HB1713

House Bill 1713 amends the Arkansas law governing the initiative and referendum petition process. It mandates that the Attorney General shall not certify any proposed ballot title that exceeds an eighth-grade reading level, as determined by the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level formula. If a ballot title is rejected due to this reading level requirement, the Attorney General must provide the reasons for rejection and instruct the petitioners on how to redesign the text to comply with the law. The bill declares that the General Assembly has a compelling interest in ensuring ballot measures are clear, accessible, and not misleading to voters. An emergency clause is included, making the act effective immediately upon the Governor's approval. The bill specifies that these requirements do not apply retroactively to ballot titles already certified prior to the act's effective date.