Bill > SB495

This bill requires that the statement included on the signature page of a petition seeking to place a question on the ballot, as well as the statement about the purpose of a question on the ballot, be written in plain language that is reasonably calculated to be understood by an individual who has attained no higher than a 6th-grade level of reading comprehension. The bill also directs the State Board of Elections to consider any generally accepted guidelines regarding compliance with the federal Plain Writing Act of 2010 when preparing guidelines and instructions for the plain language requirement. Additionally, the bill allows entities responsible for preparing and certifying ballot questions to use any generally accepted guidelines regarding the federal Plain Writing Act in determining whether the questions comply with the plain language requirements.