PRINTER'S NO. 1188
No. 1094 Session of 1993
INTRODUCED BY CARONE, HUGHES, JOSEPHS, KUKOVICH, LEVDANSKY,
PESCI, ROBINSON, VEON, FREEMAN, DeWEESE, MARKOSEK, GIGLIOTTI,
MELIO, BELFANTI, PISTELLA, SANTONI, LEDERER, LEE, HANNA,
TRELLO, SAURMAN, ARGALL, LAUGHLIN, SURRA, ROONEY, FAJT,
CAWLEY, RAYMOND, KAISER, SCHEETZ, HERMAN, WILLIAMS, HALUSKA,
TULLI, STEELMAN, STURLA, ROEBUCK, ROBERTS, TOMLINSON AND
TANGRETTI, MARCH 30, 1993
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 30, 1993
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of April 29, 1937 (P.L.487, No.115), entitled,
2 as reenacted and amended, "An act to provide for the
3 permanent personal registration of electors in cities of the
4 second class, cities of the second class A, cities of the
5 third class, boroughs, towns, and townships as a condition of
6 their right to vote at elections and primaries, and their
7 enrollment as members of political parties as a further
8 condition of their right to vote at primaries; prescribing
9 certain procedure for the conduct of elections and primaries
10 and the challenge and proof of qualifications of electors;
11 requiring the county commissioners of the various counties to
12 act as a registration commission therefor; and prescribing
13 the powers and duties of citizens, parties, political bodies,
14 registration commissions, commissioners, registrars,
15 inspectors of registration and other appointees of
16 registration commissions, county election boards, election
17 officers, municipal officers, departments and bureaus, police
18 officers, courts, judges, prothonotaries, sheriffs, county
19 commissioners, peace officers, county treasurers, county
20 controllers, registrars of vital statistics, certain public
21 utility corporations, real estate brokers, rental agents, and
22 boards of school directors; and imposing penalties,"
23 prohibiting the use of registration lists for jury selection
24 or tax collection purposes.
25 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
26 hereby enacts as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 24 of the act of April 29, 1937 (P.L.487,
2 No.115), known as The Permanent Registration Act for Cities of
3 the Second Class, Cities of the Second Class A, Cities of the
4 Third Class, Boroughs, Towns, and Townships, reenacted and
5 amended May 31, 1955 (P.L.62, No.32) and amended July 1, 1976
6 (P.L.504, No.123), is amended to read:
7 Section 24. General Register.--(a) The duplicate
8 registration cards for all cities of the second class, cities of
9 the second class A, cities of the third class, boroughs, towns,
10 and townships within the county shall be placed in exact
11 alphabetical order and shall be indexed, and shall be kept at
12 the office of the commission in a place and in such manner as to
13 be properly safeguarded. In any county where the registration
14 cards of the cities of the second class, cities of the second
15 class A, boroughs, towns, and townships are of the same type as
16 those used in the cities of the third class, and, in the opinion
17 of the commission, can be consolidated into one duplicate
18 registration, it shall be the duty of the commission to place
19 the duplicate registration cards for all cities of the second
20 class, cities of the second class A, boroughs, towns, and
21 townships, and all cities of the third class, in exact
22 alphabetical order, which shall be indexed, and shall be kept at
23 the office of the commission in a place and in such manner as to
24 be properly safeguarded. These cards shall constitute the
25 general register of the cities of the second class, cities of
26 the second class A, boroughs, towns, and townships, or of all
27 such cities of the third class, cities of the second class,
28 cities of the second class A, boroughs, towns, and townships in
29 the county, as the case may be, and shall not be removed from
30 the office of the commission except upon order of a court of
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1 record of the county wherein such city of the third class, city
2 of the second class, city of the second class A, borough, town,
3 or township is located: Provided, however, That the official
4 registration card of an elector who has registered by mail may
5 qualify as a duplicate registration card.
6 (b) Notwithstanding any provision of law, information or
7 lists of registered electors from the general register shall not
8 be used by any person for jury selection or tax collection
9 purposes.
10 Section 2. Section 25 of the act is amended to read:
11 Section 25. District Registers.--(a) The original
12 registration cards shall be filed by election districts, and
13 within each election district, in exact alphabetical order and
14 indexed. The cards so filed for each election district shall
15 constitute the district register for such district. The district
16 register shall be kept at the office of the commission, except
17 as herein provided, and shall be open to public inspection at
18 all times, subject to reasonable safeguards, rules and
19 regulations.
20 (b) Notwithstanding any provision of law, information or
21 lists of registered electors from the district registers shall
22 not be used by any person for jury selection or tax collection
23 purposes.
24 Section 3. Section 33 of the act, amended July 1, 1976
25 (P.L.504, No.123), is amended to read:
26 Section 33. Street Lists; Posting.--(a) Commencing not
27 later than the thirtieth day prior to each primary and election,
28 the commission shall prepare for each election district a list
29 of the names and addresses of all registered electors as of that
30 date resident in the district, either arranged by streets and
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1 house numbers, arranged alphabetically or another arrangement
2 whereby the location of the elector's residence can be
3 identified.
4 (b) The commission shall cause to be made a sufficient
5 number of exact copies of each such list, and, as soon as
6 possible, shall distribute the same among the inspectors and
7 special inspectors of registration and the officials concerned
8 with the conduct of primaries and elections, and among the
9 parties, political bodies, candidates, and organized bodies of
10 citizens, interested therein, giving at least ten copies of each
11 street list to the county committee of each political party or
12 political body, upon the written application of the chairman
13 thereof, and at least ten copies of each street list to the
14 executive or governing board or committee of each organized body
15 of citizens having as its purpose, or among its purposes, the
16 investigation and prosecution of election frauds, upon the
17 written application of the presiding officer of such body of
18 citizens, and at least one copy of each street list with which
19 his candidacy is concerned, to each candidate, upon his written
20 request, and keeping two complete sets of such street lists on
21 file at the office of the commission, convenient for public
22 inspection during all the hours when the other records of the
23 commission are open to public inspection, as herein provided.
24 (c) Notwithstanding any provision of law, information or
25 lists of registered electors from the street lists shall not be
26 used by any person for jury selection or tax collection
27 purposes.
28 Section 4. Section 44 of the act is amended by adding a
29 subsection to read:
30 Section 44. Crimes and Penalties.--* * *
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1 (q) Any election officer or other person who knowingly and
2 wilfully uses information or lists of registered electors from
3 the general register, the district registers or from street
4 lists for jury selection or tax collection purposes shall be
5 guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be
6 sentenced to pay a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars
7 ($1,000).
8 Section 5. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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