Amendment
Bill No. 1949
Amendment No. 196843
CHAMBER ACTION
Senate House
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1Representative Ritter offered the following:
2
3     Amendment (with title amendment)
4     Remove everything after the resolving clause and insert:
5     That the amendments to Sections 3 and 5 of Article XI of
6the State Constitution set forth below are agreed to and shall
7be submitted to the electors of Florida for approval or
8rejection at the general election to be held in November 2004:
9
ARTICLE XI
10
AMENDMENTS
11     SECTION 3.  Initiative.--
12     (a)  The power to propose the revision or amendment of any
13portion or portions of this constitution or to propose
14legislation by initiative is reserved to the people, provided
15that, any such revision or amendment or legislation, except for
16those limiting the power of government to raise revenue, shall
17embrace but one subject and matter directly connected therewith.
18     (b)  The power to propose the revision or amendment of this
19constitution by initiative It may be invoked by filing with the
20custodian of state records a petition containing a copy of the
21proposed revision or amendment, signed by a number of electors
22in each of one half of the congressional districts of the state,
23and of the state as a whole, equal to eight percent of the votes
24cast in each of such districts respectively and in the state as
25a whole in the last preceding election in which presidential
26electors were chosen.
27     (c)  The power to propose legislation by initiative may be
28invoked by filing with the custodian of state records a petition
29containing a copy of the proposed legislation, signed by a
30number of electors in each of one half of the congressional
31districts of the state, and of the state as a whole, equal to
32four percent of the votes cast in each of such districts
33respectively and in the state as a whole in the last preceding
34election in which presidential electors were chosen.
35     SECTION 5.  Amendment or revision election.--
36     (a)  A proposed amendment to or revision of this
37constitution, or any part of it, or any legislation proposed by
38initiative shall be submitted to the electors at the next
39general election held more than ninety days after the joint
40resolution, initiative petition or report of revision
41commission, constitutional convention or taxation and budget
42reform commission proposing it is filed with the custodian of
43state records, unless, pursuant to law enacted by the
44affirmative vote of three-fourths of the membership of each
45house of the legislature and limited to a single amendment or
46revision, it is submitted at an earlier special election held
47more than ninety days after such filing.
48     (b)  The legislature shall provide by general law, prior to
49the holding of an election pursuant to this section, for the
50provision of a statement to the public regarding the probable
51financial impact of any amendment or legislation proposed by
52initiative pursuant to section 3.
53     (c)  Once in the tenth week, and once in the sixth week
54immediately preceding the week in which the election is held,
55the proposed amendment or revision or the proposed legislation,
56with notice of the date of election at which it will be
57submitted to the electors, shall be published in one newspaper
58of general circulation in each county in which a newspaper is
59published.
60     (d)  If the proposed amendment or revision or the proposed
61legislation is approved by vote of the electors, it shall be
62effective as an amendment to or revision of the constitution of
63the state or as part of the Florida Statutes on the first
64Tuesday after the first Monday in January following the
65election, or on such other date as may be specified in the
66amendment or revision or legislation.
67     (e)  Legislation approved by the voters under this section
68may not be amended or repealed by the legislature unless three-
69fourths of the membership of each house votes for such amendment
70or repeal.
71     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the title and substance of the
72amendment proposed herein shall appear on the ballot as follows:
73
PROPOSAL OF LEGISLATION BY INITIATIVE
74     Proposes amendments to Sections 3 and 5 of Article XI of
75the State Constitution to provide a right of the people to
76propose legislation by initiative; provides for invoking such
77power by filing with the custodian of state records a petition
78containing a copy of the proposed legislation, signed by a
79number of electors in each of one-half of the congressional
80districts of the state, and of the state as a whole, equal to
81four percent of the votes cast in each of such districts
82respectively and in the state as a whole in the last preceding
83election in which presidential electors were chosen; provides
84for submission of such proposal to the electors at the next
85general election held more than ninety days after the initiative
86petition proposing it is filed with the custodian of state
87records; requires a financial impact statement; requires
88publication in the tenth and sixth weeks immediately preceding
89the week in which the election is held; provides for taking
90effect on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January
91following the election or on such other date as may be specified
92therein; and prohibits the Legislature from amending or
93repealing it except by a vote of three-fourths of the membership
94of each house.
95
96================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T =================
97     Remove the entire title and insert:
98
House Joint Resolution
99A joint resolution proposing amendments to Sections 3 and
1005 of Article XI of the State Constitution to provide the
101people the right to propose legislation by initiative.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.