PRINTER'S NO. 4201
No. 3059 Session of 1994
INTRODUCED BY GAMBLE, OLASZ, TIGUE, ROHRER, LAUB, GODSHALL,
MARKOSEK, STEIL, CLARK, GEIST, DeLUCA, NICKOL, FICHTER,
TRELLO, FAIRCHILD, SAURMAN, STABACK, CESSAR, MELIO, CLYMER,
BUNT, BROWN, WOGAN, PESCI, TANGRETTI, STISH, LaGROTTA, LUCYK,
GIGLIOTTI, HALUSKA, COLAIZZO, COLAFELLA, FARMER, KAISER,
ROBERTS, MERRY, ARMSTRONG, GANNON, MANDERINO, E. Z. TAYLOR,
HUTCHINSON, EGOLF, STAIRS, STERN, SERAFINI, LAUGHLIN,
BELFANTI, PETRARCA, LEH AND DALEY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1994
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON FEDERAL-STATE RELATIONS,
SEPTEMBER 28, 1994
AN ACT
1 Providing for the review and coordination of Federal mandates;
2 and establishing the Joint Legislative Committee on Federal
3 Mandates.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Short title.
7 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Joint
8 Legislative Committee on Federal Mandates Act.
9 Section 2. Legislative findings and declarations.
10 The General Assembly finds and declares that:
11 (1) The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the
12 United States reads as follows: "The powers not delegated to
13 the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it
14 to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to
15 the people."
1 (2) The number of Federal mandates imposed upon the
2 states by the Congress of the United States has increased
3 alarmingly in recent years.
4 (3) The General Assembly of the Commonwealth desires to
5 personally protect State sovereignty from Federal
6 encroachment as well as communicate with the members of
7 Congress from Pennsylvania concerning this critical problem
8 so that these representatives may be completely cognizant of
9 the effect the actions of the Federal Government have at the
10 State legislative level and may be more sensitive to Federal
11 usurpation of State authority.
12 Section 3. Definitions.
13 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
14 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
15 context clearly indicates otherwise:
16 "Committee." The Joint Legislative Committee on Federal
17 Mandates established in section 4.
18 Section 4. Joint Legislative Committee on Federal Mandates.
19 (a) Establishment.--A joint legislative committee on Federal
20 mandates is established consisting of the President pro tempore
21 of the Senate; four members of the Senate appointed by the
22 President pro tempore of the Senate; the Speaker of the House of
23 Representatives and four members of the House of Representatives
24 appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. No
25 more than three members of the Senate or House of
26 Representatives, including the President pro tempore and Speaker
27 of the House of Representatives, shall be from the same
28 political party. Members shall serve two-year terms ending on
29 the convening of the regular session of the General Assembly
30 each odd-numbered year.
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1 (b) Legal meetings.--The committee shall meet on the call of
2 the President pro tempore of the Senate or the Speaker of the
3 House of Representatives. A majority of the members constitutes
4 a quorum for the transaction of business.
5 (c) Duties.--The committee shall:
6 (1) Review each year the activities of Congress and the
7 Federal Government, including court rulings with regard to
8 any laws, regulations or other actions that may require the
9 Commonwealth to comply with any Federal mandate.
10 (2) Take any action necessary to protect the
11 constitutional rights and sovereignty of the Commonwealth
12 against Federal mandates.
13 (3) Arrange for and conduct an annual joint session of
14 the General Assembly or a meeting of the committee and
15 request the attendance of all members of Congress from
16 Pennsylvania to discuss issues relating to Federal mandates
17 and the appropriate use of Federal power to influence State
18 policy.
19 (d) Staff.--The committee may utilize legislative staff for
20 research and other services required by the committee.
21 Section 5. Effective date.
22 This act shall take effect immediately.
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