PRIOR PASSAGE - NONE
PRINTER'S NO. 1023
No. 867 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY KAUFFMAN, ARGALL, CALTAGIRONE, DALEY, DALLY,
GINGRICH, KIRKLAND, KORTZ, MARKOSEK, MOUL, NAILOR, NICKOL,
READSHAW, ROAE, SAYLOR, R. STEVENSON, SWANGER AND TURZAI,
MARCH 22, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 22, 2007
A JOINT RESOLUTION
1 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth
2 of Pennsylvania, further providing for legislative districts.
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] (a) (1) Except as otherwise provided in this
10 subsection, the Commonwealth shall be divided into 50 senatorial
11 and 203 representative districts, which shall be composed of
12 compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in population
13 as practicable.
14 (2) Beginning with the legislative session that commences
15 the first Tuesday of January 2013, the Commonwealth shall be
16 divided into 193 representative districts, which shall be
1 composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in
2 population as practicable.
3 (3) Beginning with the legislative session that commences
4 the first Tuesday of January 2023, the Commonwealth shall be
5 divided into 183 representative districts, which shall be
6 composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in
7 population as practicable.
8 (4) Beginning with the legislative session that commences
9 the first Tuesday of January 2033, the Commonwealth shall be
10 divided into 173 representative districts, which shall be
11 composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in
12 population as practicable.
13 (5) Beginning with the legislative session that commences
14 the first Tuesday of January 2043, the Commonwealth shall be
15 divided into 163 representative districts, which shall be
16 composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in
17 population as practicable.
18 (6) Beginning with the legislative session that commences
19 the first Tuesday of January 2053, the Commonwealth shall be
20 divided into 153 representative districts, which shall be
21 composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in
22 population as practicable.
23 (b) Each senatorial district shall elect one Senator, and
24 each representative district one Representative. Unless
25 absolutely necessary no county, city, incorporated town,
26 borough, township or ward shall be divided in forming either a
27 senatorial or representative district.
28 Section 2. (a) The first elections after reapportionment of
29 the Commonwealth under section 17 of Article II of the
30 Constitution of Pennsylvania to conform to the amendment under
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1 section 1 of this Joint Resolution, as it relates to the
2 addition of section 16(a)(2) of Article II, shall be held in the
3 year 2012.
4 (b) The first elections after reapportionment of the
5 Commonwealth under section 17 of Article II of the Constitution
6 of Pennsylvania to conform to the amendment under section 1 of
7 this Joint Resolution, as it relates to the addition of section
8 16(a)(3) of Article II, shall be held in the year 2022.
9 (c) The first elections after reapportionment of the
10 Commonwealth under section 17 of Article II of the Constitution
11 of Pennsylvania to conform to the amendment under section 1 of
12 this Joint Resolution, as it relates to the addition of section
13 16(a)(4) of Article II, shall be held in the year 2032.
14 (d) The first elections after reapportionment of the
15 Commonwealth under section 17 of Article II of the Constitution
16 of Pennsylvania to conform to the amendment under section 1 of
17 this Joint Resolution, as it relates to the addition of section
18 16(a)(5) of Article II, shall be held in the year 2042.
19 (e) The first elections after reapportionment of the
20 Commonwealth under section 17 of Article II of the Constitution
21 of Pennsylvania to conform to the amendment under section 1 of
22 this Joint Resolution, as it relates to the addition of section
23 16(a)(6) of Article II, shall be held in the year 2052.
24 Section 3. (a) Upon the first passage by the General
25 Assembly of this proposed constitutional amendment, the
26 Secretary of the Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to
27 comply with the advertising requirements of section 1 of Article
28 XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the
29 required advertisements to two newspapers in every county in
30 which such newspapers are published in sufficient time after
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1 passage of this proposed constitutional amendment.
2 (b) Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of this
3 proposed constitutional amendment, the Secretary of the
4 Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with the
5 advertising requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the
6 Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the required
7 advertisements to two newspapers in every county in which such
8 newspapers are published in sufficient time after passage of
9 this proposed constitutional amendment. The Secretary of the
10 Commonwealth shall submit this proposed constitutional amendment
11 to the qualified electors of this Commonwealth at the first
12 primary, general or municipal election which meets the
13 requirements of and is in conformance with section 1 of Article
14 XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and which occurs at least
15 three months after the proposed constitutional amendment is
16 passed by the General Assembly.
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