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.
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