32-1417.

Constitution of United States; proposed amendment; adoption or rejection; submission to voters for advisory vote.

(1) If a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States is duly submitted to the Legislature of the State of Nebraska as provided in Article V of the Constitution of the United States, a petition may be filed with the Secretary of State requesting that such proposed amendment be submitted to a vote of the people for an advisory opinion as to whether the proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States shall be adopted or rejected. The petition shall set forth at length the proposed amendment and shall be signed by a number of registered voters of the state equal to ten percent of the votes cast at the immediately preceding presidential election. The registered voters signing the petition shall be so distributed as to include two percent of the registered voters of each of three-fifths of the counties of the state. When the petition is filed with the Secretary of State, he or she shall submit the proposed amendment to the registered voters of the state at the first general election held at least four months after such petition has been filed.

(2) The procedure for placing the proposed amendment on the ballot shall be the same as for placing initiated measures on the ballot under the Constitution and laws of Nebraska so far as is applicable. The ballot title on each such question submitted shall be designated as follows: Advisory Vote on Amendment to Constitution of United States Ordered by Petition of the People. The question shall be submitted in substantially the following form:

Is it desirable that the Legislature ratify the following proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States:

(Setting out proposed amendment)

For ratification

Against ratification

(3) The result of the vote cast on a question submitted under this section shall be regarded as advisory to the Legislature of the opinion of the people concerning such proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States but shall not be binding upon the Legislature or any member thereof or be considered as controlling in any action taken either to ratify or not to ratify such amendment.