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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Joint Resolution 18
Sponsored by Representative EVANS
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced.The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: Amends the state Constitution. Requires a petitioner to provide a means by which added
costs from an IM will be paid.Refers the amendment to the people at the next election. (Flesch
Readability Score: 68.0).
Amends the Oregon Constitution to require an initiative petition to be accompanied by a signed
form providing for the means by which an increase in state or county expenditures of greater than
$50,000 must be paid. Provides that an initiative petition may not be placed on the ballot unless the
Secretary of State makes a finding of sufficiency of the means.
Refers the proposed amendment to the people for their approval or rejection at the next regular
general election.
JOINT RESOLUTION
Be It Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon:
PARAGRAPH 1. Section 1, Article IV of the Constitution of the State of Oregon, is amended
toread:
Sec. 1. (1) The legislative power of the state, except for the initiative and referendum powers
reserved to the people, is vested in a Legislative Assembly, consisting of a Senate and a House of
Representatives.
(2)(a) The people reserve to themselves the initiative power, which is to propose laws and
amendments to the Constitution and enact or reject them at an election independently of the Leg-
islativeAssembly.
(b) An initiative law may be proposed only by a petition signed by a number of qualified voters
equal to six percent of the total number of votes cast for all candidates for Governor at the election
at which a Governor was elected for a term of four years next preceding the filing of the petition.
(c) An initiative amendment to the Constitution may be proposed only by a petition signed by
a number of qualified voters equal to eight percent of the total number of votes cast for all candi-
dates for Governor at the election at which a Governor was elected for a term of four years next
preceding the filing of the petition.
(d) An initiative petition shall include the full text of the proposed law or amendment to the
Constitution. A proposed law or amendment to the Constitution shall embrace one subject only and
matters properly connected therewith.
(e) An initiative petition shall be filed not less than four months before the election at which
the proposed law or amendment to the Constitution is to be voted upon.
(f) For any initiative petition that, if adopted by the people, would result in a change in
state or county expenditures of greater than $50,000 under the provisions of the measure, the
filed petition shall be accompanied by a form designed by the Secretary of State and signed
by a chief petitioner as established by law, providing for the means by which the increase in
expenditures must be paid. A petition that is filed under paragraph (e) of this subsection may
NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 4229 HJR18
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not be placed on the ballot unless the secretary makes a finding of sufficiency of the means
by which the increase in expenditures is to be paid.
(3)(a) The people reserve to themselves the referendum power, which is to approve or reject at
an election any Act, or part thereof, of the Legislative Assembly that does not become effective
earlier than 90 days after the end of the session at which the Act is passed.
(b) A referendum on an Act or part thereof may be ordered by a petition signed by a number
of qualified voters equal to four percent of the total number of votes cast for all candidates for
Governor at the election at which a Governor was elected for a term of four years next preceding
the filing of the petition. A referendum petition shall be filed not more than 90 days after the end
of the session at which the Act is passed.
(c) A referendum on an Act may be ordered by the Legislative Assembly by law.
Notwithstanding section 15b, Article V of this Constitution, bills ordering a referendum and bills
on which a referendum is ordered are not subject to veto by the Governor.
(4)(a) Petitions or orders for the initiative or referendum shall be filed with the Secretary of
State. The Legislative Assembly shall provide by law for the manner in which the Secretary of State
shall determine whether a petition contains the required number of signatures of qualified voters.
The Secretary of State shall complete the verification process within the 30-day period after the last
day on which the petition may be filed as provided in paragraph (e) of subsection (2) or paragraph
(b) of subsection (3) of this section.
(b) Initiative and referendum measures shall be submitted to the people as provided in this sec-
tion and by law not inconsistent therewith.
(c) All elections on initiative and referendum measures shall be held at the regular general
elections, unless otherwise ordered by the Legislative Assembly.
(d) Notwithstanding section 1, Article XVII of this Constitution, an initiative or referendum
measure becomes effective 30 days after the day on which it is enacted or approved by a majority
of the votes cast thereon. A referendum ordered by petition on a part of an Act does not delay the
remainder of the Act from becoming effective.
(5) The initiative and referendum powers reserved to the people by subsections (2) and (3) of this
section are further reserved to the qualified voters of each municipality and district as to all local,
special and municipal legislation of every character in or for their municipality or district. The
manner of exercising those powers shall be provided by general laws, but cities may provide the
manner of exercising those powers as to their municipal legislation. In a city, not more than 15
percent of the qualified voters may be required to propose legislation by the initiative, and not more
than 10 percent of the qualified voters may be required to order a referendum on legislation.
PARAGRAPH 2. The amendment proposed by this resolution shall be submitted to the
people for their approval or rejection at the next regular general election held throughout
thisstate.
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