THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY GIBBONS, AUMENT, CUTLER, DEASY, EVERETT, GRELL, GROVE, HORNAMAN, KIRKLAND, READSHAW, ROAE 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, further providing for terms of

members and for the Legislative Reapportionment Commission.

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 3 of Article II be amended to read:

§ 3.  Terms of members.

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

Representatives for the term of two years.]

(a)  Senators shall be elected for the term of six years. No

person shall hold the office of Senator for a period of longer

than two successive terms of six years. Terms of Senators shall

be considered successive unless separated by a period of six or

more years. Representatives shall be elected for the term of

four years. No person shall hold the office of Representative

for a period longer than three successive terms of four years.

Terms of Representatives shall be considered successive unless

separated by a period of four or more years.

(b)  In determining the eligibility of an individual to hold

office in accordance with subsection (a):

(1)  Time spent in office in fulfillment of a term to which

another person was first elected shall not be considered,

provided that a period of at least six years for Senators and at

least four years for Representatives passed between the time, if

any, the individual previously held that office and the time the

individual is elected to fulfill the unexpired term.

(2)  A person who is elected to office in a regularly

scheduled general election and resigns prior to the completion

of the term for which the person was elected shall be considered

to have served the full term in that office.

(c)  Senators in even-numbered districts elected at the

general election in 2012 shall serve a six-year term. Senators

in odd-numbered districts elected at the general election in

2012 shall serve a six-year term. Senators now elected and those

whose terms are unexpired shall represent the districts in which

they reside until the end of the terms for which they were

elected.

(d)  Representatives in odd-numbered districts elected at the

general election in 2012 shall serve a four-year term, and

Representatives in even-numbered districts elected at the

general election in 2012 shall serve a two-year term.

Representatives in even-numbered districts elected at the

general election in 2014 shall serve a four-year term.

(2)  That section 17(f) of Article II be amended to read:

§ 17.  Legislative Reapportionment Commission.

* * *

(f)  Any district which does not include the residence from

which a member of the Senate or House of Representatives was

elected whether or not scheduled for election at the next

general election shall elect a Senator or Representative at such

election.

* * *

Section 2.  The provisions of this resolution apply only to

terms served by members of the General Assembly after the first

election cycle following the ratification of this constitutional

amendment and thereafter.

Section 3.  (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.