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PRIOR PASSAGE - NONE
PRINTER'S NO. 3957
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
2605
Session of
2020
INTRODUCED BY DAY, YOUNGBLOOD, ROZZI AND SAPPEY, JUNE 23, 2020
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, JUNE 23, 2020
A JOINT RESOLUTION
Proposing integrated amendments to the Constitution of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in legislature, further
providing for legislative districts and for 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 16 of Article II be amended to read:
§ 16. Legislative districts.
(a) The Commonwealth shall be divided into 50 senatorial and
203 representative districts, which shall be composed of compact
and contiguous territory as nearly equal in population as
practicable[.], with a maximum deviation from the ideal
population of 10% except that a lower deviation may be
established under section 17.
(b) Each senatorial district shall elect one Senator, and
each representative district one Representative.
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(c) Unless absolutely necessary to meet the equal population
requirement of subsection (a), no county, city, incorporated
town, borough, township or ward shall be divided in forming
either a senatorial or representative district.
(d) No election district may be divided in forming either a
senatorial or representative district.
(2) That section 17 of Article II be amended by adding a
subsection to read:
§ 17. Legislative Reapportionment Commission.
* * *
(c.1) In addition to the requirements of section 16, the
following shall apply:
(1) The commission may establish a maximum deviation from
the ideal population of less than 10% for senatorial districts
if the lower deviation will not cause more counties, cities,
incorporated towns, boroughs, townships or wards to be divided
than would be divided under a plan with a maximum deviation of
10%.
(2) The commission may establish a maximum deviation from
the ideal population of less than 10% for representative
districts if the lower deviation will not cause more counties,
cities, incorporated towns, boroughs, townships or wards to be
divided than would be divided under a plan with a maximum
deviation of 10%.
* * *
Section 2. (a) Upon the first passage by the General
Assembly of these proposed integrated 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
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required advertisements to two newspapers in every county in
which such newspapers are published in sufficient time after
passage of these proposed integrated constitutional amendments.
(b) Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of these
proposed integrated 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 integrated constitutional amendments. The
Secretary of the Commonwealth shall submit these proposed
integrated constitutional amendments as a single ballot question
to the qualified electors of this Commonwealth 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 integrated constitutional
amendments are passed by the General Assembly.
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