THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

INTRODUCED BY ARGALL, ERICKSON, FONTANA, D. WHITE, RAFFERTY, PIPPY, BRUBAKER, TOMLINSON, MENSCH, BREWSTER, FARNESE AND WARD, APRIL 7, 2011

REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, APRIL 7, 2011  

A JOINT RESOLUTION

Proposing separate and distinct amendments to the Constitution

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the legislature,

further providing for terms of members for legislative

districts.

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 3 of Article II be amended to read:

§ 3.  Terms of members.

[Senators] The members of the General Assembly shall be

elected for the term of four years [and Representatives for the

term of two years].

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

§ 16.  Legislative districts.

[The] (a)  Except as otherwise provided in subsections (b)

and (c), 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.

(b)  (1)  Beginning with the legislative session that

commences the first Tuesday of January 2013, the Commonwealth

shall be divided into 193 representative districts, which shall

be composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal

in population as practicable.

(2)  Beginning with the legislative session that commences

the first Tuesday of January 2023, the Commonwealth shall be

divided into 183 representative districts, which shall be

composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in

population as practicable.

(3)  Beginning with the legislative session that commences

the first Tuesday of January 2033, the Commonwealth shall be

divided into 173 representative districts, which shall be

composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in

population as practicable.

(4)  Beginning with the legislative session that commences

the first Tuesday of January 2043, the Commonwealth shall be

divided into 163 representative districts, which shall be

composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in

population as practicable.

(5)  Beginning with the legislative session that commences

the first Tuesday of January 2053, the Commonwealth shall be

divided into 153 representative districts, which shall be

composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in

population as practicable.

(c)  (1)  Beginning with the legislative session that

commences the first Tuesday of 2013, the Commonwealth shall be

divided into 49 senatorial districts, which shall be composed of

compact and contiguous territory as practicable.

(2)  Beginning with the legislative session that commences

the first Tuesday of 2023, the Commonwealth shall be divided

into 47 senatorial districts, which shall be composed of compact

and contiguous territory as practicable.

(3)  Beginning with the legislative session that commences

the first Tuesday of 2033, the Commonwealth shall be divided

into 45 senatorial districts, which shall be composed of compact

and contiguous territory as practicable.

(d)  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.

Section 2.  (a)  At the 2014 elections to conform to the

amendment under section 1(1) of this Joint Resolution, as it

relates to the amendment of section 3 of Article II, and

quadrennially thereafter, Representatives shall be chosen to

serve for four years in all representative districts.

(b)  The Representatives now in office shall continue in such

office and shall respectively represent the representative

districts, as apportioned prior to the effective date of the

amendment under section 1(1) of this Joint Resolution, in which

they reside until the expiration of the terms for which they

were elected.

Section 3.  (a)  The first elections after reapportionment of

the Commonwealth under section 17 of Article II of the

Constitution of Pennsylvania to conform to the amendment under

section 1(2) of this Joint Resolution, as it relates to the

addition of section 16(b)(1) and (c)(1) of Article II, shall be

held in the year 2012.

(b)  The first elections after reapportionment of the

Commonwealth under section 17 of Article II of the Constitution

of Pennsylvania to conform to the amendment under section 1(2)

of this Joint Resolution, as it relates to the addition of

section 16(b)(2) and (c)(2) of Article II, shall be held in the

year 2022.

(c)  The first elections after reapportionment of the

Commonwealth under section 17 of Article II of the Constitution

of Pennsylvania to conform to the amendment under section 1(2)

of this Joint Resolution, as it relates to the addition of

section 16(b)(3) and (c)(3) of Article II, shall be held in the

year 2032.

(d)  The first elections after reapportionment of the

Commonwealth under section 17 of Article II of the Constitution

of Pennsylvania to conform to the amendment under section 1(2)

of this Joint Resolution, as it relates to the addition of

section 16(b)(4) of Article II, shall be held in the year 2042.

(e)  The first elections after reapportionment of the

Commonwealth under section 17 of Article II of the Constitution

of Pennsylvania to conform to the amendment under section 1(2)

of this Joint Resolution, as it relates to the addition of

section 16(b)(5) of Article II, shall be held in the year 2052.

Section 4.  (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 amendment

under section 1(1) of this Joint Resolution to the qualified

electors of this Commonwealth as a separate ballot question and

the constitutional amendment under section 1(2) of this Joint

Resolution as a separate ballot question 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.