Senate Bill sb1172

    Florida Senate - 2003                                 SJR 1172

    By Senator Cowin





    20-1168-03

  1                 Senate Joint Resolution No. ____

  2         A joint resolution proposing an amendment to

  3         Section 5 of Article XI of the State

  4         Constitution to revise requirements for

  5         ratification of proposed amendments to the

  6         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

11  of the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted

12  to the electors of this state for approval or rejection at the

13  next general election or at an earlier special election

14  specifically 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

21  days after the joint resolution, initiative petition or report

22  of revision commission, constitutional convention or taxation

23  and budget reform commission proposing it is filed with the

24  custodian of state records, unless, pursuant to law enacted by

25  the affirmative vote of three-fourths of the membership of

26  each house of the legislature and limited to a single

27  amendment or revision, it is submitted at an earlier special

28  election held more than ninety days after such filing.

29         (b)  The legislature shall provide by general law,

30  prior to the holding of an election pursuant to this section,

31  for the provision of a statement to the public regarding the

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






    Florida Senate - 2003                                 SJR 1172
    20-1168-03




  1  probable financial impact of any amendment proposed by

  2  initiative pursuant to section 3.

  3         (c)  Once in the tenth week, and once in the sixth week

  4  immediately preceding the week in which the election is held,

  5  the proposed amendment or revision, with notice of the date of

  6  election at which it will be submitted to the electors, shall

  7  be published in one newspaper of general circulation in each

  8  county in which a newspaper is published.

  9         (d)  If the proposed amendment or revision is approved

10  by vote of the electors and by the vote of a majority of those

11  voting on the matter in at least thirty-four counties, it

12  shall be effective as an amendment to or revision of the

13  constitution of the state on the first Tuesday after the first

14  Monday in January following the election, or on such other

15  date as may be specified in the amendment or revision.

16         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be

17  placed on the ballot:

18                     CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

19                      ARTICLE XI, SECTION 5

20         REQUIREMENTS FOR RATIFICATION OF PROPOSED

21  CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.--Proposing an amendment to the

22  State Constitution to require that, in addition to the present

23  requirement that ratification be approved by a majority of

24  electors voting statewide, a proposed amendment submitted for

25  ratification after January 4, 2005, be approved by a majority

26  of the electors voting in at least 34 of the state's 67

27  counties.

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