THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY GIBBONS, CUTLER, EVERETT, GROVE, HORNAMAN, HUTCHINSON, KIRKLAND, MURT, M. O'BRIEN, READSHAW, STURLA AND VULAKOVICH, MARCH 3, 2011

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 3, 2011  

A JOINT RESOLUTION

Proposing integrated amendments to the Constitution of the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, providing for a unicameral

General Assembly.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby resolves as follows:

Section 1.  The following integrated amendments to the

Constitution of Pennsylvania are proposed in accordance with

Article XI:

(1)  That section 1 of Article II be amended to read:

§ 1.  Legislative power.

The legislative power of this Commonwealth shall be vested in

a General Assembly[, which shall consist of a Senate and a House

of Representatives].

(2)  That section 2 of Article II be amended to read:

§ 2.  Election of members; vacancies.

Members of the General Assembly shall be chosen at the

general election every second year. Their term of service shall

begin on the first day of December next after their election.

Whenever a vacancy shall occur [in either House], the presiding

officer [thereof] shall issue a writ of election to fill such

vacancy for the remainder of the term.

(3)  That section 3 of Article II be amended to read:

§ 3.  Terms of members.

[Senators] (a)  Except as provided in subsection (b), members 

shall be elected for the term of four years [and Representatives

for the term of two years].

(b)  At the first general election after the adoption of the

amendment adding this subsection, members from odd-numbered

districts shall be elected for a term of two years, and members

from even-numbered districts shall be elected for a term of four

years.

(4)  That section 4 of Article II be amended to read:

§ 4.  Sessions.

The General Assembly shall be a continuing body during the

term for which its [Representatives] members are elected. It

shall meet at 12 o'clock noon on the first Tuesday of January

each year. Special sessions shall be called by the Governor on

petition of a majority of the members [elected to each House] or

may be called by the Governor whenever in his opinion the public

interest requires.

(5)  That section 5 of Article II be amended to read:

§ 5.  Qualifications of members.

[Senators] Members of the General Assembly shall be at least

25 years of age [and Representatives 21 years of age]. They

shall have been citizens and inhabitants of the State four

years, and inhabitants of their respective districts one year

next before their election (unless absent on the public business

of the United States or of this State), and shall reside in

their respective districts during their terms of service.

(6)  That section 6 of Article II be amended to read:

§ 6.  Disqualification to hold other office.

No [Senator or Representative] member of the General Assembly 

shall, during the time for which he was elected, be appointed to

any civil office under this Commonwealth to which a salary, fee

or perquisite is attached. No member of Congress or other person

holding any office (except of attorney-at-law or in the National

Guard or in a reserve component of the armed forces of the

United States) under the United States or this Commonwealth to

which a salary, fee or perquisite is attached shall be a member

of [either House] the General Assembly during his continuance in

office.

(7)  That section 8 of Article II be amended to read:

§ 8.  Compensation.

The members of the General Assembly shall receive such salary

and mileage for regular and special sessions as shall be fixed

by law, and no other compensation whatever, whether for service

upon committee or otherwise. No member of [either House] the

General Assembly shall during the term for which he may have

been elected, receive any increase of salary, or mileage, under

any law passed during such term.

(8)  That section 9 of Article II be amended to read:

§ 9.  Election of officers; judge of election and qualifications

of members.

[The Senate shall, at the beginning and close of each regular

session and at such other times as may be necessary, elect one

of its members President pro tempore, who shall perform the

duties of the Lieutenant Governor, in any case of absence or

disability of that officer, and whenever the said office of

Lieutenant Governor shall be vacant. The House of

Representatives] The General Assembly shall elect one of its

members as Speaker. [Each House] It shall choose its other

officers, and shall judge of the election and qualifications of

its members.

(9)  That section 10 of Article II be amended to read:

§ 10.  Quorum.

A majority of [each House] the General Assembly shall

constitute a quorum, but a smaller number may adjourn from day

to day and compel the attendance of absent members.

(10)  That section 11 of Article II be amended to read:

§ 11.  Powers of [each house] the General Assembly; expulsion.

[Each House] The General Assembly shall have power to

determine the rules of its proceedings and punish its members or

other persons for contempt or disorderly behavior in its

presence, to enforce obedience to its process, to protect its

members against violence or offers of bribes or private

solicitation, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, to expel

a member, but not a second time for the same cause, and shall

have all other powers necessary for the Legislature of a free

State. A member expelled for corruption shall not thereafter be

eligible to [either House] the General Assembly, and punishment

for contempt or disorderly behavior shall not bar an indictment

for the same offense.

(11)  That section 12 of Article II be amended to read:

§ 12.  Journals; yeas and nays.

[Each House] The General Assembly shall keep a journal of its

proceedings and from time to time publish the same, except such

parts as require secrecy, and the yeas and nays of the members

on any question shall, at the desire of any two of them, be

entered on the journal.

(12)  That section 13 of Article II be amended to read:

§ 13.  Open sessions.

The sessions of [each House] the General Assembly and of

committees of the whole shall be open, unless when the business

is such as ought to be kept secret.

(13)  That section 14 of Article II be repealed:

[§ 14.  Adjournments.

Neither House shall, without the consent of the other,

adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than

that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.]

(14)  That section 15 of Article II be amended to read:

§ 15.  Privileges of members.

The members of the General Assembly shall in all cases,

except treason, felony, violation of their oath of office, and

breach or surety of the peace, be privileged from arrest during

their attendance at the sessions of [their respective Houses]

the General Assembly and in going to and returning from the

same; and for any speech or debate in [either House] the General

Assembly, they shall not be questioned in any other place.

(15)  That section 16 of Article II be amended to read:

§ 16.  Legislative districts.

The Commonwealth shall be divided into [50 senatorial and 203

representative] 201 legislative districts, which shall be

composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in

population as practicable. Each [senatorial] legislative 

district shall elect one [Senator, and each representative

district one Representative] member of the General Assembly.

Unless absolutely necessary no county, city, incorporated town,

borough, township or ward shall be divided in forming [either a

senatorial or representative] a legislative district.

(16)  That section 17(b) of Article II be amended to read:

§ 17.  Legislative Reapportionment Commission.

* * *

(b)  The commission shall consist of [five] three members:

[four] two of whom shall be the majority and minority leaders of

[both the Senate and the House of Representatives] the General

Assembly, or deputies appointed by each of them, and a chairman

selected as hereinafter provided. No later than 60 days

following the official reporting of the Federal decennial census

as required by Federal law, the [four] two members shall be

certified by the [President pro tempore of the Senate and the

Speaker of the House of Representatives] Speaker of the General

Assembly to the elections officer of the Commonwealth who under

law shall have supervision over elections.

The [four] two members within 45 days after their

certification shall select the [fifth] third member, who shall

serve as chairman of the commission, and shall immediately

certify his name to such elections officer. The chairman shall

be a citizen of the Commonwealth other than a local, State or

Federal official holding an office to which compensation is

attached.

If the [four] two members fail to select the [fifth] third 

member within the time prescribed, a majority of the entire

membership of the Supreme Court within 30 days thereafter shall

appoint the chairman as aforesaid and certify his appointment to

such elections officer.

Any vacancy in the commission shall be filled within 15 days

in the same manner in which such position was originally filled.

* * *

(17)  That section 1 of Article III be amended to read:

§ 1.  Passage of laws.

No law shall be passed except by bill, and no bill shall be

so altered or amended, on its passage through [either House] the

General Assembly, as to change its original purpose.

(18)  That section 4 of Article III be amended to read:

§ 4.  Consideration of bills.

Every bill shall be considered on three different days [in

each House]. All amendments made thereto shall be printed for

the use of the members before the final vote is taken on the

bill and before the final vote is taken, upon written request

addressed to the presiding officer of [either House] the General

Assembly by at least 25% of the members elected to [that House]

the General Assembly, any bill shall be read at length [in that

House]. No bill shall become a law, unless on its final passage

the vote is taken by yeas and nays, the names of the persons

voting for and against it are entered on the journal, and a

majority of the members elected to [each House] the General

Assembly is recorded thereon as voting in its favor.

(19)  That section 5 of Article III be repealed:

[§ 5.  Concurring in amendments; conference committee reports.

No amendment to bills by one House shall be concurred in by

the other, except by the vote of a majority of the members

elected thereto, taken by yeas and nays, and the names of those

voting for and against recorded upon the journal thereof; and

reports of committees of conference shall be adopted in either

House only by the vote of a majority of the members elected

thereto, taken by yeas and nays, and the names of those voting

recorded upon the journals.]

(20)  That section 8 of Article III be amended to read:

§ 8.  Signing of bills.

The presiding officer of [each House] the General Assembly 

shall, in the presence of the [House over which he presides]

General Assembly, sign all bills and joint resolutions passed by

the General Assembly, after their titles have been publicly read

immediately before signing; and the fact of signing shall be

entered on the journal.

(21)  That section 9 of Article III be amended to read:

§ 9.  Action on concurrent orders and resolutions.

Every order, resolution or vote, [to which the concurrence of

both Houses may be necessary,] except on the question of

adjournment, shall be presented to the Governor and before it

shall take effect be approved by him, or being disapproved,

shall be repassed by two-thirds of [both Houses] the General

Assembly according to the rules and limitations prescribed in

case of a bill.

(22)  That section 10 of Article III be repealed:

[§ 10.  Revenue bills.

All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of

Representatives, but the Senate may propose amendments as in

other bills.]

(23)  That section 13 of Article III be amended to read:

§ 13.  Vote denied members with personal interest.

A member who has a personal or private interest in any

measure or bill proposed or pending before the General Assembly

shall disclose the fact to the [House of which he is a member]

General Assembly, and shall not vote thereon.

(24)  That section 17 of Article III be amended to read:

§ 17.  Appointment of legislative officers and employees.

The General Assembly shall prescribe by law the number,

duties and compensation of the officers and employees [of each

House], and no payment shall be made from the State Treasury, or

be in any way authorized, to any person, except to an acting

officer or employee elected or appointed in pursuance of law.

(25)  That section 30 of Article III be amended to read:

§ 30.  Charitable and educational appropriations.

No appropriation shall be made to any charitable or

educational institution not under the absolute control of the

Commonwealth, other than normal schools established by law for

the professional training of teachers for the public schools of

the State, except by a vote of two-thirds of all the members

elected to [each House] the General Assembly.

(26)  That section 2 of Article IV be amended to read:

§ 2.  Duties of Governor; election procedure; tie or contest.

The supreme executive power shall be vested in the Governor,

who shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed; he

shall be chosen on the day of the general election, by the

qualified electors of the Commonwealth, at the places where they

shall vote for Representatives. The returns of every election

for Governor shall be sealed up and transmitted to the seat of

government, directed to the [President of the Senate] Speaker of

the General Assembly, who shall open and publish them in the

presence of the members [of both Houses] of the General

Assembly. The person having the highest number of votes shall be

Governor, but if two or more be equal and highest in votes, one

of them shall be chosen Governor by the [joint] vote of the

members of [both Houses] the General Assembly. Contested

elections shall be determined by a committee, to be selected

from [both Houses of] the General Assembly, and formed and

regulated in such manner as shall be directed by law.

(27)  That section 4 of Article IV be amended to read:

§ 4.  Lieutenant Governor.

A Lieutenant Governor shall be chosen jointly with the

Governor by the casting by each voter of a single vote

applicable to both offices, for the same term, and subject to

the same provisions as the Governor[; he shall be President of

the Senate. As such, he may vote in case of a tie on any

question except the final passage of a bill or joint resolution,

the adoption of a conference report or the concurrence in

amendments made by the House of Representatives].

(28)  That section 8 of Article IV be amended to read:

§ 8.  Appointing power.

(a)  The Governor shall appoint a Secretary of Education and

such other officers as he shall be authorized by law to appoint.

The appointment of the Secretary of Education and of such other

officers as may be specified by law, shall be subject to the

consent of two-thirds or a majority of the members elected to

the [Senate] General Assembly as is specified by law.

(b)  The Governor shall fill vacancies in offices to which he

appoints by nominating to the [Senate] General Assembly a proper

person to fill the vacancy within 90 days of the first day of

the vacancy and not thereafter. The [Senate] General Assembly 

shall act on each executive nomination within 25 legislative

days of its submission. If the [Senate] General Assembly has not

voted upon a nomination within 15 legislative days following

such submission, any [five] 25 members of the [Senate] General

Assembly may, in writing, request the presiding officer of the

[Senate] General Assembly to place the nomination before the

entire [Senate] General Assembly body whereby the nomination

must be voted upon prior to the expiration of five legislative

days or 25 legislative days following submission by the

Governor, whichever occurs first. If the nomination is made

during a recess or after adjournment sine die, the [Senate]

General Assembly shall act upon it within 25 legislative days

after its return or reconvening. If the [Senate] General

Assembly for any reason fails to act upon a nomination submitted

to it within the required 25 legislative days, the nominee shall

take office as if the appointment had been consented to by the

[Senate] General Assembly. The Governor shall in a similar

manner fill vacancies in the offices of Lieutenant Governor, 

Auditor General, State Treasurer, justice, judge, justice of the

peace and in any other elective office he is authorized to fill.

In the case of a vacancy in an elective office, a person shall

be elected to the office on the next election day appropriate to

the office unless the first day of the vacancy is within two

calendar months immediately preceding the election day in which

case the election shall be held on the second succeeding

election day appropriate to the office.

(c)  In acting on executive nominations, the [Senate] General

Assembly shall sit with open doors. The votes shall be taken by

yeas and nays and shall be entered on the journal.

(29)  That section 9 of Article IV be amended to read:

§ 9.  Pardoning power; Board of Pardons.

(a)  In all criminal cases except impeachment the Governor

shall have power to remit fines and forfeitures, to grant

reprieves, commutation of sentences and pardons; but no pardon

shall be granted, nor sentence commuted, except on the

recommendation in writing of a majority of the Board of Pardons,

and, in the case of a sentence of death or life imprisonment, on

the unanimous recommendation in writing of the Board of Pardons,

after full hearing in open session, upon due public notice. The

recommendation, with the reasons therefor at length, shall be

delivered to the Governor and a copy thereof shall be kept on

file in the office of the Lieutenant Governor in a docket kept

for that purpose.

(b)  The Board of Pardons shall consist of the Lieutenant

Governor who shall be chairman, the Attorney General and three

members appointed by the Governor with the consent of a majority

of the members elected to the [Senate] General Assembly for

terms of six years. The three members appointed by the Governor

shall be residents of Pennsylvania. One shall be a crime victim, 

one a corrections expert and the third a doctor of medicine,

psychiatrist or psychologist. The board shall keep records of

its actions, which shall at all times be open for public

inspection.

(30)  That section 12 of Article IV be amended to read:

§ 12.  Power to convene and adjourn the General Assembly.

He may, on extraordinary occasions, convene the General

Assembly[, and in case of disagreement between the two Houses,

with respect to the time of adjournment, adjourn them to such

time as he shall think proper, not exceeding four months]. He

shall have power to convene the [Senate] General Assembly in

extraordinary session by proclamation for the transaction of

Executive business.

(31)  That section 14 of Article IV be amended to read:

§ 14.  Vacancy in office of Lieutenant Governor.

In case of the death, conviction on impeachment, failure to

qualify or resignation of the Lieutenant Governor[, or in case

he should become Governor under section 13 of this article, the

President pro tempore of the Senate shall become Lieutenant

Governor for the remainder of the term] , the Governor shall

appoint, in accordance with section 8 of this article, a

Lieutenant Governor. The appointment shall be subject to the

consent of a majority of the members elected to the General

Assembly. The appointee, upon approval, shall serve for the

remainder of the term. In case of the disability of the

Lieutenant Governor, the powers, duties and emoluments of the

office shall devolve upon the [President pro tempore of the

Senate] Speaker of the General Assembly until the disability is

removed. Should there be no Lieutenant Governor, the [President

pro tempore of the Senate] Speaker of the General Assembly shall

become Governor if a vacancy shall occur in the office of

Governor and in case of the disability of the Governor, the

powers, duties and emoluments of the office shall devolve upon

the [President pro tempore of the Senate] Speaker of the General

Assembly until the disability is removed. His seat as [Senator]

member of the General Assembly shall become vacant whenever he

shall become Governor and shall be filled by election as any

other vacancy in the [Senate] General Assembly.

(32)  That section 15 of Article IV be amended to read:

§ 15.  Approval of bills; vetoes.

Every bill which shall have passed [both Houses] the General

Assembly shall be presented to the Governor; if he approves he

shall sign it, but if he shall not approve he shall return it

with his objections to the [House in which it shall have

originated] General Assembly, which [House] shall enter the

objections at large upon their journal, and proceed to re-

consider it. If after such re-consideration, two-thirds of all

the members elected to [that House] the General Assembly shall

agree to pass the bill, [it shall be sent with the objections to

the other House by which likewise it shall be re-considered, and

if approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to that

House] it shall be a law; but in such cases the votes of [both

Houses] the General Assembly shall be determined by yeas and

nays, and the names of the members voting for and against the

bill shall be entered on the [journals of each House,

respectively] journal. If any bill shall not be returned by the

Governor within ten days after it shall have been presented to

him, the same shall be a law in like manner as if he had signed

it, unless the General Assembly, by their adjournment, prevent

its return, in which case it shall be a law, unless he shall

file the same, with his objections, in the office of the

Secretary of the Commonwealth, and give notice thereof by public

proclamation within 30 days after such adjournment.

(33)  That section 13(b) and (d) of Article V be amended to

read:

§ 13.  Election of justices, judges and justices of the peace;

vacancies.

* * *

(b)  A vacancy in the office of justice, judge or justice of

the peace shall be filled by appointment by the Governor. The

appointment shall be with the advice and consent of two-thirds

of the members elected to the [Senate] General Assembly, except

in the case of justices of the peace which shall be by a

majority. The person so appointed shall serve for a term ending

on the first Monday of January following the next municipal

election more than ten months after the vacancy occurs or for

the remainder of the unexpired term whichever is less, except in

the case of persons selected as additional judges to the

Superior Court, where the General Assembly may stagger and fix

the length of the initial terms of such additional judges by

reference to any of the first, second and third municipal

elections more than ten months after the additional judges are

selected. The manner by which any additional judges are selected

shall be provided by this section for the filling of vacancies

in judicial offices.

* * *

(d)  At the primary election in 1969, the electors of the

Commonwealth may elect to have the justices and judges of the

Supreme, Superior, Commonwealth and all other statewide courts

appointed by the Governor from a list of persons qualified for

the offices submitted to him by the Judicial Qualifications

Commission. If a majority vote of those voting on the question

is in favor of this method of appointment, then whenever any

vacancy occurs thereafter for any reason in such court, the

Governor shall fill the vacancy by appointment in the manner

prescribed in this subsection. Such appointment shall not

require the consent of the [Senate] General Assembly.

* * *

(34)  That section 3 of Article VI be amended to read:

§ 3.  Oath of office.

[Senators, Representatives] Members of the General Assembly

and all judicial, State and county officers shall, before

entering on the duties of their respective offices, take and

subscribe the following oath or affirmation before a person

authorized to administer oaths.

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support, obey

and defend the Constitution of the United States and the

Constitution of this Commonwealth and that I will discharge the

duties of my office with fidelity."

[The oath or affirmation shall be administered to a member of

the Senate or to a member of the House of Representatives in the

hall of the House to which he shall have been elected.]

Any person refusing to take the oath or affirmation shall

forfeit his office.

(35)  That section 4 of Article VI be amended to read:

§ 4.  Power of impeachment.

[The House of Representatives shall have the sole power of

impeachment.] The General Assembly shall have the sole power of

impeachment. A majority of the members elected to the General

Assembly must concur in the impeachment. Proceeding for

impeachment may be initiated in either a regular session or a

special session of the General Assembly.

(36)  That section 5 of Article VI be amended to read:

§ 5.  Trial of impeachments.

[All impeachments shall be tried by the Senate. When sitting

for that purpose the Senators shall be upon oath or affirmation.

No person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-

thirds of the members present.] Upon the adoption of a

resolution of impeachment, which resolution shall give

reasonable notice of the acts or omissions alleged to constitute

impeachable offenses but need not conform to any particular

style, a notice of an impeachment of any officer, other than a

justice of the Supreme Court, shall be forthwith served upon the

Chief Justice, by the Clerk of the General Assembly, who shall

thereupon call a session of the Supreme Court to meet at the

Capitol in an expeditious fashion after such notice to try the

impeachment. A notice of an impeachment of the Chief Justice or

any justice of the Supreme Court shall be served by the Clerk of

the General Assembly, upon the President Judge of the Superior

Court, and he or she thereupon shall choose, at random, seven

judges of the Superior Court to meet within 30 days at the

Capitol, to sit as a court to try such impeachment, which court

shall organize by electing one of its number to preside. The

case against the impeached civil officer shall be brought in the

name of the General Assembly and shall be managed by two members

of the General Assembly, appointed by the General Assembly, who

may make technical or procedural amendments to the articles of

impeachment as they deem necessary. The trial shall be conducted

in the manner of a civil proceeding and the impeached civil

officer shall not be allowed to invoke a privilege against self-

incrimination, except as otherwise applicable in a general civil

case. No person shall be convicted without the concurrence of

two-thirds of the members of the court of impeachment that clear

and convincing evidence exists indicating that such person is

guilty of one or more impeachable offenses. No officer shall

exercise his or her official duties after he or she shall have

been impeached and notified thereof, until he or she shall have

been acquitted.

(37)  That section 7 of Article VI be amended to read:

§ 7.  Removal of civil officers.

All civil officers shall hold their offices on the condition

that they behave themselves well while in office, and shall be

removed on conviction of misbehavior in office or of any

infamous crime. Appointed civil officers, other than judges of

the courts of record, may be removed at the pleasure of the

power by which they shall have been appointed. All civil

officers elected by the people, except the Governor, the

Lieutenant Governor, members of the General Assembly and judges

of the courts of record, shall be removed by the Governor for

reasonable cause, after due notice and full hearing, on the

address of two-thirds of the [Senate] General Assembly.

(38)  That section 2 of Article VII be amended to read:

§ 2.  General election day.

The general election shall be held biennially on the Tuesday

next following the first Monday of November in each even-

numbered year, but the General Assembly may by law fix a

different day, two-thirds of all the members [of each House]

consenting thereto: Provided, That such election shall always be

held in an even-numbered year.

(39)  That section 3 of Article VII be amended to read:

§ 3.  Municipal election day; offices to be filled on election 

days.

All judges elected by the electors of the State at large may

be elected at either a general or municipal election, as

circumstances may require. All elections for judges of the

courts for the several judicial districts, and for county, city,

ward, borough, and township officers, for regular terms of

service, shall be held on the municipal election day; namely,

the Tuesday next following the first Monday of November in each

odd-numbered year, but the General Assembly may by law fix a

different day, two-thirds of all the members [of each House]

consenting thereto: Provided, That such elections shall be held

in an odd-numbered year: Provided further, That all judges for

the courts of the several judicial districts holding office at

the present time, whose terms of office may end in an odd-

numbered year, shall continue to hold their offices until the

first Monday of January in the next succeeding even-numbered

year.

(40)  That section 17(b) of Article VIII be amended to read:

§ 17.  Special emergency legislation.

* * *

(b)  Notwithstanding the provisions of Article III, section

29 subsequent to a Presidential declaration of an emergency or

of a major disaster in any part of this Commonwealth, the

General Assembly shall have the authority by a vote of two-

thirds of all members [elected to each House] to make

appropriations limited to moneys required for Federal emergency

or major disaster relief. This subsection may apply

retroactively to any Presidential declaration of an emergency or

of a major disaster in 1976 or 1977.

(41)  That section 1 of Article XI be amended to read:

§ 1.  Proposal of amendments by the General Assembly and their

adoption.

Amendments to this Constitution may be proposed in the

[Senate or House of Representatives] General Assembly; and if

the same shall be agreed to by a majority of the members elected

[to each House], such proposed amendment or amendments shall be

entered on their journals with the yeas and nays taken thereon,

and the Secretary of the Commonwealth shall cause the same to be

published three months before the next general election, in at

least two newspapers in every county in which such newspapers

shall be published; and if, in the General Assembly next

afterwards chosen, such proposed amendment or amendments shall

be agreed to by a majority of the members elected [to each

House], the Secretary of the Commonwealth shall cause the same

again to be published in the manner aforesaid; and such proposed

amendment or amendments shall be submitted to the qualified

electors of the State in such manner, and at such time at least

three months after being so agreed to by the [two Houses]

General Assembly, as the General Assembly shall prescribe; and,

if such amendment or amendments shall be approved by a majority

of those voting thereon, such amendment or amendments shall

become a part of the Constitution; but no amendment or

amendments shall be submitted oftener than once in five years.

When two or more amendments shall be submitted they shall be

voted upon separately.

(a)  In the event a major emergency threatens or is about to

threaten the Commonwealth and if the safety or welfare of the

Commonwealth requires prompt amendment of this Constitution,

such amendments to this Constitution may be proposed in the

[Senate or House of Representatives] General Assembly at any

regular or special session of the General Assembly, and if

agreed to by at least two-thirds of the members elected [to each

House], a proposed amendment shall be entered on the journal of

[each House] the General Assembly with the yeas and nays taken

thereon and the official in charge of statewide elections shall

promptly publish such proposed amendment in at least two

newspapers in every county in which such newspapers are

published. Such amendment shall then be submitted to the

qualified electors of the Commonwealth in such manner, and at

such time, at least one month after being agreed to by [both

Houses] the General Assembly as the General Assembly prescribes.

(b)  If an emergency amendment is approved by a majority of

the qualified electors voting thereon, it shall become part of

this Constitution. When two or more emergency amendments are

submitted they shall be voted on separately.

Section 2.  (a)  Upon the first passage by the General

Assembly of these proposed constitutional amendments, the

Secretary of the Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to

comply with the advertising requirements of section 1 of Article

XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the

required advertisements to two newspapers in every county in

which such newspapers are published in sufficient time after

passage of these proposed constitutional amendments.

(b)  Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of these

proposed constitutional amendments, the Secretary of the

Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with the

advertising requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the

Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the required

advertisements to two newspapers in every county in which such

newspapers are published in sufficient time after passage of

these proposed constitutional amendments. The Secretary of the

Commonwealth shall submit the proposed constitutional amendments

under section 1 to the qualified electors of this Commonwealth

as a single ballot question at the first primary, general or

municipal election which meets the requirements of and is in

conformance with section 1 of Article XI of the Constitution of

Pennsylvania and which occurs at least three months after the

proposed constitutional amendments are passed by the General

Assembly.