PRIOR PASSAGE - NONE
PRINTER'S NO. 84
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
116
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY BARTOLOTTA, SCARNATI, LANGERHOLC, PHILLIPS-HILL,
FOLMER, MARTIN, STEFANO, HUTCHINSON, DiSANTO, MENSCH,
J. WARD, K. WARD, REGAN, WHITE, AUMENT, ALLOWAY AND ARGALL,
JANUARY 25, 2019
REFERRED TO FINANCE, JANUARY 25, 2019
A JOINT RESOLUTION
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, in taxation and finance, providing for
spending limitations.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby resolves as follows:
Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of
Pennsylvania is proposed in accordance with Article XI:
That Article VIII be amended by adding a section to read:
ยง 18. Spending limitations.
(a) Except as provided in subsection (c), total spending by
the Commonwealth in a fiscal year shall not exceed the spending
appropriation limit as provided in this section.
(b) The spending appropriation limit for any fiscal year
shall be equal to total appropriations made during the
immediately prior fiscal year, adjusted by the lesser of:
(1) the average percentage change in personal income in this
Commonwealth for the three preceding years as reported by the
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Federal Government or as determined pursuant to an act of the
General Assembly; or
(2) the average percentage change in inflation for the three
preceding years plus the average percentage change in the State
population for the three preceding years as reported by the
annual Federal decennial census estimates and adjusted every
decade to match the official Federal decennial census.
(c) The spending appropriation limit may be exceeded in any
fiscal year:
(1) to respond to a declared emergency, if the General
Assembly approves by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the
members elected to each House of the General Assembly; or
(2) in other situations if the Governor requests at least 30
days prior to the beginning of the fiscal year and the General
Assembly approves by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the
members elected to each House of the General Assembly.
(d) For purposes of this section:
(1) "Inflation" shall mean the percentage change in the
United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, not seasonally
adjusted; all items index, or its successor index.
(2) "Total spending by the Commonwealth" shall mean the
total of the amounts approved as executive authorizations by the
Governor plus the total amounts of appropriations made by the
General Assembly, excluding appropriations made with money
received from the Federal Government.
Section 2. (a) Upon the first passage by the General
Assembly of this proposed constitutional amendment, the
Secretary of the Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to
comply with the advertising requirements of section 1 of Article
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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 this proposed constitutional amendment.
(b) Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of this
proposed constitutional amendment, 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
this proposed constitutional amendment. The Secretary of the
Commonwealth shall submit this proposed constitutional amendment
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
constitutional amendment is passed by the General Assembly.
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