Bill Text: IA HJR5 | 2025-2026 | 91st General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to citizen initiatives to amend the Constitution of the State of Iowa and the Iowa Code and referendums to approve certain bills passed by the general assembly.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 26-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-30 - Introduced, referred to State Government. H.J. 149. [HJR5 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2025-HJR5-Introduced.html
House
Joint
Resolution
5
-
Introduced
HOUSE
JOINT
RESOLUTION
5
BY
WESSEL-KROESCHELL
,
OLSON
,
B.
MEYER
,
WILBURN
,
KURTH
,
BROWN-POWERS
,
ZABNER
,
SRINIVAS
,
McBURNEY
,
LEVIN
,
EHLERT
,
TUREK
,
WICHTENDAHL
,
KRESSIG
,
AMOS
JR.
,
COOLING
,
MATSON
,
JAMES
,
KONFRST
,
BAGNIEWSKI
,
CROKEN
,
MADISON
,
SCHEETZ
,
GOSA
,
R.
JOHNSON
,
and
SCHOLTEN
HOUSE
JOINT
RESOLUTION
A
Joint
Resolution
proposing
an
amendment
to
the
Constitution
1
of
the
State
of
Iowa
relating
to
citizen
initiatives
to
2
amend
the
Constitution
of
the
State
of
Iowa
and
the
Iowa
3
Code
and
referendums
to
approve
certain
bills
passed
by
the
4
general
assembly.
5
BE
IT
RESOLVED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
6
TLSB
1145YH
(5)
91
ss/ns
H.J.R.
5
Section
1.
The
following
amendment
to
the
Constitution
of
1
the
State
of
Iowa
is
proposed:
2
The
Constitution
of
the
State
of
Iowa
is
amended
by
adding
3
the
following
new
sections
to
a
new
article:
4
ARTICLE
___.
5
INITIATIVE
AND
REFERENDUM.
6
Section
1.
Reservation
of
power
to
enact
and
reject
7
laws.
The
people
reserve
the
power
to
propose
and
enact
or
8
reject
laws
and
amendments
to
this
Constitution
by
initiative,
9
independent
of
the
general
assembly,
and
also
reserve
the
power
10
to
approve
or
reject
by
referendum
any
Act
of
the
general
11
assembly,
except
as
otherwise
provided
in
this
article.
12
Sec.
2.
Initiative
petitions
——
signatures
required
——
form
13
and
procedure.
An
initiative
petition
proposing
an
amendment
14
to
this
Constitution
shall
be
signed
by
a
number
of
qualified
15
electors
in
each
of
at
least
three-fourths
of
the
congressional
16
districts
in
the
state
equal
to
eight
percent
of
the
total
17
votes
cast
in
the
district
for
governor
at
the
general
election
18
immediately
preceding
the
filing
of
the
petition
in
which
votes
19
were
cast
for
the
office
of
governor.
The
petition
shall
be
20
submitted
to
the
secretary
of
state
not
less
than
six
months
21
before
the
next
general
election.
An
initiative
petition
22
proposing
an
amendment
to
the
Constitution
shall
not
contain
23
more
than
one
amended
article
of
the
Constitution,
or
one
new
24
article
which
shall
not
contain
more
than
one
subject
and
25
matters
properly
related.
An
initiative
petition
proposing
26
an
amendment
to
the
Constitution
shall
include
the
resolving
27
clause
“Be
it
resolved
by
the
people
of
the
state
of
Iowa:”.
28
An
initiative
petition
proposing
a
law
shall
be
signed
by
a
29
number
of
qualified
electors
in
each
of
at
least
three-fourths
30
of
the
congressional
districts
in
the
state
equal
to
five
31
percent
of
the
total
votes
cast
in
the
district
for
governor
at
32
the
general
election
immediately
preceding
the
filing
of
the
33
petition
in
which
votes
were
cast
for
the
office
of
governor.
34
The
petition
shall
be
submitted
to
the
secretary
of
state
not
35
-1-
LSB
1145YH
(5)
91
ss/ns
1/
4
H.J.R.
5
less
than
six
months
before
the
next
general
election.
An
1
initiative
petition
proposing
a
law
shall
not
contain
more
than
2
one
subject
which
shall
be
clearly
expressed
in
the
title.
An
3
initiative
petition
proposing
a
law
shall
include
the
enacting
4
clause
“Be
it
enacted
by
the
people
of
the
state
of
Iowa:”.
5
Sec.
3.
Appropriations
by
initiative
——
effective
date
of
6
initiated
laws
——
conflicting
laws
concurrently
adopted.
An
7
initiative
shall
not
appropriate
any
moneys
other
than
new
8
revenues
created
and
provided
for
in
the
initiative.
Except
as
9
otherwise
provided
in
this
Constitution,
a
law
or
amendment
to
10
the
Constitution
proposed
by
an
initiative
takes
effect
when
11
approved
by
a
majority
of
the
votes
cast
thereon,
unless
a
12
later
date
is
specified
in
the
initiative.
When
conflicting
13
laws
or
amendments
to
the
Constitution
are
approved
at
the
same
14
election,
the
law
or
amendment
to
the
Constitution
receiving
15
the
largest
affirmative
vote
shall
prevail.
16
Sec.
4.
Referendum
——
exceptions
——
procedure.
A
referendum
17
to
approve
a
bill
passed
by
the
general
assembly,
other
than
18
laws
necessary
for
the
immediate
preservation
of
the
public
19
peace,
health,
or
safety
and
laws
making
appropriations
for
the
20
current
expenses
of
the
state
government,
for
the
maintenance
21
of
state
institutions,
or
for
the
support
of
public
schools,
22
may
be
ordered
by
a
petition
signed
by
a
number
of
qualified
23
electors
in
each
of
at
least
three-fourths
of
the
congressional
24
districts
in
the
state
equal
to
five
percent
of
the
total
votes
25
cast
in
the
district
for
governor
at
the
general
election
26
immediately
preceding
the
filing
of
the
petition
in
which
votes
27
were
cast
for
the
office
of
governor.
Referendum
petitions
28
shall
be
filed
with
the
secretary
of
state
not
more
than
29
ninety
days
after
the
final
adjournment
of
the
session
of
the
30
general
assembly
in
which
the
bill
that
is
the
subject
of
the
31
referendum
was
passed.
A
referendum
shall
be
presented
to
the
32
people
at
the
general
election
next
held
after
the
submission
33
of
the
petition
to
the
secretary
of
state.
34
A
bill
referred
to
the
people
is
not
subject
to
approval
or
35
-2-
LSB
1145YH
(5)
91
ss/ns
2/
4
H.J.R.
5
veto
by
the
governor
and
the
approval
or
veto
of
a
bill
later
1
referred
to
the
people
shall
be
void.
A
bill
referred
to
the
2
people
shall
take
effect
upon
the
approval
of
the
referendum
3
by
a
majority
of
qualified
electors
who
cast
votes
thereon,
4
regardless
of
any
effective
date
stated
in
the
bill.
5
Sec.
2.
REFERRAL
AND
PUBLICATION.
The
foregoing
proposed
6
amendment
to
the
Constitution
of
the
State
of
Iowa
is
referred
7
to
the
general
assembly
to
be
chosen
at
the
next
general
8
election
for
members
of
the
general
assembly,
and
shall
be
9
published
as
provided
by
law
for
three
months
previous
to
the
10
date
of
that
election.
11
EXPLANATION
12
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
13
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
14
This
joint
resolution
proposes
an
amendment
to
the
15
Constitution
of
the
State
of
Iowa
relating
to
citizen
16
initiatives
and
referendums.
The
amendment
creates
a
process
17
to
allow
qualified
electors
to
submit
petitions
to
amend
the
18
Constitution
of
the
State
of
Iowa
and
the
Iowa
Code.
The
19
amendment
requires
a
petition
to
amend
the
Constitution
to
be
20
signed
by
a
number
of
qualified
electors
in
each
of
at
least
21
three-fourths
of
the
congressional
districts
in
the
state
22
equal
to
8
percent
of
the
total
votes
cast
in
the
district
23
for
governor
at
the
preceding
general
election
and
petitions
24
to
amend
the
Iowa
Code
to
be
signed
by
a
number
of
qualified
25
electors
in
each
of
at
least
three-fourths
of
the
congressional
26
districts
in
the
state
equal
to
5
percent
of
the
total
votes
27
cast
in
the
district
for
governor
at
the
preceding
general
28
election.
The
petition
must
be
submitted
to
the
secretary
29
of
state
not
less
than
six
months
before
the
next
general
30
election.
Initiatives
shall
not
appropriate
moneys
not
31
generated
by
the
initiative
and
take
effect
when
approved
by
32
a
majority
of
the
votes
cast
thereon
unless
a
later
date
is
33
provided
for
in
the
initiative.
If
conflicting
amendments
to
34
the
Constitution
or
laws
are
approved
at
the
same
election,
35
-3-
LSB
1145YH
(5)
91
ss/ns
3/
4
H.J.R.
5
the
measure
receiving
a
greater
number
of
affirmative
votes
1
prevails.
2
The
amendment
also
creates
a
process
for
the
referral
of
a
3
bill
passed
by
the
general
assembly
to
the
people
for
approval.
4
The
amendment
requires
a
petition
to
approve
a
bill
passed
5
by
the
general
assembly
to
include
signatures
from
a
number
6
of
qualified
electors
in
each
of
at
least
three-fourths
of
7
the
congressional
districts
in
the
state
equal
to
5
percent
8
of
the
total
votes
cast
in
the
district
for
governor
at
the
9
preceding
general
election.
The
petition
must
be
submitted
to
10
the
secretary
of
state
not
later
than
90
days
after
the
final
11
adjournment
of
the
session
during
which
the
general
assembly
12
approved
the
bill.
A
bill
referred
to
the
people
is
not
13
subject
to
approval
or
veto
by
the
governor.
The
initiative
14
excludes
certain
types
of
bills
from
the
referendum
process.
15
The
resolution,
if
adopted,
would
be
published
and
then
16
referred
to
the
next
general
assembly
(92nd)
for
adoption,
17
before
being
submitted
to
the
electorate
for
ratification.
18
-4-
LSB
1145YH
(5)
91
ss/ns
4/
4
