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UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS SB 262/GA
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SB026210.100 - 1667 - XXXX 3/10/2026 3:11 PM GA
AN ACT proposing an amendment to Section 256 of the Constitution of Kentucky 1
relating to the submission of constitutional amendments to voters. 2
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 3
Section 1. Are you in favor of amending Section 256 of the Constitution of 4
Kentucky to permit constitutional amendments to be submitted to the voters by ballot 5
question or summary that clearly describes the substance and effect of the amendment, 6
rather than requi ring the full text of the amendment to appear on the ballot, as stated 7
below? 8
Section 2. It is proposed that Section 256 of the Constitution of Kentucky be 9
amended to read as follows: 10
Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed in either House of the General 11
Assembly at a regular session, and if such amendment or amendments shall be agreed to 12
by three-fifths of all the members elected to each House, such proposed amendment or 13
amendments, with the yeas and nays of the members of each House taken thereon, shall 14
be entered in full in their respective journals. Then such proposed amendment or 15
amendments shall be submitted to the voters of the State for their ratification or rejection 16
at the next general election for membe rs of the House of Representatives, the vote to be 17
taken thereon in such manner as the General Assembly may provide, and to be certified 18
by the officers of election to the Secretary of State in such manner as shall be provided by 19
law, which vote shall be c ompared and certified by the same board authorized by law to 20
compare the polls and give certificates of election to officers for the State at large. The 21
full text of the proposed amendment shall not be required to be printed on the ballot. 22
Instead, it shal l be submitted to the voters of the State in the form of a ballot question 23
or summary that clearly and accurately states the substance and effect of the proposed 24
amendment. If it shall appear that a majority of the votes cast for and against an 25
amendment at said election was for the amendment, then the same shall become a part of 26
the Constitution of this Commonwealth, and shall be so proclaimed by the Governor, and 27
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS SB 262/GA
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SB026210.100 - 1667 - XXXX 3/10/2026 3:11 PM GA
published in such manner as the General Assembly may direct. Said amendments shall 1
not be submitted at an election which occurs less than ninety days from the final passage 2
of such proposed amendment or amendments. Not more than four amendments shall be 3
voted upon at any one time. If two or more amendments shall be submitted at the same 4
time, they shall be submitted in such manner that the electors shall vote for or against 5
each of such amendments separately, but an amendment may relate to a single subject or 6
to related subject matters and may amend or modify as many articles and as many 7
sections of the Constitution as may be necessary and appropriate in order to accomplish 8
the objectives of the amendment. The approval of the Governor shall not be necessary to 9
any bill, order, resolution or vote of the General Assembly, proposing an amendment or 10
amendments to this Constitution. 11
Section 3. This amendment shall be submitted to the voters of the 12
Commonwealth for their ratification or rejection at the time and in the manner provided 13
for under Sections 256 and 257 of the Constitution, KRS 118.415, and Sections 4 and 5 14
of this Act. 15
Section 4. Notwithstanding any provision of KRS 118.415 to the contrary, the 16
Secretary of State shall cause the entirety of the question in Section 1 of t his Act and the 17
entirety of the proposed amendment to the Constitution of Kentucky contained in Section 18
2 of this Act to be published at least one time in a newspaper of general circulation 19
published in this state, and shall also cause to be published at t he same time and in the 20
same manner the fact that the amendment will be submitted to the voters for their 21
acceptance or rejection at the next regular election at which members of the General 22
Assembly are to be voted for. The publication required by this se ction and KRS 118.415 23
shall be made no later than the first Tuesday in August preceding the election at which 24
the amendment is to be voted on. 25
Section 5. Notwithstanding any provision of KRS 118.415 to the contrary, the 26
Secretary of State, not later than the second Monday after the second Tuesday in August 27
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preceding the next regular election at which members of the General Assembly are to be 1
chosen in a year in which there is not an election for President and Vice President of the 2
United States, or not later than the Thursday after the first Tuesday in September 3
preceding a regular election in a year in which there is an election for President and Vice 4
President of the United States, shall certify the entirety of the question in Section 1 of this 5
Act and the entirety of the proposed amendment to the Constitution of Kentucky 6
contained in Section 2 of this Act to the county clerk of each county, and the county clerk 7
shall have the entirety of the question and the amendment, as so certified, indicated on 8
the ballots provided to the voters in paper or electronic form as applicable to the voting 9
machines in use in each county or precinct. 10