TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING INITIATIVE PETITIONS AND REFERENDUM PETITIONS; AND TO ALLOW A CURE PERIOD FOR INSUFFICIENT SUBMISSIONS.

SB 398 would amend Arkansas law to add a 30-day "cure period" for sponsors of initiative or referendum petitions that the Secretary of State deems insufficient. If a petition lacks enough valid signatures, the Secretary must notify sponsors in writing, giving them 30 days to fix the issues (like adding missing signatures) and resubmit. The Secretary would then recheck the resubmitted petition within 10 days and notify sponsors of the result. This bill directly affects petition sponsors and signers, ensuring they have a clear process to correct errors before a petition is rejected, aligning with constitutional provisions on initiative and referendum rights.