PRIOR PASSAGE - NONE
PRINTER'S NO. 735
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
786
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY WARNER, HAMM, GREINER, STAMBAUGH, ROAE,
R. MACKENZIE, KAUFFMAN, BOROWICZ, M. MACKENZIE, JAMES,
MIHALEK, OWLETT, ECKER, ARMANINI, ZIMMERMAN, ORTITAY,
B. MILLER, M. JONES, ROWE, LEADBETER, LAWRENCE, KEPHART,
GILLEN AND SCIALABBA, MARCH 30, 2023
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON FINANCE, MARCH 30, 2023
A JOINT RESOLUTION
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, providing for spending limitations on the
Commonwealth.
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) Total spending by the Commonwealth shall not exceed the
spending limit in any fiscal year. The spending limit for any
fiscal year shall be equal to the spending during the
immediately prior fiscal year, adjusted by the sum of:
(i) The average of the percentage change in the annual
United States Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-
U), as reported by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau
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of Labor Statistics, for each of the immediately preceding three
calendar years.
(ii) The average of the percentage change in the resident
population in this Commonwealth, as reported by the United
States Census Bureau for July 1 of each year, for the
immediately preceding three calendar years.
(b) The percentage of the rate of change calculated under
subsection (a) used in any fiscal year to adjust the spending
limit may be increased for that fiscal year by the affirmative
vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each House of the
General Assembly. The Commonwealth's spending limit calculated
under subsection (a) may be changed by the procedure outlined in
section 1(a) of Article XI.
(c) Total spending by the Commonwealth means all
appropriations and authorizations from the General Fund and
shall exclude refunds and the spending of Federal funds, gifts
or receipts restricted by laws in effect as of January 1 of the
year when this section is ratified and approved by the qualified
electors of this Commonwealth . This section shall not be
circumvented by transferring spending from the General Fund to
special funds or restricted receipt accounts.
Section 2. The following procedure applies to the proposed
constitutional amendment in this joint resolution:
(1) Upon the first passage by the General Assembly of
the 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.
(2) Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of
the amendment, the Secretary of the Commonwealth shall
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proceed immediately to comply with the advertising
requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the Constitution
of Pennsylvania. The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall
submit the amendment to the qualified electors of this
Commonwealth at the first primary, general or municipal
election which meets the requirements of section 1 of Article
XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania.
Section 3. The addition of section 18(a) of Article VIII of
the Constitution of Pennsylvania shall become effective
beginning with the first fiscal year commencing more than six
months following approval of section 18 of Article VIII by the
electorate.
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