THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

INTRODUCED BY BROWNE, BOSCOLA, PILEGGI, SOLOBAY, ROBBINS, FONTANA, RAFFERTY, M. WHITE, EARLL, FOLMER, COSTA, MENSCH, WARD, EICHELBERGER, ALLOWAY, WAUGH AND VANCE, FEBRUARY 4, 2011

REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 4, 2011  

A JOINT RESOLUTION

Proposing separate and distinct amendments to the Constitution

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, further providing for

qualifications for members of the General Assembly and the

executive branch.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby resolves as follows:

Section 1.  The following separate and distinct amendments to

the Constitution of Pennsylvania are proposed in accordance with

Article XI:

(1)  That section 5 of Article II be amended to read:

§ 5.  Qualifications of members.

Senators shall be at least 25 years of age and

Representatives 21 years of age. They shall have been citizens

and inhabitants of the State four years, and inhabitants of

their respective districts one year next before their election

(unless absent on the public business of the United States or of

this State), [and] shall reside in their respective districts

during their terms of service[.] and shall be registered to vote

in the respective districts they are seeking to represent.

(2)  That section 5 of Article IV be amended to read:

§ 5.  Qualifications of Governor, Lieutenant Governor and

Attorney General.

No person shall be eligible to the office of Governor,

Lieutenant Governor or Attorney General except a citizen of the

United States, who shall be registered to vote in this

Commonwealth, shall have attained the age of 30 years, and have

been seven years next preceding his election an inhabitant of

this Commonwealth, unless he shall have been absent on the

public business of the United States or of this Commonwealth. No

person shall be eligible to the office of Attorney General

except a member of the bar of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

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.