SENATE AMENDED
19750H0002B3541 00590JLW:JL 01/02/74 #15 01/20/75
PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 2, 3226, 3541 PRINTER'S NO. 3620
No. 2 Session of 1975
INTRODUCED BY MESSRS. FINEMAN, MILLIRON, GALLAGHER, BENNETT,
SCHWEDER, REED, WARGO, BERLIN, ZEARFOSS, COWELL, DeMEDIO,
WOJDAK, PIEVSKY, PRATT, HOPKINS, LAUDADIO, PERRY, OLIVER,
MORRIS, MRS. TOLL, MESSRS. DOMBROWSKI, MRKONIC AND COHEN,
JANUARY 20, 1975
AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, IN SENATE, JUNE 29, 1976
A JOINT RESOLUTION
1 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth <--
2 of Pennsylvania providing for a change in the date of the
3 first annual session meeting.
1 PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE COMMONWEALTH <--
2 OF PENNSYLVANIA, PROVIDING FOR SIX-YEAR TERMS FOR SENATORS
3 AND FOUR-YEAR TERMS FOR REPRESENTATIVES REDUCING THE NUMBER
4 OF REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICTS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby resolves as follows:
7 Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of
8 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is proposed in accordance with
9 the provisions of the eleventh article thereof:
10 That section four, article two of the Constitution of the <--
11 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania be amended to read:
12 Section 4. Sessions.--The General Assembly shall be a
13 continuing body during the term for which its Representatives
14 are elected. It shall meet at twelve o'clock noon on the first
15 Tuesday following the first day of January of each year. Special
1 sessions shall be called by the Governor on petition of a
2 majority of the members elected to each House or may be called
3 by the Governor whenever in his opinion the public interest
4 requires.
5 THAT SECTION SECTIONS THREE AND SIXTEEN, ARTICLE TWO OF THE <--
6 CONSTITUTION OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA BE AMENDED TO
7 READ:
8 SECTION 3. TERMS OF MEMBERS.--SENATORS SHALL BE ELECTED FOR
9 THE TERM OF [FOUR] SIX YEARS AND REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE TERM OF
10 [TWO] FOUR YEARS.
11 SECTION 16. LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS.--THE COMMONWEALTH SHALL
12 BE DIVIDED INTO FIFTY SENATORIAL AND [TWO HUNDRED THREE] ONE
13 HUNDRED TWENTY-ONE FIFTY FIFTY-ONE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICTS, <--
14 WHICH SHALL BE COMPOSED OF COMPACT AND CONTIGUOUS TERRITORY AS
15 NEARLY EQUAL IN POPULATION AS PRACTICABLE. EACH SENATORIAL
16 DISTRICT SHALL ELECT ONE SENATOR, AND [EACH REPRESENTATIVE <--
17 DISTRICT] IT SHALL CONTAIN THREE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICTS WHICH <--
18 SHALL EACH ELECT ONE REPRESENTATIVE. UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY <--
19 NO COUNTY, CITY, INCORPORATED TOWN, BOROUGH, TOWNSHIP OR WARD
20 SHALL BE DIVIDED IN FORMING EITHER A SENATORIAL OR
21 REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT.
22 SCHEDULE
23 THE FIRST ELECTIONS AFTER REAPPORTIONMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH <--
24 UNDER SECTION SEVENTEEN TO CONFORM TO THE FOREGOING AMENDMENT
25 SHALL BE HELD IN THE YEAR 1982. AT THE GENERAL ELECTION IN THE
26 YEAR 1982, REPRESENTATIVES IN EVEN NUMBERED DISTRICTS SHALL BE
27 CHOSEN TO SERVE FOR TWO YEARS AND REPRESENTATIVES IN ODD
28 NUMBERED DISTRICTS SHALL BE CHOSEN TO SERVE FOR FOUR YEARS.
29 THEREAFTER, ALL REPRESENTATIVES SHALL BE CHOSEN TO SERVE FOR
30 FOUR YEARS. AT THE GENERAL ELECTION IN 1982, SIXTEEN SENATORS IN
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1 EVEN NUMBERED DISTRICTS SHALL BE ELECTED FOR FOUR-YEAR TERMS AND
2 NINE SENATORS IN EVEN NUMBERED DISTRICTS SHALL BE ELECTED FOR
3 SIX-YEAR TERMS. THEREAFTER, ALL TERMS FOR EVEN NUMBERED
4 DISTRICTS SHALL BE FOR SIX YEARS. AT THE GENERAL ELECTION IN
5 1984, EIGHT SENATORS FROM ODD NUMBERED DISTRICTS SHALL BE
6 ELECTED FOR FOUR-YEAR TERMS AND SEVENTEEN MEMBERS FROM ODD
7 NUMBERED DISTRICTS SHALL BE ELECTED FOR SIX-YEAR TERMS.
8 THEREAFTER, ALL TERMS FOR ODD NUMBERED DISTRICTS SHALL BE FOR
9 SIX YEARS. ON THE DAY OF THE CONVENING OF THE SESSION OF THE
10 SENATE IN JANUARY 1982, THE MEMBERS OF THE SENATE SHALL DRAW
11 LOTS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE TERM OF OFFICE TO WHICH MEMBERS
12 WILL BE ELECTED IN 1982 OR 1984 SHALL BE FOUR YEARS OR SIX
13 YEARS.
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