PRIOR PASSAGE - NONE
PRINTER'S NO. 735
No. 697 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY SCRIMENTI, BOYES, TIGUE, ORIE, MAHER, CAPPABIANCA,
DeLUCA, LAUGHLIN AND HANNA, MARCH 2, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 2, 1999
A JOINT RESOLUTION
1 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth
2 of Pennsylvania, reducing the number of members of the House
3 of Representatives.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby resolves as follows:
6 Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of
7 Pennsylvania is proposed in accordance with Article XI:
8 That section 16 of Article II be amended to read:
9 § 16. Legislative districts.
10 The Commonwealth shall be divided into 50 senatorial and
11 [203] 149 representative districts, which shall be composed of
12 compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in population
13 as practicable. Each senatorial district shall elect one
14 Senator, and each representative district one Representative.
15 Unless absolutely necessary no county, city, incorporated town,
16 borough, township or ward shall be divided in forming either a
17 senatorial or representative district.
1 Section 2. This amendment to the Constitution shall apply to
2 terms of office beginning December 1, 2012.
3 Section 3. The Commonwealth shall be reapportioned not later
4 than January 1, 2012, for the terms of office beginning December
5 1, 2012, based upon the tabulations of the 2010 Federal
6 decennial census.
7 Section 4. (a) Upon the first passage by the General
8 Assembly of this proposed constitutional amendment, the
9 Secretary of the Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to
10 comply with the advertising requirements of section 1 of Article
11 XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the
12 required advertisements to two newspapers in every county in
13 which such newspapers are published in sufficient time after
14 passage of this proposed constitutional amendment.
15 (b) Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of this
16 proposed constitutional amendment, the Secretary of the
17 Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with the
18 advertising requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the
19 Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the required
20 advertisements to two newspapers in every county in which such
21 newspapers are published in sufficient time after passage of
22 this proposed constitutional amendment. The Secretary of the
23 Commonwealth shall submit this proposed constitutional amendment
24 to the qualified electors of this Commonwealth at the first
25 primary, general or municipal election occurring at least three
26 months after the proposed constitutional amendment is passed by
27 the General Assembly which meets the requirements of and is in
28 conformance with section 1 of Article XI of the Constitution of
29 Pennsylvania.
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