This bill:

• amends, standardizes, and makes technical revisions to the signature collector verification form included in petition packets;
• specifies how an individual may be paid for collecting petition signatures;
• beginning on July 1, 2027, requires a clerk who verifies signatures for a petition to send an email and text message notice to the signer of the petition notifying the signer of the status of the signer's signature;
• requires the lieutenant governor to develop and maintain an online training course to educate individuals who collect signatures for a petition;
• requires an individual who collects signatures for a petition to complete the training course described above before collecting any signatures for the petition;
• requires an election official to reject a signature packet if the individual who collects signatures for the petition did not complete the online training course described above;
• modifies requirements related to statewide initiative and referendum packets by:
  • removing the requirement that the county clerk deliver each packet to the lieutenant governor;
  • requiring the county clerk who verifies packets to certify certain statistical information to the lieutenant governor; and
  • directing the county clerk to retain and preserve each packet for at least 22 months;
• designates the existing initiative and referendum packet format as one packet type and creates an alternative packet type with different content and assembly requirements;
• requires an alternative packet type to provide access to the text of a proposed or referable law through a QR code rather than a printed copy;
• for an alternative packet type, requires the initiative petition and each signature sheet to contain a brief, plain-language description of the principal provisions of the law proposed by the initiative;
• allows the sponsors of an initiative or referendum petition to circulate packets using a traditional packet type, an alternative packet type, or both;
• repeals provisions permitting an individual to optionally provide the individual's email address when signing an initiative or referendum signature sheet;
• updates the formatting and spacing requirements for initiative and referendum signature sheets;
• prohibits the sponsors of an initiative or referendum petition from marking or redacting a signature sheet in a manner that obscures, conceals, or renders illegible a signer's date of signature or other voter information used for verification;
• provides that a county clerk may not certify a signature if the date of signature is later than the applicable deadline for submitting an initiative or referendum packet;
• on January 1, 2027, repeals provisions requiring the sponsors of an initiative petition to:
  • send an informational email to each initiative petition signer who provides a legible email address on a signature sheet; and
  • send a list to the lieutenant governor identifying the recipients of the email described above;
• beginning on January 1, 2027, requires an election officer to send the email described above to each eligible voter who signs an initiative petition within two business days of verifying the voter's signature;
• makes technical revisions to the required statements that appear on initiative and referendum signature sheets;
• modifies certain statements appearing on initiative and referendum packets to provide that:
  • the signer of the packet had an opportunity to read and understand the proposed or referable law; and
  • for the signature gatherer, the signature gatherer believes that the signer had an opportunity to read and understand the proposed or referable law; and
• makes technical and conforming changes.