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                                                      PRINTER'S NO. 1379

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 1128 Session of 2007


        INTRODUCED BY BENNINGHOFF, BAKER, CLYMER, COHEN, COX, ELLIS,
           EVERETT, FAIRCHILD, FLECK, GABIG, GRELL, HERSHEY, HUTCHINSON,
           KORTZ, McILHATTAN, MUSTIO, NAILOR, PEIFER, PETRONE, PICKETT,
           REED, ROAE, ROHRER, SONNEY, STERN, SURRA AND VULAKOVICH,
           APRIL 23, 2007

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, APRIL 23, 2007

                                     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," further providing for explanation of ballot
    12     question.

    13     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    14  hereby enacts as follows:
    15     Section 1.  Section 201.1 of the act of June 3, 1937
    16  (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code,
    17  added February 19, 1986 (P.L.29, No.11), is amended to read:
    18     Section 201.1.  Explanation of Ballot Question.--(a)
    19  Whenever a proposed constitutional amendment or other State-wide
    20  ballot question shall be submitted to the electors of the
    21  Commonwealth in referendum, the Attorney General shall prepare a


     1  statement in plain English which indicates the purpose,
     2  limitations and effects of the ballot question on the people of
     3  the Commonwealth. The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall
     4  include such statement in his publication of a proposed
     5  constitutional amendment as required by Article XI of the
     6  Constitution of Pennsylvania. The Secretary of the Commonwealth
     7  shall certify such statement to the county boards of elections
     8  who shall publish such statement as a part of the notice of
     9  elections required by section 1201 or any other provision of
    10  this act. The county board of elections shall also require that
    11  at least three copies of such statement be posted in or about
    12  the voting room outside the enclosed space with the specimen
    13  ballots and other instructions and notices of penalties. In
    14  election questions which affect only one county or portion
    15  thereof, the county board of elections shall fulfill these
    16  requirements in the place of the Attorney General and the
    17  Secretary of the Commonwealth.
    18     (b)  In addition to the requirements of subsection (a), all
    19  ballot referendum questions allowing the Commonwealth to enter
    20  into any bond or borrowing measure shall include in the
    21  explanation of the ballot question a fiscal note generated by
    22  the Treasury Department stating all of the following:
    23     (1)  A detailed description of the project being funded by
    24  the bond or borrowing measure.
    25     (2)  The total costs for the actual project and any
    26  anticipated future costs for financing the bond or borrowing
    27  measure.
    28     Section 2.  The amendment of section 201.1 of the act shall
    29  apply to elections occurring 60 days from the effective date of
    30  this section.
    20070H1128B1379                  - 2 -     

     1     Section 3.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.




















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