PRIOR PASSAGE - NONE
PRINTER'S NO. 1305
No. 1064 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY HART, FUMO AND COSTA, SEPTEMBER 7, 1999
REFERRED TO RULES AND EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS, SEPTEMBER 7, 1999
A JOINT RESOLUTION
1 Proposing amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of
2 Pennsylvania, further providing for Commonwealth
3 indebtedness; and providing for tax and license fee increase
4 limitations.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby resolves as follows:
7 Section 1. The following amendments to the Constitution of
8 Pennsylvania are proposed in accordance with Article XI:
9 (1) That section 7 of Article VIII be amended by adding a
10 subsection to read:
11 § 7. Commonwealth indebtedness.
12 * * *
13 (e) To make up for insufficient revenues, the General
14 Assembly may, where necessary, increase the rate of taxes and
15 fees without regard to section 18 of this article after the
16 failure to pay, when due, the principal and interest on the
17 debt.
18 (2) That Article VIII be amended by adding a section to
1 read:
2 § 18. Tax and license fee limitations.
3 No new tax other than license fees and user taxes may be
4 levied and the effective rate of a tax or license fee may not be
5 increased except pursuant to an act of the General Assembly
6 adopted with the concurrence of three-fifths of all members of
7 each House.
8 Section 2. That no inconvenience may arise from the addition
9 of section 18 to Article VIII of the Constitution of
10 Pennsylvania, it is hereby declared that this amendment shall
11 not apply to any tax or license fee or increase of a tax or
12 license fee authorized by an act of the General Assembly but not
13 effective on the date this amendment takes effect.
14 Section 3. (a) Upon the first passage by the General
15 Assembly of these proposed constitutional amendments, the
16 Secretary of the Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to
17 comply with the advertising requirements of section 1 of Article
18 XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the
19 required advertisements to two newspapers in every county in
20 which such newspapers are published in sufficient time after
21 passage of these proposed constitutional amendments.
22 (b) Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of these
23 proposed constitutional amendments, the Secretary of the
24 Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with the
25 advertising requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the
26 Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the required
27 advertisements to two newspapers in every county in which such
28 newspapers are published in sufficient time after passage of
29 these proposed constitutional amendments. The Secretary of the
30 Commonwealth shall submit these proposed constitutional
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1 amendments to the qualified electors of this Commonwealth at the
2 first primary, general or municipal election occurring at least
3 three months after the proposed constitutional amendments are
4 passed by the General Assembly which meets the requirements of
5 and is in conformance with section 1 of Article XI of the
6 Constitution of Pennsylvania.
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