THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY MUSTIO, CHRISTIANA, HORNAMAN, KAUFFMAN, MAHER, METZGAR, MURT, PEIFER, READSHAW, REESE, ROAE, SCAVELLO, SWANGER AND VULAKOVICH, FEBRUARY 14, 2011

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 14, 2011  

A JOINT RESOLUTION

Proposing separate and distinct amendments to the Constitution

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, further providing for

terms of members and for legislative districts.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby resolves as follows:

Section 1.  The following amendments to the Constitution of

Pennsylvania are proposed in accordance with Article XI:

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

§ 3.  Terms of members.

[Senators shall be elected for the term of four years and

Representatives for term of two years.]

(a)  Senators shall be elected for the term of six years.

(b)  Except as provided under subsection (c), Representatives

shall be elected for the term of four years.

(c)  At the first general election in an even-numbered year

after the adoption of the amendment adding this subsection, all

representatives from even-numbered districts shall be elected

for the term of four years and all representatives from odd-

numbered districts shall be elected for the term of two years.

(2)  That section 16 of Article II be amended to read:

§ 16.  Legislative districts.

[The] (a)  Except as provided under subsection (b), the 

Commonwealth shall be divided into 50 senatorial and 203

representative districts, which shall be composed of compact and

contiguous territory as nearly equal in population as

practicable. Each senatorial district shall elect one Senator,

and each representative district one Representative. Unless

absolutely necessary no county, city, incorporated town,

borough, township or ward shall be divided in forming either a

senatorial or representative district.

(b)  Beginning with each session that commences three years

following a Federal decennial census, which results in a

reduction in the number of congressional districts within the

Commonwealth, and for each session thereafter until a subsequent

census results in further reduction in the number of

congressional districts within the Commonwealth, the following

shall apply:

(1)  The Commonwealth shall be divided into a number of

representative districts determined by applying the

percentage by which the number of congressional districts was

reduced to the number of representative districts existing at

the time of the Federal decennial census and subtracting the

product, rounded to ones, from the number of representative

districts existing at the time of the Federal decennial

census.

(2)  The Commonwealth shall be divided into a number of

senatorial districts determined by applying the percentage by

which the number of congressional districts was reduced to

the number of senatorial districts existing at the time of

the Federal decennial census and subtracting the product,

rounded to ones, from the number of senatorial districts

existing at the time of the Federal decennial census.

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 these proposed constitutional amendments.

(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

these proposed constitutional amendments. The Secretary of the

Commonwealth shall submit the proposed constitutional amendments

under section 1 to the qualified electors of this Commonwealth

as separate ballot questions 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 amendments are passed by the General

Assembly.