PRINTER'S NO. 3990
No. 2831 Session of 1990
INTRODUCED BY VEON, DOMBROWSKI, MRKONIC, COLE, MORRIS, PRESSMANN AND RYBAK, JULY 1, 1990
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, JULY 1, 1990
AN ACT 1 Amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), entitled 2 "An act concerning elections, including general, municipal, 3 special and primary elections, the nomination of candidates, 4 primary and election expenses and election contests; creating 5 and defining membership of county boards of elections; 6 imposing duties upon the Secretary of the Commonwealth, 7 courts, county boards of elections, county commissioners; 8 imposing penalties for violation of the act, and codifying, 9 revising and consolidating the laws relating thereto; and 10 repealing certain acts and parts of acts relating to 11 elections," prohibiting false statements and malicious 12 misrepresentations; and providing penalties. 13 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 14 hereby enacts as follows: 15 Section 1. The act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known 16 as the Pennsylvania Election Code, is amended by adding a 17 section to read: 18 Section 1854. False, Malicious Misrepresentation.--(a) No 19 candidate for public office shall make or publish, or cause to 20 be made or published, a statement which maliciously 21 misrepresents an opposing candidate's views and which the 22 candidate who makes or publishes the statement knows to be
1 clearly false. 2 (b) Any candidate who violates subsection (a) shall be 3 subject upon conviction to a fine for each violation not 4 exceeding five thousand ($5,000) dollars, or to undergo an 5 imprisonment of not more than six (6) months. 6 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days. F27L25JRW/19900H2831B3990 - 2 -