PRINTER'S NO. 1379
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. C7L25MSP/20070H1128B1379 - 3 -