THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY COHEN, DENLINGER, KILLION, MELIO, BROWN, CALTAGIRONE, HARKINS, KOTIK, SIPTROTH AND YOUNGBLOOD, AUGUST 16, 2010

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, AUGUST 16, 2010  

A JOINT RESOLUTION

Proposing distinct amendments to the Constitution of the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, further providing for terms of

office of Governor, Attorney General, Auditor General and

State Treasurer.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby resolves as follows:

Section 1.  The following amendments to the Constitution of

Pennsylvania is proposed in accordance with Article XI:

(1)  That section 3 of Article IV be amended to read:

§ 3.  Terms of office of Governor; number of terms.

The Governor shall hold his office during four years from the

third Tuesday of January next ensuing his election[. Except for

the Governor who may be in office when this amendment is

adopted, he] and shall be eligible to succeed himself [for one

additional term].

(2)  That section 4.1 of Article IV be amended to read:

§ 4.1.  Attorney General.

An Attorney General shall be chosen by the qualified electors

of the Commonwealth on the day the general election is held for

the Auditor General and State Treasurer; he shall hold his

office during four years from the third Tuesday of January next

ensuing his election and shall [not] be eligible to [serve

continuously for more than two successive terms] succeed

himself; he shall be the chief law officer of the Commonwealth

and shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as may be

imposed by law.

(3)  That section 18 of Article IV be amended to read:

§ 18.  Terms of office of Auditor General and State Treasurer;

number of terms; eligibility of State Treasurer to

become Auditor General.

The terms of the Auditor General and of the State Treasurer

shall each be four years from the third Tuesday of January next

ensuing his election. They shall be chosen by the qualified

electors of the Commonwealth at general elections [but] and 

shall [not] be eligible to [serve continuously for more than two

successive terms] succeed themselves. The State Treasurer shall

not be eligible to the office of Auditor General until four

years after he has been State Treasurer.

Section 2.  (a)  Upon the first passage by the General

Assembly of these proposed constitutional amendments, the

Secretary of the Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to

comply with the advertising requirements of section 1 of Article

XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the

required advertisements to two newspapers in every county in

which such newspapers are published in sufficient time after

passage of this proposed constitutional amendment.

(b)  Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of these

proposed constitutional amendments, the Secretary of the

Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with the

advertising requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the

Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the required

advertisements to two newspapers in every county in which such

newspapers are published in sufficient time after passage of

this proposed constitutional amendment. The Secretary of the

Commonwealth shall submit this proposed constitutional amendment

to the qualified electors of this Commonwealth at the first

primary, general or municipal election which meets the

requirements of and is in conformance with section 1 of Article

XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and which occurs at least

three months after the proposed constitutional amendment is

passed by the General Assembly.