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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY BENNINGHOFF, CREIGHTON, CUTLER, ELLIS, GINGRICH, GRELL, HUTCHINSON, LONGIETTI, MILLER, MURPHY, OBERLANDER, PICKETT, RAPP, REICHLEY, ROAE, ROCK, ROHRER, SAYLOR, SWANGER, TALLMAN AND VULAKOVICH, FEBRUARY 19, 2009 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 19, 2009 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), entitled |
2 | "An act concerning elections, including general, municipal, |
3 | special and primary elections, the nomination of candidates, |
4 | primary and election expenses and election contests; creating |
5 | and defining membership of county boards of elections; |
6 | imposing duties upon the Secretary of the Commonwealth, |
7 | courts, county boards of elections, county commissioners; |
8 | imposing penalties for violation of the act, and codifying, |
9 | revising and consolidating the laws relating thereto; and |
10 | repealing certain acts and parts of acts relating to |
11 | elections," further providing for explanation of ballot |
12 | question. |
13 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
14 | hereby enacts as follows: |
15 | Section 1. Section 201.1 of the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L. |
16 | 1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, added |
17 | February 19, 1986 (P.L.29, No.11), is amended to read: |
18 | Section 201.1. Explanation of Ballot Question.--(a) |
19 | Whenever a proposed constitutional amendment or other State-wide |
20 | ballot question shall be submitted to the electors of the |
21 | Commonwealth in referendum, the Attorney General shall prepare a |
22 | statement in plain English which indicates the purpose, |
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1 | limitations and effects of the ballot question on the people of |
2 | the Commonwealth. The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall |
3 | include such statement in his publication of a proposed |
4 | constitutional amendment as required by Article XI of the |
5 | Constitution of Pennsylvania. The Secretary of the Commonwealth |
6 | shall certify such statement to the county boards of elections |
7 | who shall publish such statement as a part of the notice of |
8 | elections required by section 1201 or any other provision of |
9 | this act. The county board of elections shall also require that |
10 | at least three copies of such statement be posted in or about |
11 | the voting room outside the enclosed space with the specimen |
12 | ballots and other instructions and notices of penalties. In |
13 | election questions which affect only one county or portion |
14 | thereof, the county board of elections shall fulfill these |
15 | requirements in the place of the Attorney General and the |
16 | Secretary of the Commonwealth. |
17 | (b) In addition to the requirements of subsection (a), all |
18 | ballot referendum questions allowing the Commonwealth to enter |
19 | into any bond or borrowing measure shall include in the |
20 | explanation of the ballot question a fiscal note generated by |
21 | the Treasury Department stating all of the following: |
22 | (1) A detailed description of the project being funded by |
23 | the bond or borrowing measure. |
24 | (2) The total costs for the actual project and any |
25 | anticipated future costs for financing the bond or borrowing |
26 | measure. |
27 | Section 2. The amendment of section 201.1 of the act shall |
28 | apply to elections occurring 60 days from the effective date of |
29 | this section. |
30 | Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days. |
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