H.B. 304

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INITIATIVE PROCESS AMENDMENTS
2 1998 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Sponsor: Kevin S. Garn
5 AN ACT RELATING TO ISSUES SUBMITTED TO VOTERS; MODIFYING INITIATIVE
6 REQUIREMENTS; AND MAKING TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.
7 This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
8 AMENDS:
9 20A-7-201, as last amended by Chapter 152, Laws of Utah 1995
10 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
11 Section 1. Section 20A-7-201 is amended to read:
12 20A-7-201. Statewide initiatives -- Signature requirements -- Submission to the
13 Legislature or to a vote of the people.
14 (1) (a) A person seeking to have an initiative submitted to the Legislature for approval or
15 rejection shall obtain:
16 (i) legal signatures equal to 5% of the cumulative total of all votes cast for all candidates
17 for governor at the last regular general election at which a governor was elected; and
18 (ii) from each of at least [15] 20 counties, legal signatures equal to 5% of the total of all
19 votes cast in that county for all candidates for governor at the last regular general election at which
20 a governor was elected.
21 (b) If, at any time not less than ten days before the beginning of an annual general session
22 of the Legislature, the lieutenant governor declares sufficient any initiative petition that is signed
23 by enough voters to meet the requirements of this Subsection (1), the lieutenant governor shall
24 deliver that petition to the Legislature as soon as it convenes and organizes.
25 (2) (a) A person seeking to have an initiative submitted to a vote of the people for approval
26 or rejection shall obtain:
27 (i) legal signatures equal to 10% of the cumulative total of all votes cast for all candidates

1 for governor at the last regular general election at which a governor was elected; and
2 (ii) from each of at least [15] 20 counties, legal signatures equal to 10% of the total of all
3 votes cast in that county for all candidates for governor at the last regular general election at which
4 a governor was elected.
5 (b) If, at any time not less than four months before any regular general election, the
6 lieutenant governor declares sufficient any initiative petition that is signed by enough legal voters
7 to meet the requirements of this subsection, the lieutenant governor shall submit the proposed law
8 to a vote of the people at the next regular general election.
9 (3) The lieutenant governor shall provide the following information from the official
10 canvass of the last regular general election at which a governor was elected to any interested
11 person:
12 (a) the cumulative total of all votes cast for all candidates for governor; and
13 (b) for each county, the total of all votes cast in that county for all candidates for governor.




Legislative Review Note
as of 1-21-98 7:49 AM

A limited legal review of this bill raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

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