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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY GIBBONS, McILVAINE SMITH, CUTLER, DEASY, EVERETT, GRELL, HANNA, HORNAMAN, HUTCHINSON, KORTZ, MAHONEY, MILLARD, MOUL, MURT, PAYNE, READSHAW, ROAE, SWANGER, TRUE, VULAKOVICH AND BAKER, MAY 29, 2009 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MAY 29, 2009 |
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| A JOINT RESOLUTION |
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1 | Proposing integrated amendments to the Constitution of the |
2 | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, further providing for terms of |
3 | members and for the Legislative Reapportionment Commission. |
4 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
5 | hereby resolves as follows: |
6 | Section 1. The following integrated amendments to the |
7 | Constitution of Pennsylvania are proposed in accordance with |
8 | Article XI: |
9 | (1) That section 3 of Article II be amended to read: |
10 | § 3. Terms of members. |
11 | [Senators shall be elected for the term of four years and |
12 | Representatives for the term of two years.] |
13 | (a) Senators shall be elected for the term of six years. No |
14 | person shall hold the office of Senator for a period of longer |
15 | than two successive terms of six years. Terms of Senators shall |
16 | be considered successive unless separated by a period of six or |
17 | more years. Representatives shall be elected for the term of |
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1 | four years. No person shall hold the office of Representative |
2 | for a period longer than three successive terms of four years. |
3 | Terms of Representatives shall be considered successive unless |
4 | separated by a period of four or more years. |
5 | (b) In determining the eligibility of an individual to hold |
6 | office in accordance with subsection (a): |
7 | (1) Time spent in office in fulfillment of a term to which |
8 | another person was first elected shall not be considered, |
9 | provided that a period of at least six years for Senators and at |
10 | least four years for Representatives passed between the time, if |
11 | any, the individual previously held that office and the time the |
12 | individual is elected to fulfill the unexpired term. |
13 | (2) A person who is elected to office in a regularly |
14 | scheduled general election and resigns prior to the completion |
15 | of the term for which the person was elected shall be considered |
16 | to have served the full term in that office. |
17 | (c) Senators in even-numbered districts elected at the |
18 | general election in 2012 shall serve a six-year term. Senators |
19 | in odd-numbered districts elected at the general election in |
20 | 2012 shall serve a six-year term. Senators now elected and those |
21 | whose terms are unexpired shall represent the districts in which |
22 | they reside until the end of the terms for which they were |
23 | elected. |
24 | (d) Representatives in odd-numbered districts elected at the |
25 | general election in 2012 shall serve a four-year term, and |
26 | Representatives in even-numbered districts elected at the |
27 | general election in 2012 shall serve a two-year term. |
28 | Representatives in even-numbered districts elected at the |
29 | general election in 2014 shall serve a four-year term. |
30 | (2) That section 17(f) of Article II be amended to read: |
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1 | § 17. Legislative Reapportionment Commission. |
2 | * * * |
3 | (f) Any district which does not include the residence from |
4 | which a member of the Senate or House of Representatives was |
5 | elected whether or not scheduled for election at the next |
6 | general election shall elect a Senator or Representative at such |
7 | election. |
8 | * * * |
9 | Section 2. The provisions of this resolution apply only to |
10 | terms served by members of the General Assembly after the first |
11 | election cycle following the ratification of this constitutional |
12 | amendment and thereafter. |
13 | Section 3. (a) Upon the first passage by the General |
14 | Assembly of these proposed constitutional amendments, the |
15 | Secretary of the Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to |
16 | comply with the advertising requirements of section 1 of Article |
17 | XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the |
18 | required advertisements to two newspapers in every county in |
19 | which such newspapers are published in sufficient time after |
20 | passage of these proposed constitutional amendments. |
21 | (b) Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of these |
22 | proposed constitutional amendments, the Secretary of the |
23 | Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with the |
24 | advertising requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the |
25 | Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the required |
26 | advertisements to two newspapers in every county in which such |
27 | newspapers are published in sufficient time after passage of |
28 | these proposed constitutional amendments. The Secretary of the |
29 | Commonwealth shall submit the proposed constitutional amendments |
30 | under section 1 to the qualified electors of this Commonwealth |
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1 | as a single ballot question at the first primary, general or |
2 | municipal election which meets the requirements of and is in |
3 | conformance with section 1 of Article XI of the Constitution of |
4 | Pennsylvania and which occurs at least three months after the |
5 | proposed constitutional amendments are passed by the General |
6 | Assembly. |
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