Amendment #1343 to H5500

Review of Ballot Initiative Petitions

Representatives Jones of North Reading, Ferguson of Holden, Frost of Auburn, Muradian of Grafton, Vieira of Falmouth and Smola of Warren move to amend the bill by inserting the following section:

“SECTION X. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, after certifications by the attorney general required by Section 3 of Article XLVIII of the Constitution, as amended by Article LXXIV of the Amendments to the Constitution, the attorney general shall determine that a measure is constitutional before it is filed with the secretary of the commonwealth. If the attorney general does not determine that the measure is constitutional, the attorney general shall notify petitioners in writing within 3 days. Petitioners shall have 30 days from receipt of such notice to file an appeal in writing to the office of the attorney general. Upon receiving an appeal, the attorney general shall request the opinions of the justices of the supreme judicial court, which shall have 30 days to conduct an expedited review of the measure and deliver an opinion on its constitutionality. If in the opinion of the court, the measure is constitutional, it may then be filed with the secretary of the commonwealth.”