Legislatively-referred constitutional amendment

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A legislatively-referred constitutional amendment is a constitutional amendment that appears on a state's ballot as a ballot measure because the state legislature in that state voted to put it before the voters.

A legislatively-referred constitutional amendment is a limited form of direct democracy with comparison to the initiated constitutional amendment. With the initiated constitutional amendment, voters are in charge of the process from beginning to end, whereas with the legislatively-referred amendment, they can only approve or reject amendments which their legislature votes to place before them.

49 states have a law in place that allows citizens to vote on proposed constitutional amendments offered by the state legislature. The exception is Delaware, where the legislature alone acts on constitutional amendments.

Differing methods

Main article: Amending state constitutions

36 states permit an amendment to be submitted to the state's voters after one passage through the legislature. These states vary with respect to the percentage of the vote required in the legislature to place an amendment on the ballot.

Eleven states require two passages, often with the requirement that a state legislative election intervene between the two times the amendment is considered in the legislature. Three states (Connecticut, Hawaii, and New Jersey) have an either/or system: a proposed amendment must be passed by simple majority in two separate legislative sessions, or by a supermajority vote of one session. New Hampshire requires a 60% vote of the full membership of each chamber of its legislature.^[1]

Other types of ballot measures

Automatic ballot referral Bond issue Commission-referred constitutional amendment Constitutional convention

Initiated state statute Indirect initiated state statute Initiated constitutional amendment Indirect initiative amendment

Legislative referral Legislatively-referred state statute Statute referendum Veto referendum

Referral procedures

Main article: Procedures for amending state constitutions

The process by which a state legislature may refer a proposed constitutional amendment to the ballot differs from state-to-state.

See also

• Forms of direct democracy in the American states

External links

• State chart of direct democracy options

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Changing constitutions	Amending state constitutions • Constitutional amendment • Constitutional convention • Legislatively-referred constitutional amendment • Initiated constitutional amendment • Preambles to state constitutions

v • d • e Types of ballot measures Ballot question • Initiated state statute • Initiated constitutional amendment • Indirect initiated state statute • Indirect initiative amendment • Indirect initiative • Initiatives to the Legislature (Washington) • Initiatives to the People (Washington) • Legislative referral • Legislatively-referred state statute • Legislatively-referred constitutional amendment • Commission referral • Statute affirmation • Automatic ballot referral • Veto referendum • Constitutional convention • Bond issue • Recall