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PRIOR PASSAGE - J.R. 2016-1
A05646
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
153
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY KNOWLES, TURZAI, REED, METCALFE, CORBIN, WHEELAND,
FEE, DUNBAR, MENTZER, WATSON, WARD, ENGLISH, KAUFFMAN,
SIMMONS, MACKENZIE, MURT, GREINER, GODSHALL, MULLERY,
A. HARRIS, GROVE, CARROLL, CONKLIN, McGINNIS, PHILLIPS-HILL,
ROAE, TOOHIL, REESE, SACCONE, GILLESPIE, PETRI, STEPHENS,
MUSTIO, KAVULICH, FARRY, MAHER, HELM, DeLUCA AND GILLEN,
JANUARY 23, 2017
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, JANUARY 23, 2017
A JOINT RESOLUTION
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, reducing the size of the General Assembly.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby resolves as follows:
Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of
Pennsylvania is proposed in accordance with Article XI:
That section 16 of Article II be amended to read:
ยง 16. Legislative districts.
(a) The Commonwealth shall be divided into 50 senatorial and
[203] 151 representative districts as provided in subsection
(b), 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
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be divided in forming either a senatorial or representative
district.
(b) The number of representative districts shall be as
follows:
(1) Beginning with the session of the General Assembly that
meets on the first Tuesday of January 2022, there shall be 191
representative districts.
(2) Beginning with the session of the General Assembly that
meets on the first Tuesday of January 2032, there shall be 181
representative districts.
(3) Beginning with the session of the General Assembly that
meets on the first Tuesday of January 2042, there shall be 171
representative districts.
(4) Beginning with the session of the General Assembly that
meets on the first Tuesday of January 2052, there shall be 161
representative districts.
(5) Beginning with the session of the General Assembly that
meets on the first Tuesday of January 2062, there shall be 151
representative districts.
Section 2. (a) Upon the first passage by the General
Assembly of this proposed constitutional amendment, 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 this
proposed constitutional amendment, the Secretary of the
Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with the
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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.
Section 3. Upon ratification by the electors, the General
Assembly shall enact legislation to implement this
constitutional amendment so that it applies for the first time
to the first session of the General Assembly which begins after
the 2020 reapportionment.
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