An act TO BE KNOWN AS THE "PROTECT OUR CONSTITUTION 10 ACT", the official text

Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.

1 State of Arkansas                 A Bill
2 95th General Assembly

3 Regular Session, 2025                                           SENATE BILL 586

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5 By: Senator J. Dotson

6 By: Representative Gazaway

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8                             For An Act To Be Entitled

9   AN ACT TO BE KNOWN AS THE "PROTECT OUR CONSTITUTION

10  ACT"; CONCERNING THE PERCENTAGE OF VOTES REQUIRED FOR

11  APPROVAL OF A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT REFERRED TO

12  VOTERS UNDER ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, ARTICLE 5,

13  SECTION 1; AMENDING ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, ARTICLE 5,

14  � 1, AS AUTHORIZED BY THAT PROVISION OF THE ARKANSAS

15  CONSTITUTION; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

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18                                  Subtitle

19                       TO CREATE THE "PROTECT OUR CONSTITUTION

20                       ACT"; AND AMENDING A PORTION OF THE

21                       ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION AS AUTHORIZED BY

22                       ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, ARTICLE 5, � 1.

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24 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:

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26  SECTION 1. TITLE. This act shall be known and may be cited as the

27 "Protect Our Constitution Act".

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29  SECTION 2. Pursuant to the authority granted by Arkansas Constitution,

30 Article 5, � 1, the subsection of Arkansas Constitution, Article 5, � 1,

31 titled "Majority" is amended to read as follows:

32  Majority. (a)(1) Any Except as provided in subdivision (a)(2) of this

33 section, any measure submitted to the people as herein provided shall take

34 effect and become a law when approved by a majority of the votes cast upon

35 such measure, and not otherwise, and shall not be required to receive a

36 majority of the electors voting at such election.

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1           (2) A constitutional amendment submitted to the people as herein

2 provided shall take effect and become a law when approved by at least two-

3 thirds (2/3) of the votes cast upon such measure.

4   (b) Such measures After a measure has been approved by a vote of the

5 people, it shall be operative on and after the thirtieth day after the

6 election at which it is approved, unless otherwise specified in the Act

7 measure.

8   (c) This section shall not be construed to deprive any member of the

9 General Assembly of the right to introduce any measure, but no measure shall

10 be submitted to the people by the General Assembly, except a proposed

11 constitutional amendment or amendments as provided for in this Constitution.

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13  SECTION 3. Pursuant to the authority granted by Arkansas Constitution,

14 Article 5, � 1, the subsection of Arkansas Constitution, Article 5, � 1,

15 titled "Conflicting Measures", is amended to read as follows:

16  Conflicting Measures. If conflicting measures initiated or referred to

17 the people shall be approved by a majority of the votes severally cast for

18 and against the same as herein provided at the same election, the one

19 receiving the highest number of affirmative votes shall become law.

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21  SECTION 4. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the

22 General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that amendments to the Arkansas

23 Constitution impact the public peace, health, and safety of each citizen of

24 this state; that to protect the public peace, health, and safety of the

25 citizens of this state, it is necessary to increase the threshold for passage

26 of a constitutional amendment proposed under Arkansas Constitution, Article

27 5, � 1, to ensure that constitutional amendments are supported by an

28 appropriate number of voters to justify an amendment to the Arkansas

29 Constitution; and that this act should become effective at the earliest

30 opportunity to ensure that its provisions are in place for the 2026 general

31 election. Therefore, an emergency is declared to exist, and this act being

32 immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health, and

33 safety shall become effective on:

34          (1) The date of its approval by the Governor;

35          (2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor,

36 the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the

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1 bill; or

2           (3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is

3 overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto.

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