| 2 | House Joint Resolution |
| 3 | A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 3 of |
| 4 | Article XI of the State Constitution to extend the filing |
| 5 | deadline for initiative petitions and provide for |
| 6 | regulation of the initiative petition process by general |
| 7 | law. |
| 8 |
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| 9 | Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 10 |
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| 11 | That the amendment to Section 3 of Article XI of the State |
| 12 | Constitution set forth below is agreed to and shall be submitted |
| 13 | to the electors of Florida for approval or rejection at the |
| 14 | general election to be held in November 2004: |
| 15 | ARTICLE XI |
| 16 | AMENDMENTS |
| 17 | SECTION 3. Initiative.-- |
| 18 | (a) The power to propose the revision or amendment of any |
| 19 | portion or portions of this constitution by initiative is |
| 20 | reserved to the people, provided that, any such revision or |
| 21 | amendment, except for those limiting the power of government to |
| 22 | raise revenue, shall embrace but one subject and matter directly |
| 23 | connected therewith. It may be invoked by filing with the |
| 24 | custodian of state records, not later than two hundred forty |
| 25 | days prior to the next general election, a petition containing a |
| 26 | copy of the proposed revision or amendment, signed by a number |
| 27 | of electors in each of one half of the congressional districts |
| 28 | of the state, and of the state as a whole, equal to eight |
| 29 | percent of the votes cast in each of such districts respectively |
| 30 | and in the state as a whole in the last preceding election in |
| 31 | which presidential electors were chosen. |
| 32 | (b) The initiative petition process, including |
| 33 | registration of petitioning organizations, the form of |
| 34 | petitions, signature gathering and validation, initiative |
| 35 | campaign finance disclosure, the timing of judicial review, and |
| 36 | other matters, shall be regulated by general law. |
| 37 | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the title and substance of the |
| 38 | amendment proposed herein shall appear on the ballot as follows: |
| 39 | FILING AND REGULATION OF INITIATIVE PETITIONS |
| 40 | Proposes an amendment to Section 3 of Article XI of the |
| 41 | State Constitution to extend to 240 days the minimum time |
| 42 | between the filing of an initiative petition and the election on |
| 43 | the amendment to or revision of the State Constitution proposed |
| 44 | by that initiative and provides for regulation of the initiative |
| 45 | petition process, including registration of petitioning |
| 46 | organizations, the form of petitions, signature gathering and |
| 47 | validation, initiative campaign finance disclosure, the timing |
| 48 | of judicial review, and other matters, by general law. |