Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas Senate Bill SB208 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 240 of the Regular Session
3		-	SSS086 02-19-2025 11:09:14 SSS086
4		-
5		-	State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H2/19/25 1
	2	+	SSS086 02/06/2025 9:15:17 AM SSS086
	3	+	State of Arkansas 1
6	4		95th General Assembly A Bill 2
7	5		Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 208 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 VIEW 10
15	13		PHOTO IDENTIFICATION BEFORE OBTAINING A SIGNATURE; TO 11
16	14		DECLARE AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 12
17	15		13
18	16		14
19	17		Subtitle 15
20	18		TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING INITIATIVE 16
21	19		AND REFERENDUM PETITIONS; TO VIEW A 17
22	20		CANVASSER TO REQUEST PHOTO 18
23	21		IDENTIFICATION BEFORE OBTAINING A 19
24	22		SIGNATURE; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. 20
25	23		21
26	24		BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 22
27	25		23
28	26		SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 7 -9-109 is amended to add an additional 24
29	27		subsection to read as follows: 25
30	28		(g)(1) A canvasser who witnesses signatures on a petition part shall 26
31	29		view a copy of a potential petitioner's photo identification to verify the 27
32	30		identity of the potential petitioner before obtaining the signature. 28
33	31		(2) If a canvasser cannot verify the identity of the potential 29
34	32		petitioner, the canvasser shall not obtain a signature from the potential 30
35	33		petitioner. 31
36	34		(3) A canvasser who submits a canvasser affidavit under 32
37	35		subsection (a) of this section swearing that to the best of the affiant's 33
38	36		knowledge and belief each signature is genuine, and that the person signing 34
39	37		is a legal voter, but does not comply with the requirements under subdivision 35
40		-	(g)(1) of this section makes a false statement on a petition verification 36 ~~As Engrossed: H2/19/25~~ SB208
	38	+	(g)(1) of this section makes a false statement on a petition verification 36 SB208
41	39
42		-	2 02-19-2025 11:09:14 SSS086
43		-
44		-
	40	+	2 02/06/2025 9:15:17 AM SSS086
45	41		form. 1
46		-	(4) As used in this subsection, "photo identification" means a 2
47		-	~~document or~~ identification ~~card permitted~~ under § 7 -1-101(40). 3
	42	+	(4) As used in this subsection, "photo identification" means 2
	43	+	"verification of photo identification" as defined under § 7 -1-101(40). 3
48	44		4
49	45		SECTION 2. DO NOT CODIFY. SEVERABILITY. The provisions of this act 5
50	46		are declared to be severable and the invalidity of any provision of this act 6
51	47		shall not affect other provisions of the act which can be given effect 7
52	48		without the invalid provision. 8
53	49		9
54	50		SECTION 3. DO NOT CODIFY. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and 10
55	51		determined by the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that the process 11
56	52		for citizens to propose initiated acts and amendments to the Arkansas 12
57	53		Constitution is critical to a well -functioning democracy in this state; that 13
58	54		it is of the utmost importance that the integrity of the initiative process 14
59	55		be strengthened through this act so that petitioners and voters maintain a 15
60	56		high degree of confidence in the soundness of their right to legislate as 16
61	57		citizens of Arkansas; and that this act is immediately necessary because any 17
62	58		delay in the implementation of this act would disrupt the initiative process 18
63	59		for the 2026 general election, which would have a detrimental effect on the 19
64	60		public peace, health, and safety of Arkansas. Therefore, an emergency is 20
65	61		declared to exist, and this act being immediately necessary for the 21
66	62		preservation of the public peace, health, and safety shall become effective 22
67	63		on: 23
68	64		(1) The date of its approval by the Governor; 24
69	65		(2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor, 25
70	66		the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the 26
71	67		bill; or 27
72	68		(3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is 28
73	69		overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto. 29
74	70		30
75		-	~~/s/K. Hammer~~ 31
	71	+	31
76	72		32
77	73		33
78		-	~~APPROVED: 3/4/25~~ 34
	74	+	34
79	75		35
80	76		36