Florida Senate - 2025                                    SJR 864
       
       
        
       By Senator Smith
       
       
       
       
       
       17-00472-25                                            2025864__
    1                       Senate Joint Resolution                     
    2         A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 5
    3         of Article XI of the State Constitution to decrease
    4         the percentage of elector votes required from 60
    5         percent to 50 percent to approve an amendment to or a
    6         revision of the State Constitution.
    7          
    8  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    9  
   10         That the following amendment to Section 5 of Article XI of
   11  the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted to
   12  the electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next
   13  general election or at an earlier special election specifically
   14  authorized by law for that purpose:
   15                             ARTICLE XI                            
   16                             AMENDMENTS                            
   17         SECTION 5. Amendment or revision election.—
   18         (a) A proposed amendment to or revision of this
   19  constitution, or any part of it, shall be submitted to the
   20  electors at the next general election held more than ninety days
   21  after the joint resolution or report of revision commission,
   22  constitutional convention or taxation and budget reform
   23  commission proposing it is filed with the custodian of state
   24  records, unless, pursuant to law enacted by the affirmative vote
   25  of three-fourths of the membership of each house of the
   26  legislature and limited to a single amendment or revision, it is
   27  submitted at an earlier special election held more than ninety
   28  days after such filing.
   29         (b) A proposed amendment or revision of this constitution,
   30  or any part of it, by initiative shall be submitted to the
   31  electors at the general election provided the initiative
   32  petition is filed with the custodian of state records no later
   33  than February 1 of the year in which the general election is
   34  held.
   35         (c) The legislature shall provide by general law, prior to
   36  the holding of an election pursuant to this section, for the
   37  provision of a statement to the public regarding the probable
   38  financial impact of any amendment proposed by initiative
   39  pursuant to section 3.
   40         (d) Once in the tenth week, and once in the sixth week
   41  immediately preceding the week in which the election is held,
   42  the proposed amendment or revision, with notice of the date of
   43  election at which it will be submitted to the electors, shall be
   44  published in one newspaper of general circulation in each county
   45  in which a newspaper is published.
   46         (e) Unless otherwise specifically provided for elsewhere in
   47  this constitution, if the proposed amendment or revision is
   48  approved by vote of at least fifty sixty percent of the electors
   49  voting on the measure, it shall be effective as an amendment to
   50  or revision of the constitution of the state on the first
   51  Tuesday after the first Monday in January following the
   52  election, or on such other date as may be specified in the
   53  amendment or revision.
   54         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
   55  placed on the ballot:
   56                      CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT                     
   57                        ARTICLE XI, SECTION 5                      
   58         REVISING THRESHOLD FOR VOTER APPROVAL OF CONSTITUTIONAL
   59  AMENDMENTS OR REVISIONS.—Proposing an amendment to the State
   60  Constitution to decrease the percentage of elector votes
   61  required from 60 percent to 50 percent to approve an amendment
   62  to or a revision of the State Constitution.