PRINTER'S NO. 2505
No. 1918 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY McILHINNEY, CRAHALLA, HARPER, LEACH, MAHER, PAYNE,
REED, RUBLEY, T. STEVENSON, TIGUE AND WATSON, AUGUST 5, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, AUGUST 5, 2003
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), entitled
2 "An act concerning elections, including general, municipal,
3 special and primary elections, the nomination of candidates,
4 primary and election expenses and election contests; creating
5 and defining membership of county boards of elections;
6 imposing duties upon the Secretary of the Commonwealth,
7 courts, county boards of elections, county commissioners;
8 imposing penalties for violation of the act, and codifying,
9 revising and consolidating the laws relating thereto; and
10 repealing certain acts and parts of acts relating to
11 elections," providing for mailing expenditure restrictions.
12 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
13 hereby enacts as follows:
14 Section 1. The act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known
15 as the Pennsylvania Election Code, is amended by adding a
16 section to read:
17 Section 638. No Reimbursement or Expenditure.--(a) No
18 reimbursement or expenditure shall be made out of any public
19 funds account for any mass mailing including bulk mail rate
20 mailing made at the direction or on behalf of a political office
21 holder which is mailed or delivered to a postal facility within
22 sixty days immediately preceding any primary or election at
1 which that office holder is a candidate for public office.
2 (b) Mass mailing shall mean a newsletter or similar mailing
3 of more than fifty pieces in which the content of the matter is
4 substantially identical.
5 (c) Nothing in this section shall apply to any mailing which
6 is in direct response to inquiries or requests from persons to
7 whom matter is mailed, other public officials or which consists
8 entirely of news releases to the communications media.
9 Section 2. This act shall take effect as follows:
10 (1) The addition of section 638 of the act shall take
11 effect in 60 days.
12 (2) This section shall take effect immediately.
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