PRINTER'S NO. 405
No. 371 Session of 1977
INTRODUCED BY MRKONIC, FLAHERTY, WARGO, COHEN, M. P. MULLEN,
RAVENSTAHL, DeMEDIO, DUFFY, KERNICK, GAMBLE, ABRAHAM,
FINEMAN, KUSSE, MUSTO, KELLY, LOGUE, SCHMITT, VALICENTI,
NOVAK, KOLTER, PRENDERGAST, OLIVER AND CIANCIULLI,
MARCH 1, 1977
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS AND COMMERCE, MARCH 1, 1977
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of May 5, 1933 (P.L.364, No.106), entitled, as
2 amended, "An act relating to corporations; defining and
3 providing for the organization, merger, consolidation,
4 reorganization, winding up and dissolution of certain
5 corporations for profit; conferring certain rights, powers,
6 duties and immunities upon them and their officers and
7 shareholders; prescribing the conditions on which such
8 corporations may exercise their powers; providing for the
9 inclusion of certain existing corporations and associations
10 within the provisions of this act; prescribing the terms and
11 conditions upon which certain foreign corporations may be
12 admitted, or may continue, to do business within the
13 Commonwealth; conferring powers and imposing duties on the
14 courts of common pleas, and certain State departments,
15 commissions, and officers; authorizing certain State
16 departments, boards, commissions, or officers to collect fees
17 for services required to be rendered by this act; imposing
18 penalties; and repealing certain acts and parts of acts
19 relating to corporations and other entities," prohibiting the
20 use of blasphemous or obscene words in the corporate name.
21 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
22 hereby enacts as follows:
23 Section 1. Subsection A of section 202, act of May 5, 1933
24 (P.L.364, No.106), known as the "Business Corporation Law,"
25 amended July 20, 1968 (P.L.459, No.216), is amended to read:
1 Section 202. The Corporate Name.--A. The corporate name may
2 be in any language, but must be expressed in English letters or
3 characters, and shall contain (1) the word "corporation,"
4 "company," "incorporated," or "limited" or an abbreviation
5 thereof, except that the word "company" or the abbreviation
6 "Co." may not be used where that word or abbreviation is
7 immediately preceded by the word "and" or any symbol or
8 substitute therefor, unless one of the words "incorporated," or
9 "limited" or any abbreviation thereof, immediately follows the
10 word "company" or the abbreviation "Co." or (2) the word
11 "association," "fund" or "syndicate." The corporate name shall
12 not imply that the corporation is a governmental agency of the
13 Commonwealth or of the United States or a bank, bank and trust
14 company, savings bank, private bank or trust company, as defined
15 in the "Banking Code of 1965," or an insurance company which
16 might be incorporated under "The Insurance Company Law of 1921,"
17 or a public utility corporation furnishing electric or gas
18 service to the public, unless the corporation or proposed
19 corporation has as a corporate purpose the furnishing of service
20 subject to the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Public Utility
21 Commission or the Federal Power Commission, nor shall the
22 corporate name contain the word "college" or "university" when
23 used in such a way as to imply that it is an educational
24 institution conforming to the standards and qualifications
25 prescribed by the State Board of Education, unless there be
26 submitted a certificate from the Department of Public
27 Instruction certifying that the corporation or proposed
28 corporation is entitled to use such designation. The corporate
29 name shall not contain words that constitute blasphemy, profane
30 cursing or swearing, or that profane the Lord's name.
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2 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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