HJR 1877 2003
1	House Joint Resolution
2	A joint resolution proposing amendments to Sections 3 and
3	5 of Article XI of the State Constitution relating to
4	amendments to or revisions of the State Constitution.
5
6	Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
7
8	That the amendments to Sections 3 and 5 of Article XI of
9	the State Constitution set forth below are agreed to and shall
10	be submitted to the electors of Florida for approval or
11	rejection at the general election to be held in November 2004:
12	ARTICLE XI
13	AMENDMENTS
14	SECTION 3. Initiative.--
15	(a)The power to propose the revision or amendment of any
16	portion or portions of this constitution by initiative is
17	reserved to the people, provided that, any such revision or
18	amendment, except for those limiting the power of government to
19	raise revenue, shall embrace but one subject and matter directly
20	connected therewith. It may be invoked by filing with the
21	custodian of state records a petition containing a copy of the
22	proposed revision or amendment, signed by a number of electors
23	in three-fifthseach of one halfof the congressional districts
24	of the state, and of the state as a whole, equal to teneight
25	percent of the votes cast in each of such districts respectively
26	and in the state as a whole in the last preceding election in
27	which presidential electors were chosen.
28	(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), any revision or
29	amendment of this constitution adopted by initiative may be
30	repealed by initiative limited to that purpose only and subject
31	to the same requirements for invoking and voter approval as were
32	applied to the petition proposing the revision or amendment to
33	be repealed.
34	SECTION 5. Amendment or revision election.--
35	(a) A proposed amendment to or revision of this
36	constitution, or any part of it, shall be submitted to the
37	electors at the next general election held more than ninety days
38	after the joint resolution, initiative petition or report of
39	revision commission, constitutional convention or taxation and
40	budget reform commission proposing it is filed with the
41	custodian of state records, unless, pursuant to law enacted by
42	the affirmative vote of three-fourths of the membership of each
43	house of the legislature and limited to a single amendment or
44	revision, it is submitted at an earlier special election held
45	more than ninety days after such filing.
46	(b) The legislature shall provide by general law, prior to
47	the holding of an election pursuant to this section, for the
48	provision of a statement to the public regarding the probable
49	financial impact of any amendment proposed by initiative
50	pursuant to section 3.
51	(c) Once in the tenth week, and once in the sixth week
52	immediately preceding the week in which the election is held,
53	the proposed amendment or revision, with notice of the date of
54	election at which it will be submitted to the electors, shall be
55	published in one newspaper of general circulation in each county
56	in which a newspaper is published.
57	(d) If the proposed amendment or revision is approved by
58	vote of two-thirds of the electors voting on the amendment or
59	revision in the election, it shall be effective as an amendment
60	to or revision of the constitution of the state on the first
61	Tuesday after the first Monday in January following the
62	election, or on such other date as may be specified in the
63	amendment or revision.
64	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the title and substance of the
65	amendments proposed herein shall appear on the ballot as
66	follows:
67	AMENDMENT OR REVISION OF STATE CONSTITUTION
68	Proposes amendments to Sections 3 and 5 of Article XI of
69	the State Constitution to require signatures for initiative
70	petitions to amend or revise the State Constitution to be
71	gathered in three-fifths, rather than one half, of the
72	congressional districts, and of the state as a whole, equal to
73	ten percent of the votes cast in the last presidential election
74	and to increase the vote required to adopt an amendment to or
75	revision of the State Constitution from a majority of the
76	electors voting in favor of the proposal in the election to two-
77	thirds of the electors voting in favor of the proposal in the
78	election.