Session of 2021
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 1615
By Senator Pyle
5-7

1 A PROPOSITION to amend section 13 of article 2 of the constitution of
2 the state of Kansas, relating to vote requirements for passage of bills
3 or concurrent resolutions.
4
5 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the State of Kansas, two-thirds of the
6 members elected (or appointed) and qualified to the Senate and two-
7 thirds of the members elected (or appointed) and qualified to the
8 House of Representatives concurring therein:
9 Section 1. The following proposition to amend the constitution of
10 the state of Kansas shall be submitted to the qualified electors of the state
11 for their approval or rejection: Section 13 of article 2 of the constitution
12 of the state of Kansas is hereby amended to read as follows:
13 "§ 13. Majority for passage of bills. Except as provided in
14 article 14 of the constitution of the state of Kansas, a majority of
15 the members then elected (or appointed) and qualified of each
16 house, voting in the affirmative, shall be necessary to pass any bill
17 or concurrent resolution. Two-thirds (2/3) of the members then
18 elected (or appointed) and qualified in each house, voting in the
19 affirmative, shall be necessary to ratify any amendment to the
20 Constitution of the United States or to make any application for
21 congress to call a convention for proposing amendments to the
22 Constitution of the United States."
23 Sec. 2. The following statement shall be printed on the ballot with
24 the amendment as a whole:
25 "Explanatory statement. The purpose of this amendment is to
26 remove the constitutional provision that requires two-thirds
27 of members then elected (or appointed) and qualified in each
28 house, voting in the affirmative, shall be necessary to ratify
29 any amendment to the Constitution of the United States or to
30 make any application for congress to call a convention for
31 proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United
32 States and provide that a majority of such members, voting
33 in the affirmative, shall be necessary to pass such measures.
34 "A vote for this proposition would amend the constitution to
35 provide that a majority of the members then elected (or
36 appointed) and qualified of each house, voting in the
 SCR 1615 2

1 affirmative, shall be necessary to pass any bill or concurrent
2 resolution, except as provided in article 14 of the
3 constitution of the state of Kansas. This would lower the
4 vote requirement from two-thirds to a majority of such
5 members for any bill or concurrent resolution to ratify any
6 amendment to the Constitution of the United States or to
7 make any application for congress to call a convention for
8 proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United
9 States.
10 "A vote against this proposition would not make any changes to
11 the constitution and would maintain the current provisions
12 related to vote requirements for passage of bills or
13 concurrent resolutions."
14 Sec. 3. This resolution, if approved by two-thirds of the members
15 elected (or appointed) and qualified to the Senate and two-thirds of the
16 members elected (or appointed) and qualified to the House of
17 Representatives, shall be entered on the journals, together with the yeas
18 and nays. The secretary of state shall cause this resolution to be published
19 as provided by law and shall cause the proposed amendment to be
20 submitted to the electors of the state at the general election in November
21 in the year 2022, unless a special election is called at a sooner date by
22 concurrent resolution of the legislature, in which case it shall be
23 submitted to the electors of the state at the special election.