PRIOR PASSAGE - NONE
PRINTER'S NO. 2816
No. 2039 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY HABAY, CALTAGIRONE, DeLUCA, DIVEN, FAIRCHILD,
GODSHALL, HARRIS, HENNESSEY, LEVDANSKY, MARKOSEK, S. MILLER,
READSHAW, REED, RUBLEY, SANTONI, SCHRODER, R. STEVENSON,
TIGUE, TURZAI, WANSACZ, WILT AND WOJNAROSKI, OCTOBER 17, 2005
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, OCTOBER 17, 2005
A JOINT RESOLUTION
1 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth
2 of Pennsylvania, reducing the size of the General Assembly.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby resolves as follows:
5 Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of
6 Pennsylvania is proposed in accordance with Article XI:
7 That section 16 of Article II be amended to read:
8 § 16. Legislative districts.
9 The Commonwealth shall be divided into [50] 36 senatorial and
10 [203] 153 representative districts, which shall be composed of
11 compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in population
12 as practicable. Each senatorial district shall elect one
13 Senator, and each representative district one Representative.
14 Unless absolutely necessary no county, city, incorporated town,
15 borough, township or ward shall be divided in forming either a
16 senatorial or representative district.
1 Section 2. (a) Upon the first passage by the General
2 Assembly of this proposed constitutional amendment, the
3 Secretary of the Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to
4 comply with the advertising requirements of section 1 of Article
5 XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the
6 required advertisements to two newspapers in every county in
7 which such newspapers are published in sufficient time after
8 passage of this proposed constitutional amendment.
9 (b) Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of this
10 proposed constitutional amendment, the Secretary of the
11 Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with the
12 advertising requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the
13 Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the required
14 advertisements to two newspapers in every county in which such
15 newspapers are published in sufficient time after passage of
16 this proposed constitutional amendment. The Secretary of the
17 Commonwealth shall submit this proposed constitutional amendment
18 to the qualified electors of this Commonwealth at the first
19 primary, general or municipal election which meets the
20 requirements of and is in conformance with section 1 of Article
21 XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and which occurs at least
22 three months after the proposed constitutional amendment is
23 passed by the General Assembly.
24 Section 3. The amendment of section 16 of Article II of the
25 Constitution of Pennsylvania shall become effective for the term
26 of service beginning on December 1, 2007.
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