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Amending the constitution may get harder for citizens if legislation passed by the Florida House Thursday morning becomes law.

It would require citizens’ initiatives to provide more financial information and backers to submit petitions within ten days of being signed.

A group of demonstrators gathered outside the House chamber, demanding lawmakers to vote no on the bill as lawmakers entered.

“Passing this bill means that the Legislature does not respect the will of the voters and the people,” said Vanessa Keverenge with Organize Florida.

The bill requires citizens’ initiatives include on ballot summaries possible economic impacts of the proposal, the percentage of contributions coming from in-state donors and whether out of state petition gatherers were used to meet the required 766,200 signatures.

Republicans say it will limit the influence of out of state state groups.

“If I’m going to sign a petition I would want to know where it’s coming from,” said Rep. Ralph Massullo. “Where’s the research behind it, who’s financing it?”

Jonathan Webber with the Florida Conservation Voters calls it a double standard.

“They’re not imposing the same restrictions on themselves for their own campaigns,” said Webber. “Which for all we know is getting money from, I mean, we don’t even know where anymore because of citizens united.”

The bill also makes it a first degree misdemeanor to compensate petition gatherers based on how many signatures they collect and requires backers to submit petitions to the state within ten days of them being signed.

Bill sponsor Rep. James Grant says the goal is to reduce fraud.

“The third largest state in this country’s charter document is wide open for abuse with no protections,” said Grant.

But Democrats like Rep. Wengay Newton argue it’s just a way to prevent voters from side stepping the legislature.

“The citizens’ initiative is the only way the citizens can have action with inaction of the Legislature,” said Newton.

With the bill clearing the House all eyes now turn to the Senate, where the legislation is currently held up in its final committee stop.

If the bill becomes law the changes would apply to initiatives for the 2020 ballot.

However, signatures already gathered would not be subject to the new requirements.