Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas Senate Bill SB207 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 218 of the Regular Session
3		-	SSS087 02-20-2025 11:30:23 SSS087
4		-
5		-	State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H2/20/25 1
	2	+	SSS087 02/06/2025 9:29:23 AM SSS087
	3	+	State of Arkansas 1
6	4		95th General Assembly A Bill 2
7	5		Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 207 3
8	6		4
9	7		By: Senator K. Hammer 5
10	8		By: Representative Underwood 6
11	9		7
12	10		For An Act To Be Entitled 8
13	11		AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING INITIATIVE AND 9
14	12		REFERENDUM PETITIONS; TO REQUIRE A CANVASSER TO 10
15		-	DISCLOSE THAT PETITION FRAUD IS A ~~CRIMINAL OFFENSE;~~ 11
16		-	~~AND~~ TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. 12
17		-	13
	13	+	DISCLOSE THAT PETITION FRAUD IS A CLASS A 11
	14	+	MISDEMEANOR; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER 12
	15	+	PURPOSES. 13
18	16		14
19		-	~~Subtitle~~ 15
20		-	~~TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING INITIATIVE~~ 16
21		-	~~AND REFERENDUM PETITIONS;~~ TO ~~REQUIRE A~~ 17
22		-	~~CANVASSER~~ TO ~~DISCLOSE THAT PETITION~~ 18
23		-	~~FRAUD IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE; AND~~ TO 19
24		-	~~DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.~~ 20
25		-	21
26		-	~~BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:~~ 22
27		-	23
	17	+	15
	18	+	Subtitle 16
	19	+	TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING INITIATIVE 17
	20	+	AND REFERENDUM PETITIONS; TO REQUIRE A 18
	21	+	CANVASSER TO DISCLOSE THAT PETITION 19
	22	+	FRAUD IS A CLASS A MISDEMEANOR; AND TO 20
	23	+	DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. 21
	24	+	22
	25	+	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 23
28	26		24
29	27		SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 7-9-103(a), concerning the requirements of 25
30	28		canvassers, is amended to add an additional subdivision to read as follows: 26
31	29		(7) A person acting as a canvasser shall not obtain a signature 27
32	30		for a petition without disclosing to the potential petitioner that petition 28
33		-	fraud is a ~~criminal offense~~ before the potential petitioner signs the 29
	31	+	fraud is a Class A misdemeanor before the potential petitioner signs the 29
34	32		petition in the custody of the canvasser by: 30
35	33		(A) Verbal notification; or 31
36	34		(B) If verbal notification is impossible, written 32
37	35		notification with a document that is provided separately from all other 33
38	36		petition materials. 34
39	37		35
40		-	SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 7 -9-103(c), concerning the penalty for 36 ~~As Engrossed: H2/20/25~~ SB207
	38	+	SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 7 -9-103(c), concerning the penalty for 36 SB207
41	39
42		-	2 02-20-2025 11:30:23 SSS087
43		-
44		-
	40	+	2 02/06/2025 9:29:23 AM SSS087
45	41		falsification of materials related to signatures for an initiative or 1
46	42		referendum petition, is amended to read as follows: 2
47	43		(10) As a canvasser, fails to disclose to a potential petitioner 3
48		-	that petition fraud is a ~~criminal offense~~ before the potential petitioner 4
	44	+	that petition fraud is a Class A misdemeanor before the potential petitioner 4
49	45		signs the petition in the custody of the canvasser as described under 5
50	46		subdivision (a)(7) of this section. 6
51	47		7
52	48		SECTION 3. DO NOT CODIFY. SEVERABILITY. The provisions of this act 8
53	49		are declared to be severable and the invalidity of any provision of this act 9
54	50		shall not affect other provisions of the act which can be given effect 10
55	51		without the invalid provision. 11
56	52		12
57	53		SECTION 4. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the 13
58	54		General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that the process for citizens to 14
59	55		propose initiated acts and amendments to the Arkansas Constitution is 15
60	56		critical to a well-functioning democracy in this state; that it is of the 16
61	57		utmost importance that the integrity of the initiative process be 17
62	58		strengthened through this act so that petitioners and voters maintain a high 18
63	59		degree of confidence in the soundness of their right to legislate as citizens 19
64	60		of Arkansas; and that this act is immediately necessary because any delay in 20
65	61		the implementation of this act would disrupt the initiative process for the 21
66	62		2026 general election, which would have a detrimental effect on the public 22
67	63		peace, health, and safety of Arkansas. Therefore, an emergency is declared to 23
68	64		exist, and this act being immediately necessary for the preservation of the 24
69	65		public peace, health, and safety shall become effective on: 25
70	66		(1) The date of its approval by the Governor; 26
71	67		(2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor, 27
72	68		the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the 28
73	69		bill; or 29
74	70		(3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is 30
75	71		overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto. 31
76	72		32
77		-	~~/s/K. Hammer~~ 33
	73	+	33
78	74		34
79		-	~~APPROVED: 2/27/25~~ 35
	75	+	35
80	76		36