PRIOR PASSAGE - NONE
PRINTER'S NO. 3260
No. 2513 Session of 1992
INTRODUCED BY SAURMAN, NICKOL, TULLI, ARMSTRONG, PERZEL, TIGUE,
D. W. SNYDER, NAHILL, ARGALL, NAILOR, NYCE, KING, CORRIGAN,
PHILLIPS, E. Z. TAYLOR, GRUPPO, ADOLPH, MERRY AND GERLACH,
MARCH 17, 1992
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 17, 1992
A JOINT RESOLUTION
1 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth
2 of Pennsylvania, further providing for the consideration of,
3 differences in, signing of, origination of and approval of
4 bills.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby resolves as follows:
7 Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of
8 Pennsylvania is proposed in accordance with Article XI:
9 That sections 4, 5, 8 and 10 of Article III and section 15 of
10 Article IV be amended to read:
11 § 4. Consideration of bills.
12 [Every] (a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b),
13 every bill shall be considered on three different days in each
14 House. All amendments made thereto shall be printed for the use
15 of the members before the final vote is taken on the bill and
16 before the final vote is taken, upon written request addressed
17 to the presiding officer of either House by at least 25% of the
1 members elected to that House, any bill shall be read at length
2 in that House. No bill shall become a law, unless on its final
3 passage the vote is taken by yeas and nays, the names of the
4 persons voting for and against it are entered on the journal,
5 and, except as provided in subsection (b), a majority of the
6 members elected to each House is recorded thereon as voting in
7 its favor.
8 (b) If two identical bills are introduced, one in each
9 House, each bill shall be considered on three different days in
10 the House in which it was introduced. All amendments made
11 thereto shall be printed for the use of the members before the
12 final vote is taken on the bill and before the final vote is
13 taken, upon written request addressed to the presiding officer
14 of either House by at least 25% of the members elected to that
15 House, any bill shall be read at length in that House. Each
16 identical bill shall become a law if on its final passage the
17 vote is taken by yeas and nays, the names of the persons voting
18 for and against it are entered on the journal and a majority of
19 the members elected to the House in which the bill was
20 introduced is recorded thereon as voting in its favor.
21 § 5. Concurring in amendments; conference committee reports.
22 (a) No amendment to bills by one House shall be concurred in
23 by the other, except by the vote of a majority of the members
24 elected thereto, taken by yeas and nays, and the names of those
25 voting for and against recorded upon the journal thereof; and
26 reports of committees of conference shall be adopted in either
27 House only by the vote of a majority of the members elected
28 thereto, taken by yeas and nays, and the names of those voting
29 recorded upon the journals.
30 (b) If two bills are introduced, one in each House, and are
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1 finally passed by their respective House of origin in
2 substantially the same form, a committee of conference shall be
3 appointed to resolve the differences between the two bills.
4 Reports of committees of conference shall be adopted in either
5 House only by the vote of a majority of the members elected
6 thereto, taken by yeas and nays, and the names of those voting
7 recorded upon the journals.
8 § 8. Signing of bills.
9 (a) The presiding officer of each House shall, in the
10 presence of the House over which he presides, sign all bills and
11 joint resolutions passed by the General Assembly, after their
12 titles have been publicly read immediately before signing; and
13 the fact of signing shall be entered on the journal.
14 (b) In the case of identical bills provided for in section
15 4(b) of this article, the presiding officer of each House shall,
16 in the presence of the House over which he presides, sign the
17 bill passed by the House over which he presides, after its title
18 has been publicly read immediately before signing; and the fact
19 of signing shall be entered on the journal.
20 § 10. Revenue bills.
21 [All] (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), all bills
22 for raising revenue shall originate in the House of
23 Representatives, but the Senate may propose amendments as in
24 other bills.
25 (b) Identical bills, provided for in section 4(b) of this
26 article, for raising revenue may originate in the House of
27 Representatives or the Senate.
28 § 15. Approval of bills; vetoes.
29 (a) Every bill which shall have passed both Houses shall be
30 presented to the Governor; if he approves he shall sign it, but
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1 if he shall not approve he shall return it with his objections
2 to the House in which it shall have originated, which House
3 shall enter the objections at large upon their journal, and
4 proceed to re-consider it. If after such re-consideration, two-
5 thirds of all the members elected to that House shall agree to
6 pass the bill, it shall be sent with the objections to the other
7 House by which likewise it shall be re-considered, and if
8 approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to that House
9 it shall be a law; but in such cases the votes of both Houses
10 shall be determined by yeas and nays, and the names of the
11 members voting for and against the bill shall be entered on the
12 journals of each House, respectively. If any bill shall not be
13 returned by the Governor within ten days after it shall have
14 been presented to him, the same shall be a law in like manner as
15 if he had signed it, unless the General Assembly, by their
16 adjournment, prevent its return, in which case it shall be a
17 law, unless he shall file the same, with his objections, in the
18 office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, and give notice
19 thereof by public proclamation within 30 days after such
20 adjournment.
21 (b) If identical bills, provided for in section 4(b) of
22 Article III, have both passed the House in which each was
23 introduced, both bills shall be presented to the Governor; if he
24 approves the bills he shall sign them and the bills shall become
25 a law. In printed form and in the Laws of Pennsylvania, the law
26 shall bear both the Senate bill number and the House bill
27 number. If the Governor does not approve the bills, he shall
28 return them, with his objections, to their respective House of
29 origin. Each House shall enter the objections at large upon its
30 journal and proceed to re-consider it. If after such re-
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1 consideration, two-thirds of all the members elected to that
2 House shall agree to pass the bill, the bills shall be a law;
3 but in such cases the votes of each House shall be determined by
4 yeas and nays, and the names of the members voting for and
5 against the bill shall be entered on the journals of each House,
6 respectively. If identical bills shall not be returned by the
7 Governor within ten days after they shall have been presented to
8 him, the same shall be a law in like manner as if he had signed
9 them, unless the General Assembly, by their adjournment, prevent
10 their return, in which case the bills shall be a law, unless he
11 shall file the bills, with his objections, in the office of the
12 Secretary of the Commonwealth, and give notice thereof by public
13 proclamation within 30 days after such adjournment.
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