Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to the Arkansas
                                                   Constitution.
 State of Arkansas                    As Engrossed:      S4/20/21
 93rd General Assembly
 Regular Session, 2021                                                                           SJR 10
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 By: Senators B. Davis, T. Garner, Hill
 By: Representatives Cavenaugh, Vaught, M. Gray, Lundstrum, Payton, B. Smith, Rye, Bentley, Brown,
 Furman, Underwood, Lowery, Wooten, Beatty Jr., Gonzales, M. Berry, Dotson, McCollum, Gazaway,
 Bryant, Evans, Richmond, C. Cooper
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                               SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
                 AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION TO ALLOW
                 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO CONVENE IN EXTRAORDINARY
                 SESSION UPON THE ISSUANCE OF A JOINT WRITTEN
                 PROCLAMATION OF THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF
                 REPRESENTATIVES AND THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE
                 SENATE OR UPON THE SUBMISSION OF A WRITTEN
                 PROCLAMATION CONTAINING THE SIGNATURES OF AT LEAST
                 TWO-THIRDS (2/3) OF THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF
                 REPRESENTATIVES AND AT LEAST TWO-THIRDS (2/3) OF THE
                 MEMBERS OF THE SENATE TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF
                 REPRESENTATIVES AND THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE
                 SENATE REQUESTING THAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONVENE
                 IN EXTRAORDINARY SESSION; PROVIDING THAT NO BUSINESS
                 OTHER THAN THE PURPOSE SET FORTH IN THE JOINT WRITTEN
                 PROCLAMATION OF THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF
                 REPRESENTATIVES AND THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE
                 SENATE OR THE WRITTEN PROCLAMATION CONTAINING THE
                 SIGNATURES OF AT LEAST TWO-THIRDS (2/3) OF THE
                 MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND AT LEAST
                 TWO-THIRDS (2/3) OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SENATE SHALL
                 BE CONSIDERED AT AN EXTRAORDINARY SESSION CONVENED
                 UNDER THIS AMENDMENT; REQUIRING THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
                 TO ESTABLISH BY JOINT RULE DURING EACH REGULAR
                 SESSION PROCEDURES FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY SESSION UNDER
                 THIS AMENDMENT; AND PROVIDING THAT THIS AMENDMENT
                 DOES NOT RESTRICT THE AUTHORITY OF THE GOVERNOR TO
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     As Engrossed:          S4/20/21                                                 SJR10
                  CONVENE AN EXTRAORDINARY SESSION OF THE GENERAL
                  ASSEMBLY UNDER ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, ARTICLE 6, 
                  19.
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                                              Subtitle
                          AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION
                          CONCERNING EXTRAORDINARY SESSIONS OF THE
                          GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
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 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE
 STATE OF ARKANSAS, AND BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, A MAJORITY OF ALL
 MEMBERS ELECTED TO EACH HOUSE AGREEING THERETO:
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         THAT the following is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of
 the State of Arkansas, and upon being submitted to the electors of the state
 for approval or rejection at the next general election for Representatives
 and Senators, if a majority of the electors voting thereon at the election
 adopt the amendment, the amendment shall become a part of the Constitution of
 the State of Arkansas, to wit:
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         SECTION 1.       Arkansas Constitution, Article 5,  5, is amended to read
 as follows:
          5.     Regular and fiscal sessions  Extraordinary sessions.
         (a)    The General Assembly shall meet at the seat of government every
 year.
         (b)    The General Assembly shall meet in regular session on the second
 Monday in January of each odd-numbered year to consider any bill or
 resolution. The General Assembly may alter the time at which the regular
 session begins.
         (c)(1)     Beginning in 2010, the General Assembly shall meet in fiscal
 session on the second Monday in February of each even-numbered year to
 consider only appropriation bills. The General Assembly may alter the time at
 which the fiscal session begins.
                  (2)    A bill other than an appropriation bill may be considered in
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     As Engrossed:       S4/20/21                                                         SJR10
 a fiscal session if two-thirds (2/3) of the members of each house of the
 General Assembly approve consideration of the bill.
      (d)    The General Assembly, by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the members
 elected to each house of the General Assembly, may alter the dates of the
 regular session and fiscal session so that regular sessions occur in even
 numbered years and the fiscal sessions occur in odd-numbered years.
      (e)(1)     The General Assembly shall convene in extraordinary session
 upon the:
                        (A)(i)     Issuance of a joint written proclamation of the
 Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the
 Senate.
                                 (ii)    The joint written proclamation under
 subdivision (e)(1)(A)(i) of this section shall include without limitation the
 purpose for which the General Assembly shall convene in extraordinary session
 and the date on which the General Assembly shall convene; or
                        (B)(i)     Submission of a written proclamation containing the
 signatures of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the House of
 Representatives and at least two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the Senate to
 the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of
 the Senate requesting that the General Assembly convene in extraordinary
 session.
                                 (ii)    The written proclamation under subdivision
 (e)(1)(B)(i) of this section shall include without limitation the purpose for
 which the General Assembly shall convene in extraordinary session.
                                 (iii)    Upon the submission of a written proclamation
 under subdivision (e)(1)(B)(i) of this section, the Speaker of the House of
 Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall specify a
 date on which the General Assembly shall convene in extraordinary session.
               (2)    No business other than the purpose set forth in the joint
 written proclamation under subdivision (e)(1)(A)(i) of this section or the
 written proclamation under subdivision (e)(1)(B)(i) of this section shall be
 considered at an extraordinary session under subdivision (e)(1) of this
 section.
               (3)(A)     During each regular session, the General Assembly shall
 establish by joint rule procedures for an extraordinary session under
 subdivision (e)(1) of this section.
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     As Engrossed:      S4/20/21                                                      SJR10
                      (B)   Joint rules established under subdivision (e)(3)(A) of
 this section may include without limitation:
                               (i)     A limitation on the duration of an extraordinary
 session under subdivision (e)(1) of this section;
                               (ii)    The format and required content for a written
 proclamation requesting that the General Assembly convene in extraordinary
 session under subdivision (e)(1)(B)(i) of this section; and
                               (iii)    A provision permitting the General Assembly,
 after having disposed of the purpose for which the extraordinary session was
 convened under subdivision (e)(1) of this section, to remain in session for a
 period not exceeding fifteen (15) days if remaining in session is approved by
 a vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the House of
 Representatives and at least two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the Senate
 and entered upon their journals.
                      (C)   Rules established under subdivision (e)(3)(A) of this
 section may be amended by the General Assembly.
              (4)    This section does not restrict the authority of the Governor
 to convene an extraordinary session of the General Assembly under Arkansas
 Constitution, Article 6,  19.
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      SECTION 2.      EFFECTIVE DATE.        This amendment shall be effective on and
 after November 9, 2022.
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      SECTION 3.      BALLOT TITLE AND POPULAR NAME.        When this proposed
 amendment is submitted to the electors of this state on the general election
 ballot:
              (1)    The title of this Joint Resolution shall be the ballot
 title; and
              (2)    The popular name shall be "A Constitutional Amendment to
 Allow the General Assembly to Convene in Extraordinary Session Upon the
 Issuance of a Joint Written Proclamation of the Speaker of the House of
 Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate or Upon the
 Submission of a Written Proclamation Containing the Signatures of At Least
 Two-Thirds (2/3) of the Members of the House of Representatives and At Least
 Two-Thirds (2/3) of the Members of the Senate to the Speaker of the House of
 Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate Requesting that
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     As Engrossed:   S4/20/21                                                SJR10
 the General Assembly Convene in Extraordinary Session".
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                                  /s/B. Davis
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