PRINTER'S NO. 1131
No. 83 Session of 1975
INTRODUCED BY M. E. MILLER, KNEPPER, KERNICK, SHANE AND
McCLATCHY, APRIL 9, 1975
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, APRIL 14, 1975
In the House of Representatives, April 9, 1975
1 WHEREAS, It is the function of the press to inform the
2 citizenry of the actions of government; and
3 WHEREAS, Governments are required by statute law to publish
4 legal notice of certain actions or impending actions; and
5 WHEREAS, The purpose of the Newspaper Advertising Act of 1929
6 is to provide information in a form readily understandable to
7 the general public; and
8 WHEREAS, Many legal advertisements are written in a
9 cumbersome legalistic style that is burdensome to the reader and
10 contains much useless verbiage so as to discourage readers; and
11 WHEREAS, Many legal advertisements fail to communicate in a
12 language that may be readily understood by a reader; therefore
13 be it
14 RESOLVED, That the Speaker of the House of Representatives
15 appoint a bipartisan seven-member committee to study methods to
16 provide a clearly understood, cogent and informative set of
17 guidelines for legal advertising in Pennsylvania; and be it
1 further
2 RESOLVED, That the committee may hold hearings, take
3 testimony, and make its investigation at such places as it deems
4 necessary within this Commonwealth. It may issue subpoenas under
5 the hand and seal of its chairman commanding any person to
6 appear before it and to answer questions touching matters
7 properly being inquired into by the committee and to produce
8 such books, papers, records and documents as the committee deems
9 necessary. Such subpoenas may be served upon any person and
10 shall have the force and effect of subpoenas issued out of the
11 courts of this Commonwealth. Any person who wilfully neglects or
12 refuses to testify before the committee or to produce any books,
13 papers, records or documents, shall be subject to the penalties
14 provided by the laws of the Commonwealth in such case. Each
15 member of the committee shall have power to administer oaths and
16 affirmations to witnesses appearing before the committee; and be
17 it further
18 RESOLVED, That within thirty calendar days after the
19 committee has made its report, the chairman of the committee
20 shall cause a record of all expenses incurred by the committee,
21 or the members thereof, which are payable at Commonwealth
22 expense, to be filed with the Speaker of the House and the
23 Speaker shall cause the same to be entered in the journal
24 thereof. No expenses incurred by the committee or any member
25 thereof shall be reimbursable by the Chief Clerk unless such
26 expense shall first have been included as an expense item in the
27 record heretofore required; and be it further
28 RESOLVED, That the committee report its findings and drafts
29 of any legislation it deems necessary to the General Assembly as
30 soon as possible.
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