HJR 1723

1
House Joint Resolution
2A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 5 of
3Article XI of the State Constitution to require that any
4proposed amendment to or revision of the State
5Constitution be approved by at least 60 percent of the
6electors voting on the measure.
7
8Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
9
10     That the amendment to Section 5 of Article XI of the State
11Constitution set forth below is agreed to and shall be submitted
12to the electors of Florida for approval or rejection at the
13general election to be held in November 2006:
14
ARTICLE XI
15
AMENDMENTS
16     SECTION 5.  Amendment or revision election.--
17     (a)  A proposed amendment to or revision of this
18constitution, or any part of it, shall be submitted to the
19electors at the next general election held more than ninety days
20after the joint resolution or report of revision commission,
21constitutional convention or taxation and budget reform
22commission proposing it is filed with the custodian of state
23records, unless, pursuant to law enacted by the affirmative vote
24of three-fourths of the membership of each house of the
25legislature and limited to a single amendment or revision, it is
26submitted at an earlier special election held more than ninety
27days after such filing.
28     (b)  A proposed amendment or revision of this constitution,
29or any part of it, by initiative shall be submitted to the
30electors at the general election provided the initiative
31petition is filed with the custodian of state records no later
32than February 1 of the year in which the general election is
33held.
34     (c)  The legislature shall provide by general law, prior to
35the holding of an election pursuant to this section, for the
36provision of a statement to the public regarding the probable
37financial impact of any amendment proposed by initiative
38pursuant to section 3.
39     (d)  Once in the tenth week, and once in the sixth week
40immediately preceding the week in which the election is held,
41the proposed amendment or revision, with notice of the date of
42election at which it will be submitted to the electors, shall be
43published in one newspaper of general circulation in each county
44in which a newspaper is published.
45     (e)  Unless otherwise specifically provided for elsewhere
46in this constitution, if the proposed amendment or revision is
47approved by vote of at least sixty percent of the electors
48voting on the measure, it shall be effective as an amendment to
49or revision of the constitution of the state on the first
50Tuesday after the first Monday in January following the
51election, or on such other date as may be specified in the
52amendment or revision.
53     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the title and substance of the
54amendment proposed herein shall appear on the ballot as follows:
55
REQUIRING BROADER PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR
56
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS OR REVISIONS
57     Proposes an amendment to Section 5 of Article XI of the
58State Constitution to require that any proposed amendment to or
59revision of the State Constitution, whether proposed by the
60Legislature, by initiative, or by any other method, must be
61approved by at least 60 percent of the voters of the state
62voting on the measure, rather than by a simple majority. This
63proposed amendment would not change the current requirement that
64a proposed constitutional amendment imposing a new state tax or
65fee be approved by at least 2/3 of the voters of the state
66voting in the election in which such an amendment is considered.


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