PRIOR PASSAGE - NONE
PRINTER'S NO. 661
No. 629 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY SALVATORE, MARCH 6, 1997
REFERRED TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, MARCH 6, 1997
A JOINT RESOLUTION
1 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth
2 of Pennsylvania, further providing for appropriations for
3 public assistance, military service and scholarships, and for
4 excluding certain convicted persons from public assistance
5 and housing.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby resolves as follows:
8 Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of
9 Pennsylvania is proposed in accordance with Article XI:
10 That section 29 of Article III be amended to read:
11 § 29. Appropriations for public assistance, military service,
12 scholarships.
13 (a) No appropriation shall be made for charitable,
14 educational or benevolent purposes to any person or community
15 nor to any denominational and sectarian institution, corporation
16 or association: Provided, That appropriations may be made for
17 pensions or gratuities for military service and to blind persons
18 21 years of age and upwards and for assistance to mothers having
1 dependent children and to aged persons without adequate means of
2 support and in the form of scholarship grants or loans for
3 higher educational purposes to residents of the Commonwealth
4 enrolled in institutions of higher learning except that no
5 scholarship, grants or loans for higher educational purposes
6 shall be given to persons enrolled in a theological seminary or
7 school of theology. Every appropriation for charitable,
8 educational or benevolent purposes shall exclude persons
9 convicted of felonies or other infamous crimes from the benefits
10 of such appropriation.
11 (b) A person who, after the enactment of this amendment, is
12 convicted of a felony or other infamous crime, whether within or
13 without this Commonwealth, shall be prohibited from receiving
14 any public assistance from the Commonwealth or any of its
15 political subdivisions during any period of incarceration,
16 parole or probation, or during a period when a sentence for a
17 felony or other infamous crime is suspended.
18 (c) A person who is prohibited from receiving public
19 assistance under this section and who is convicted of a second
20 felony or other infamous crime, whether within or without this
21 Commonwealth, shall be prohibited from receiving any public
22 assistance from the Commonwealth or any of its political
23 subdivisions for the balance of the person's lifetime.
24 (d) A person who is prohibited from receiving public
25 assistance under this section shall also be prohibited from
26 living in any public housing or housing subsidized by the
27 Commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions. This
28 subsection shall not prohibit a person from being confined to a
29 jail, prison or other detention facility at public expense.
30 Section 2. (a) Upon the first passage by the General
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1 Assembly of this proposed constitutional amendment, the
2 Secretary of the Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to
3 comply with the advertising requirements of section 1 of Article
4 XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the
5 required advertisements to two newspapers in every county in
6 which such newspapers are published in sufficient time after
7 passage of this proposed constitutional amendment.
8 (b) Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of this
9 proposed constitutional amendment, the Secretary of the
10 Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with the
11 advertising requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the
12 Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the required
13 advertisements to two newspapers in every county in which such
14 newspapers are published in sufficient time after passage of
15 this proposed constitutional amendment. The Secretary of the
16 Commonwealth shall submit this proposed constitutional amendment
17 to the qualified electors of this Commonwealth at the first
18 primary, general or municipal election occurring at least three
19 months after the proposed constitutional amendment is passed by
20 the General Assembly which meets the requirements of and is in
21 conformance with section 1 of Article XI of the Constitution of
22 Pennsylvania.
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