The proposed bill, S. 95, aims to establish a comprehensive procedure for the enactment or repeal of laws in South Carolina through initiative petitions and referendums. It seeks to amend the Constitution of South Carolina by adding Section 1B to Article III, which sets forth the requirements for initiating a petition, including a minimum of twelve percent of the total votes for Governor in the last election and a twelve-month timeframe for signature collection. The bill also requires initiatives to specify the amount and source of revenue needed for implementation and outlines subjects that cannot be addressed through these petitions. Additionally, certified initiatives must be filed with each branch of the General Assembly, which has the authority to adopt, amend, or reject them by majority vote.

Furthermore, the bill proposes to amend Article XVI of the Constitution by adding Section 4, which reserves the power for the people to propose constitutional amendments via initiative, requiring signatures from at least fifteen percent of the votes for Governor in the last election. It mandates that initiatives identify funding sources and restricts certain subjects from being addressed through this process. The bill ensures that any general law enacted through this initiative process cannot be repealed or amended without a public vote, thereby reinforcing direct democracy in South Carolina. It also limits the submission of initiatives to five per election and stipulates that an initiative approved by voters is certified unless stated otherwise, with the proposed amendment to be presented to qualified electors at the next general election.