Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 273 of the Regular Session
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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 209 3
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By: Senator K. Hammer 5
By: Representative Underwood 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING INITIATIVE 9
PETITIONS AND REFERENDUM PETITIONS; TO DISQUALIFY 10
SIGNATURES OBTAINED BY A CANVASSER UNDER CERTAIN 11
CIRCUMSTANCES; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER 12
PURPOSES. 13
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Subtitle 16
TO DISQUALIFY SIGNATURES OBTAINED BY A 17
CANVASSER UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES; 18
AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. 19
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 21
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code ยง 7 -9-103, concerning the signing of a 23
petition, penalty for falsification, and notice of suspected forgery for 24
initiative petitions and referendum petitions, is amended to add an 25
additional subsection to read as follows: 26
(e)(1) The Secretary of State shall not count signatures collected and 27
witnessed by a canvasser if the Secretary of State finds by a preponderance 28
of the evidence that the canvasser has violated Arkansas laws regarding 29
canvassing, perjury, forgery, or fraudulent practices in the procurement of 30
petition signatures or any provision of the Arkansas Constitution applicable 31
to the collection of signatures on an initiative petition or referendum 32
petition during the current election cycle. 33
(2) This subsection shall not constrain the duties and authority 34
of the Secretary of State as set forth in Arkansas law. 35
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SECTION 2. DO NOT CODIFY. SEVERABILITY. The provisions of this act 1
are declared to be severable and the invalidity of any provision of this act 2
shall not affect other provisions of the act which can be given effect 3
without the invalid provision. 4
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SECTION 3. DO NOT CODIFY. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and 6
determined by the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that the process 7
for citizens to propose initiated acts and amendments to the Arkansas 8
Constitution is critical to a well -functioning democracy in this state; that 9
it is of the utmost importance that the integrity of the initiative process 10
be strengthened through this act so that petitioners and voters maintain a 11
high degree of confidence in the soundness of their right to legislate as 12
citizens of Arkansas; and that this act is immediately necessary because any 13
delay in the implementation of this act would disrupt the initiative process 14
for the 2026 general election, which would have a detrimental effect on the 15
public peace, health, and safety of Arkansas. Therefore, an emergency is 16
declared to exist, and this act being immediately necessary for the 17
preservation of the public peace, health, and safety shall become effective 18
on: 19
(1) The date of its approval by the Governor; 20
(2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor, 21
the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the 22
bill; or 23
(3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is 24
overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto. 25
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APPROVED: 3/12/25 28
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