A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning targeted measures to encourage early
Page 1, Line 102elementary academic success, and, in connection
Page 1, Line 103therewith, updating methods for assessing certain
Page 1, Line 104skills, identifying struggling readers, and supporting
Page 1, Line 105students with dyslexia.
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://leg.colorado.gov.)
Current law requires a local education provider that offers a kindergarten program to administer a school readiness assessment to kindergarten students within the first 60 days of the school year. The bill makes administration of a school readiness assessment optional and permits rather than requires a local education provider to create and implement an individualized readiness plan for its preschool and kindergarten students.
The bill clarifies that a teacher may conclude that an early elementary school student has a significant reading deficiency that requires remediation through a specialized approach to instruction (READ plan) based on a body of evidence that includes information in addition to the student's scores on a reading assessment.
Current law requires certain parental communications in connection with a student's READ plan. The bill adds specific information regarding characteristics of dyslexia, if applicable, to the parental communications.
Beginning no later than the 2025-26 school year, a local education provider must either develop its own process for identifying early elementary school students with characteristics of dyslexia or adopt a dyslexia screening tool that conforms to certain new requirements for interim reading assessments. To meet the bill's new requirements, interim reading assessments must accurately and reliably identify students at risk of reading difficulties, meet standards for validity and reliability, encourage data-driven instructional decision making, and promote efficient administration and effective follow-up.
Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly finds and declares that:
Page 2, Line 3(a) Early identification and targeted intervention for students
Page 2, Line 4showing signs of dyslexia are vital to ensure academic success and
Page 2, Line 5prevent the long-term consequences of poor reading skills. Dyslexia,
Page 2, Line 6which affects approximately one in 5 individuals, according to data from
Page 2, Line 7the Yale center for dyslexia and creativity, is among the most common
Page 2, Line 8learning disabilities. Without strategic, evidence-based support, students
Page 2, Line 9with dyslexic traits often fall behind, hindering their academic growth,
Page 2, Line 10limiting future employment prospects, and increasing the risk of negative
Page 2, Line 11socioeconomic outcomes.
Page 3, Line 1(b) While the "Colorado READ Act" has improved early literacy
Page 3, Line 2assessment statewide, persistent gaps remain in pinpointing and assisting
Page 3, Line 3students who exhibit specific deficits in phonemic awareness, word
Page 3, Line 4decoding, and spelling. Many children pass overall literacy tests, yet harbor hidden reading struggles that compound over time.
Page 3, Line 5(c) Pursuant to section 22-7-1205, Colorado Revised Statutes,
Page 3, Line 6local education providers currently rely on state board-approved interim
Page 3, Line 7reading assessments to identify students with significant reading
Page 3, Line 8deficiencies. Approved assessments yield a composite test score that may mask deficits in key sub-skills.
Page 3, Line 9(d) In contrast, universal dyslexia screening pinpoints precisely
Page 3, Line 10where a learner may struggle. Universal dyslexia screeners measure
Page 3, Line 11reading competency skills such as phonological awareness, sound-symbol
Page 3, Line 12knowledge, rapid naming, word decoding, and encoding, reflecting
Page 3, Line 13proven best practices. Requiring each local education provider to adopt
Page 3, Line 14or create a plan for universal dyslexia screening in kindergarten through
Page 3, Line 15third grade helps ensure that every child, especially those at the most risk, receives timely, targeted help.
Page 3, Line 16(e) While the Colorado department of education regularly updates
Page 3, Line 17its approved reading assessments, requiring future evaluations to include
Page 3, Line 18rigorous standards for identifying students with dyslexic traits promotes validity and consistency over time.
Page 3, Line 19(f) Because strong family engagement is critical to reading
Page 3, Line 20intervention success, schools must also inform parents and guardians if
Page 3, Line 21universal dyslexia screening results suggest dyslexia risk factors, provide
Page 3, Line 22a clear explanation of findings, and propose practical ways to support
Page 3, Line 23reading progress at home. These steps mirror successful protocols in other
Page 4, Line 1states in which early, transparent collaboration between educators and
Page 4, Line 2families has significantly improved outcomes. Although teachers do not
Page 4, Line 3formally diagnose dyslexia, they can detect when specialized support is warranted, helping avert a cycle of frustration and academic decline.
Page 4, Line 5(2) The general assembly finds, therefore, that to support the
Page 4, Line 6mission of the "Colorado READ Act", it is essential to highlight dyslexia
Page 4, Line 7risk factors early, offer data-driven remediation, and engage families as
Page 4, Line 8partners, ensuring every Colorado child can read proficiently and achieve success in school and beyond.
Page 4, Line 10SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-7-1203, amend
Page 4, Line 11(1); and add (1.5), (3.5), (3.7), (7.6), (7.7), (9.5), (9.7), (9.9), (10.5), (10.6), (18), and (19) as follows:
Page 4, Line 1222-7-1203. Definitions. As used in this part 12, unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 4, Line 13(1) "Body of evidence" means a collection of information about
Page 4, Line 14a student's academic performance which, when considered in its entirety,
Page 4, Line 15documents the level of a student's academic performance. A body of
Page 4, Line 16evidence, at a minimum,
shallPage 4, Line 17interim assessments and work that a student independently produces in a
Page 4, Line 18classroom, including, but not limited to, the school readiness assessments
Page 4, Line 19adopted pursuant to section 22-7-1004 (2)(a). A body of evidence may
Page 4, Line 20include scores on summative assessments if a local education provider
Page 4, Line 21decides that summative assessments are appropriate and useful in
Page 4, Line 22measuring students' literacy skills. For the purposes of identifying
Page 4, Line 23students with significant reading deficiencies, "body of
Page 5, Line 1evidence" may include the additional elements identified in section 22-7-1205 (1)(b)(II).
Page 5, Line 2(1.5) "Characteristics of dyslexia" means commonly
Page 5, Line 3accepted features of dyslexia, including difficulty with
Page 5, Line 4phonological processing, lack of oral reading fluency, difficulty with spelling, and difficulty with rapid naming.
Page 5, Line 5(3.5) "Dyslexia" means a specific learning disability that
Page 5, Line 6is neurobiological in origin and characterized by difficulties
Page 5, Line 7with accurate or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling
Page 5, Line 8and word-decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result
Page 5, Line 9from a deficit in the phonological component of language that
Page 5, Line 10is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and
Page 5, Line 11the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary
Page 5, Line 12consequences of dyslexia may include problems in reading
Page 5, Line 13comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.
Page 5, Line 14(3.7) "Encoding" means the process of translating spoken
Page 5, Line 15sounds into written letters that reflects an understanding of sound-symbol relationships and conventional spelling patterns.
Page 5, Line 16(7.6) "Oral reading fluency" means the ability to read
Page 5, Line 17text orally with accuracy, expression, and at an appropriate rate in order to facilitate reading comprehension.
Page 5, Line 18(7.7) "Oral skills" means aptitude with expressive and
Page 5, Line 19receptive oral language, including vocabulary, syntax,
Page 5, Line 20language comprehension, oral reading fluency, and comprehension.
Page 5, Line 21(9.5) "Phonemic awareness" means the ability to segment a word into the word's component sounds, or phonemes.
Page 6, Line 1(9.7) "Phonics" means explicit and systematic instruction
Page 6, Line 2in sound-symbol recognition that teaches the relationships
Page 6, Line 3between the letters and letter patterns of written language
Page 6, Line 4and the individual sounds of spoken language. Phonics
Page 6, Line 5instruction includes the development of alphabetic knowledge,
Page 6, Line 6word-decoding skills, and encoding skills, supporting accurate and automatic word recognition and oral reading fluency.
Page 6, Line 7(9.9) "Phonological processing" means the ability to
Page 6, Line 8recognize and manipulate a word's component sounds through
Page 6, Line 9phonological awareness, phonological memory, and phonological retrieval or rapid naming.
Page 6, Line 10(10.5) "Reading competency skill" means a student meets
Page 6, Line 11the student's grade level expectations in reading skills as adopted by the state board pursuant to section 22-7-1209 (1)(a).
Page 6, Line 12(10.6) "Reading comprehension" means the ability to understand and interpret written language.
Page 6, Line 13(18) "Vocabulary development" means the process of learning new words and their meanings.
Page 6, Line 14(19) "Word decoding" means the ability to accurately and
Page 6, Line 15efficiently translate written letters and letter patterns into
Page 6, Line 16their corresponding sounds in spoken language, using knowledge of sound-symbol relationships.
Page 6, Line 17SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-7-1205, amend (1)(b), (2)(b)(II), (2)(b)(IV), and (2)(b)(V) as follows:
Page 6, Line 1822-7-1205. Reading competency - assessments - READ plan
Page 6, Line 19creation - parental involvement. (1) (b) (I) If a teacher finds, based on
Page 7, Line 1a student's scores on the approved reading assessments, that the student
Page 7, Line 2may have a significant reading deficiency, the teacher shall administer to
Page 7, Line 3the student one or more diagnostic assessments within sixty days after the
Page 7, Line 4previous assessment to determine the student's specific reading skill
Page 7, Line 5deficiencies. Each local education provider shall select from the list of
Page 7, Line 6approved assessments adopted by rule of the state board pursuant to
Page 7, Line 7section 22-7-1209 (1) those assessments it uses to determine a student's
Page 7, Line 8specific reading skill deficiencies. A local education provider may choose
Page 7, Line 9to use other diagnostic reading assessments in addition to but not in lieu of the approved assessments.
Page 7, Line 10(II) A teacher may conclude that a student has a
Page 7, Line 11significant reading deficiency if the student's body of evidence
Page 7, Line 12supports the conclusion. A student's body of evidence for the
Page 7, Line 13purposes of identifying the student as having a significant reading deficiency may include:
Page 7, Line 14(A) Results from various formal and informal diagnostic
Page 7, Line 15assessments, as developmentally appropriate for the student's
Page 7, Line 16grade level, in the areas of phonological and phonemic
Page 7, Line 17awareness, sound-symbol recognition, alphabet knowledge,
Page 7, Line 18word decoding, rapid naming, encoding, and oral reading fluency;
Page 7, Line 19(B) Results from additional diagnostic assessments for
Page 7, Line 20identifying relevant literacy skill weaknesses, as
Page 7, Line 21developmentally appropriate for the student's grade level, that
Page 7, Line 22may include oral language, vocabulary, language comprehension, and reading comprehension;
Page 7, Line 23(C) Direct or indirect observational assessments from
Page 8, Line 1teachers and parents, as available, that may contribute to a
Page 8, Line 2fuller understanding of a student's academic performance or scores;
Page 8, Line 3(D) Relevant student demographic information, English language proficiency, or language spoken at home;
Page 8, Line 4(E) The student's educational and developmental history, including access to preschool education; and
Page 8, Line 5(F) Consideration of potential errors in assessment, including administration and scoring.
Page 8, Line 6(2) (b) The teacher and the other personnel shall communicate and discuss with the parent the following information:
Page 8, Line 7(II) The nature of the student's significant reading deficiency,
Page 8, Line 8including a clear explanation of what the significant reading deficiency
Page 8, Line 9is, whether or not the significant reading deficiency may include
Page 8, Line 10characteristics of dyslexia, and the basis upon which the teacher identified the significant reading deficiency;
Page 8, Line 11(IV) Reading skills are critical to success in school. Under state
Page 8, Line 12law, the student qualifies for and the local education provider is required
Page 8, Line 13to provide targeted, scientifically based or evidence-based interventions
Page 8, Line 14to remediate the student's specific,
diagnosedPage 8, Line 15deficiencies, which interventions are designed to enable the student to
Page 8, Line 16achieve reading competency and attain the skills necessary to achieve the state's academic achievement goals.
Page 8, Line 17(V) The student's READ plan will include targeted, scientifically
Page 8, Line 18based or evidence-based intervention instruction to address and remediate the student's specific,
diagnosedPage 9, Line 1SECTION 4. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-7-1208, add (9) as follows:
Page 9, Line 222-7-1208. Local education providers - procedures - plans -
Page 9, Line 3training - rules. (9) (a) By the beginning of the 2027-28 school year, a local education provider shall:
Page 9, Line 4(I) Implement a universal dyslexia screener that is
Page 9, Line 5included in an interim assessment recommended pursuant to
Page 9, Line 6section 22-7-1209 (2.5) or that is administered separately from an
Page 9, Line 7interim assessment, but in all cases the universal dyslexia
Page 9, Line 8screener must meet the criteria specified in section 22-7-1209
Page 9, Line 9(2.5)(a) for recommended reading assessments that include a universal dyslexia screener; or
Page 9, Line 10(II) Create auniversal dyslexia screening process for
Page 9, Line 11identifying students who display characteristics of dyslexia. A
Page 9, Line 12process created pursuant to this subsection (9)(a)(II) must
Page 9, Line 13include, but is not limited to, universal screening of
Page 9, Line 14kindergarten, first-grade, second-grade, and third-grade
Page 9, Line 15students on reading competency skills to identify risk factors
Page 9, Line 16for dyslexia using interim, diagnostic, and various formal and
Page 9, Line 17informal assessments, including rapid automatized naming, as
Page 9, Line 18appropriate for each grade level. Kindergarten risk factors
Page 9, Line 19include, but are not limited to, weaknesses in phonological
Page 9, Line 20awareness, sound-symbol recognition, alphabet knowledge,
Page 9, Line 21word decoding, and oral language skills. First-grade risk
Page 9, Line 22factors include, but are not limited to, weaknesses in
Page 9, Line 23phonological awareness, sound-symbol recognition, word
Page 9, Line 24decoding, encoding, and oral reading fluency. Second-grade and
Page 10, Line 1third-grade risk factors include, but are not limited to,
Page 10, Line 2weaknesses in word decoding, encoding, oral reading fluency, and vocabulary skills.
Page 10, Line 3(b) The universal dyslexia screener or universal dyslexia
Page 10, Line 4screening process for identifying students who display
Page 10, Line 5characteristics of dyslexia that is implemented or created
Page 10, Line 6pursuant to subsection (9)(a) of this section must be given to
Page 10, Line 7students enrolled in kindergarten during the last ninety days
Page 10, Line 8of the school year and be given to students enrolled in the first,
Page 10, Line 9second, and third grades during the first ninety days of the school year.
Page 10, Line 10(c) If the universal dyslexia screener or universal
Page 10, Line 11dyslexia screening process for identifying students who display
Page 10, Line 12characteristics of dyslexia that is implemented or created
Page 10, Line 13pursuant to subsection (9)(a) of this section identifies risk
Page 10, Line 14factors for dyslexia, a teacher shall administer one or more
Page 10, Line 15diagnostic assessments pursuant to section 22-7-1205 (1)(b) and
Page 10, Line 16proceed with READ plan implementation or alternative
Page 10, Line 17procedures as required pursuant to sections 22-7-1205 and 22-7-1206.
Page 10, Line 18SECTION 5. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-7-1209, amend
Page 10, Line 19(1)(a), (2)(a)(I), (3) introductory portion, (3)(b), and (8)(c)(I); and add (2.5) as follows:
Page 10, Line 2022-7-1209. State board - rules - department - duties. (1) The
Page 10, Line 21state board shall promulgate rules in accordance with the "State
Page 10, Line 22Administrative Procedure Act", article 4 of title 24, as necessary to
Page 10, Line 23implement the provisions of this part 12, which rules must include, but need not be limited to:
Page 11, Line 1(a) The minimum reading competency skill levels in the areas of
Page 11, Line 2phonemic awareness; phonics; vocabulary development;
reading fluency,Page 11, Line 3
includingPage 11, Line 4word decoding; and reading comprehension for kindergarten and first,
Page 11, Line 5second, and third grades. The state board shall base the minimum skill
Page 11, Line 6levels for second and third grades primarily on scores attained on the
Page 11, Line 7assessments approved by the state board pursuant to subsection (1)(b) of
Page 11, Line 8this section. The state board shall describe the minimum skill levels for
Page 11, Line 9students as they complete kindergarten and first grade using matrices of
Page 11, Line 10appropriate indicators, which indicators may include measures of
Page 11, Line 11students' social and emotional development, physical development,
Page 11, Line 12language and comprehension development, and cognition and general
Page 11, Line 13knowledge. The state board shall adopt the rules described in this
Page 11, Line 14subsection (1)(a) by March 31, 2013. The state board shall review the
Page 11, Line 15minimum reading competency skill levels on or before July 1, 2019, and every four years thereafter and update them as necessary.
Page 11, Line 16(2) (a) (I) Using the procedure developed pursuant to subsection
Page 11, Line 17(3) of this section, the department shall review and recommend to the
Page 11, Line 18state board reading assessments, including interim, summative, and
Page 11, Line 19diagnostic assessments, for kindergarten and first, second, and third
Page 11, Line 20grades that, at a minimum, meet the criteria specified in
subsectionPage 11, Line 21
(2)(a)(II)Page 11, Line 22action by the state board to approve reading assessments pursuant to
Page 11, Line 23subsection (1)(b) of this section, the department shall create a list of the
Page 11, Line 24approved reading assessments for kindergarten and first, second, and third
Page 11, Line 25grades for use by local education providers. The department shall update
Page 12, Line 1the list of approved reading assessments on or before July 1, 2019, and
Page 12, Line 2every four years thereafter as necessary. The department shall work with
Page 12, Line 3the approved assessment publishers to better align, to the extent
Page 12, Line 4practicable, the minimum reading competency levels for third grade,
Page 12, Line 5which are based on the scores attained on the approved assessments, with
Page 12, Line 6the preschool through elementary and secondary education standards for third-grade reading adopted pursuant to section 22-7-1005.
Page 12, Line 7(2.5) Notwithstanding the requirements of subsection
Page 12, Line 8(2)(a)(II) of this section, during the department's required review
Page 12, Line 9of assessments pursuant to this section, the department may
Page 12, Line 10recommend interim assessments that include a universal
Page 12, Line 11dyslexia screener. Each of the recommended interim assessments
Page 12, Line 12must be developmentally appropriate, economical, and efficient
Page 12, Line 13to administer. Each recommended interim assessment that
Page 12, Line 14includes a universal dyslexia screener must meet the following criteria:
Page 12, Line 15(a) In the identification of students who are at risk of reading difficulties:
Page 12, Line 16(I) Accurately and reliably identify students who are at risk of reading failure or reading disorders; and
Page 12, Line 17(II) Directly measure reading competency skills, including, but not limited to:
Page 12, Line 18(A) Phonological and phonemic awareness;
(B) The alphabetic principle;
Page 12, Line 19(C) Encoding and word-decoding skills;
(D) Letter naming;
Page 12, Line 20(E) Oral reading fluency; and
(F) Rapid automatized naming;
Page 13, Line 1(b) Meet validity and reliability standards by:
Page 13, Line 2(I) Using norm-referenced and criterion-based scores that include, at a minimum:
Page 13, Line 3(A) Validity and reliability measures for grade-level, skill-specific subtests;
Page 13, Line 4(B) Grade-level, skill-specific validity measures,
Page 13, Line 5including concurrent validity, predictive validity, and classification accuracy;
Page 13, Line 6(C) Grade-level reliability measures, including
Page 13, Line 7test-retest reliability, interrater reliability if the assessment is not computer adaptive, and alternate form reliability; and
Page 13, Line 8(D) Evidence that the assessment is normed and validated
Page 13, Line 9using a contemporary multicultural and multilanguage sample
Page 13, Line 10of students, with outcome data for students whose home
Page 13, Line 11language is a language other than English, as well as students who are native English speakers;
Page 13, Line 12(II) Ensuring the assessment includes a publicly available technical manual; and
Page 13, Line 13(III) Ensuring the publicly available technical manual
Page 13, Line 14includes cutoff points for risk, based on research correlating
Page 13, Line 15specific skill scores at designated time points with future reading outcomes;
Page 13, Line 16(c) Encourage data-driven instructional decision making by:
Page 13, Line 17(I) Providing universal screening assessment results that
Page 13, Line 18allow teachers to determine whether a student is below
Page 14, Line 1research-based cutoff points for risk on a composite score and individual subtests;
Page 14, Line 2(II) Permitting the use of subtest scores and risk cutoff
Page 14, Line 3points in the selection of diagnostic or formative assessments to
Page 14, Line 4further evaluate reading competency skills and inform differentiated instruction; and
Page 14, Line 5(III) Enabling educators to useuniversal screening
Page 14, Line 6assessment data to guide subsequent assessment and instructional decisions;
Page 14, Line 7(d) Promote efficient administration and follow-up by:
(I) Minimizing student assessment time;
Page 14, Line 8(II) Providing reliable alternate forms for progress monitoring;
Page 14, Line 9(III) Including timed subtests to measure automaticity and fluency;
Page 14, Line 10(IV) Avoiding redundancy in administration and scoring; and
Page 14, Line 11(V) Supplying guidance and resources for educators regarding how to:
Page 14, Line 12(A) Administer the assessment, interpret results, and
Page 14, Line 13explain results to families, including in students' primary languages; and
Page 14, Line 14(B) Determine further educational strategies,
Page 14, Line 15assessments, diagnostics, and potential interventions that are
Page 14, Line 16specific to each type of student result that may be effective for
Page 14, Line 17the specific needs of an individual student and that reflect a
Page 14, Line 18tiered interventions model aligned with the multi-tiered systems of supports.
Page 15, Line 1(3) The department shall develop and implement a procedure for
Page 15, Line 2identifying the reading assessments it recommends to the state board for
Page 15, Line 3the approved list of reading assessments described in
subsection (2)(a)Page 15, Line 4subsections (2)(a) and (2.5) of this section and for creating the advisory
Page 15, Line 5lists of instructional programming and professional development
Page 15, Line 6programs described in subsections (2)(b) and (2)(c) of this section. At a minimum, the procedure must include:
Page 15, Line 7(b) Evaluating the assessments, instructional programming, and
Page 15, Line 8professional development programs that the department identifies or
Page 15, Line 9receives, which evaluation is based on the criteria specified in
subsectionPage 15, Line 10
(2)Page 15, Line 11the state board may adopt by rule. The department may contract with an
Page 15, Line 12independent, third-party evaluator approved by the state board to evaluate
Page 15, Line 13the materials. The department shall recommend to the state board the
Page 15, Line 14reading assessments that meet the requirements specified in
paragraph (a) of subsection (2)Page 15, Line 15(8) (c) The multi-year evaluation of the implementation of this part 12 must include:
Page 15, Line 16(I) Review of the approved reading assessments and the items
Page 15, Line 17included on the advisory lists of instructional programming in reading and
Page 15, Line 18supporting technologies and of professional development programs to
Page 15, Line 19ensure that they meet the requirements specified in
subsection (2)Page 15, Line 20subsections (2) and (2.5) of this section and a review of the processes
Page 15, Line 21by which the department identifies assessments, instructional
Page 15, Line 22programming in reading, and professional development programs for
Page 15, Line 23inclusion on the lists;
Page 16, Line 1SECTION 6. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-20.5-102, amend (3) as follows:
Page 16, Line 222-20.5-102. Definitions. As used in this article 20.5, unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 16, Line 3(3) "Dyslexia" means a specific learning disability that is
Page 16, Line 4neurobiological in origin and characterized by difficulties with accurate
Page 16, Line 5
anddecodingPage 16, Line 6word-decoding abilities, which difficulties typically result from a
Page 16, Line 7deficit in the phonological component of language that is often
Page 16, Line 8unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of
Page 16, Line 9effective classroom instruction. The secondary consequences of dyslexia
Page 16, Line 10may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading
Page 16, Line 11experience that may impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.
Page 16, Line 12SECTION 7. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
Page 16, Line 13takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
Page 16, Line 14ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except
Page 16, Line 15that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V
Page 16, Line 16of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this
Page 16, Line 17act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take
Page 16, Line 18effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
Page 16, Line 19November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.