become a law when approved by a 15
57	57	majority of votes cast upon the measure in a majority of the counties of the 16
58	58	state. However, an act, a measure, or the portion or an act or measure 17
59	59	subject to a state-wide referendum shall be repealed if the act, measure, or 18
60	60	portion of an act or measure is rejected by a majority of the electors voting 19
61	61	upon the matter, regardless of the number of counties rejecting the act, 20
62	62	measure, or portion of an act or measure according to the votes cast in the 21
63	63	county. Such measures A measure approved under this amendment shall be 22
64	64	operative on and after the thirtieth day after the election at which it is 23
65	65	approved, unless otherwise specified in the Act. 24
66	66	This section shall not be construed to deprive any member of the 25
67	67	General Assembly of the right to introduce any measure, but no measure shall 26
68	68	be submitted to the people by the General Assembly, except a proposed 27
69	69	constitutional amendment or amendments as provided for in this Constitution. 28
70	70	29
71	71	SECTION 2. The subsection of Arkansas Constitution, Article 5, § 1, 30
72	72	titled "Conflicting Measures", is amended to read as follows: 31
73	73	Conflicting Measures. If conflicting measures initiated or referred to 32
74	74	the people shall be are approved by a majority of the votes severally cast 33
75	75	for and against the same under this amendment at the same election, the one 34
76	76	receiving the highest number of affirmative votes shall become law. 35
77	77	36 HJR1017
78	78
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80	80	SECTION 3. Arkansas Code, Article 19, § 22, is amended to read as 1
81	81	follows: 2
82	82	§ 22. Constitutional amendments. 3
83	83	Either branch of the General Assembly, at a regular session thereof, 4
84	84	may propose amendments to this Constitution; and if the same be agreed to by 5
85	85	a majority of all members elected to each house, such proposed amendments 6
86	86	shall be entered on the journals with the yeas and nays, and published in at 7
87	87	least one (1) newspaper in each county, where a newspaper is published, for 8
88	88	six (6) months immediately preceding the next general election for Senators 9
89	89	and Representatives, at which time the same shall be submitted to the 10
90	90	electors of the State, for approval or rejection ;. and if a majority of the 11
91	91	electors voting at such election adopt such amendments, the same shall become 12
92	92	a part of this Constitution An amendment submitted under this section shall 13
93	93	become a part of this Constitution if a majority of the electors voting at 14
94	94	the next general election for Senators and Representatives approve the 15
95	95	amendment and the amendment is also approved by a majority of votes cast upon 16
96	96	the amendment in a majority of the counties of the state . But no more than 17
97	97	three (3) amendments shall be proposed or submitted at the same time. They 18
98	98	shall be so submitted as to enable the electors to vote on each amendment 19
99	99	separately. 20
100	100	21
101	101	SECTION 4. Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 70, § 2, is amended to 22
102	102	read as follows: 23
103	103	§ 2. Additional Constitutional amendments authorized. 24
104	104	In addition to the three (3) amendments to the Constitution allowed 25
105	105	pursuant to Article 19, § 22, either branch of the General Assembly at a 26
106	106	regular session thereof may propose an amendment to the Constitution to 27
107	107	change the salaries for the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, 28
108	108	Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer of State, Commissioner of 29
109	109	State Lands, and Auditor of State and for members of the General Assembly. 30
110	110	If the same be agreed to by a majority of all members elected to each house, 31
111	111	such proposed amendment shall be entered on the journals with the yeas and 32
112	112	nays, and published in at least one (1) newspaper in each county, where a 33
113	113	newspaper is published, for six (6) months immediately preceding the next 34
114	114	general election for Senators and Representatives, at which time the same 35
115	115	shall be submitted to the electors of the State for approval or rejection. 36 HJR1017
116	116
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118	118	If a majority of the electors voting at such election adopt the amendment the 1
119	119	same shall become a part of this Constitution An amendment submitted under 2
120	120	this section shall become a part of this Constitution if a majority of the 3
121	121	electors voting at the next general election for Senator and Representatives 4
122	122	approve the amendment and the amendment is also approved by a majority of 5
123	123	votes cast upon the amendment in a majority of the counties of the state . 6
124	124	Only one (1) amendment to the Constitution may be referred pursuant to this 7
125	125	section. 8
126	126	9
127	127	SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This amendment to the Arkansas 10
128	128	Constitution shall be effective on and after January 1, 2027. 11
129	129	12
130	130	SECTION 6. BALLOT TITLE AND POPULAR NAME. When this proposed 13
131	131	amendment is submitted to the electors of this state on the general election 14
132	132	ballot: 15
133	133	(1) The title of this joint resolution shall be the ballot 16
134	134	title; and 17
135	135	(2) The popular name shall be "A Constitutional Amendment 18
136	136	Providing that a Proposed State -Wide Initiated Act or Constitutional 19
137	137	Amendment Shall Take Effect and Become a Law When Approved by a Majority of 20
138	138	the Votes Cast Upon the Measure at the Election and Also Approved by a 21
139	139	Majority of the Votes Cast Upon the Measure in a Majority of the Counties of 22
140	140	the State; and Providing that an Act, a Measure, or the Portion of an Act or 23
141	141	Measure Subject to a State -Wide Referendum Shall Be Repealed if Rejected by a 24
142	142	Majority of the Electors Voting Upon the Matter, Regardless of the Number of 25
143	143	Counties Rejecting the Act, Measure, or Portion of an Act or Measure 26
144	144	According to the Votes Cast in the County.". 27
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146	146	29
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152	152	35
153	153	36