Trial Engrossment of Amendment A05595 to House Bill 153 P.N. 1318, Regular Session 2015-2016

PRIOR PASSAGE - NONE

A05595

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

153

Session of

2015

INTRODUCED BY KNOWLES, TURZAI, REED, METCALFE, DUNBAR, MUSTIO,

D. COSTA, GREINER, BLOOM, MACKENZIE, SAYLOR, CORBIN, SACCONE,

HELM, BARRAR, MULLERY, M. K. KELLER, GRELL, KAUFFMAN,

KAVULICH, HEFFLEY, CARROLL, ROAE, A. HARRIS, MENTZER, DEASY,

GROVE, TRUITT, MAJOR, MURT, TALLMAN, MARSICO, FEE, DeLUCA,

BENNINGHOFF, GINGRICH, PEIFER, ROZZI, WATSON, GILLEN,

SIMMONS, DELOZIER, WHEELAND AND ENGLISH, JANUARY 22, 2015

AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, HOUSE OF

REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, APRIL 21, 2015

A JOINT RESOLUTION

Proposing an amendment integrated amendments to the Constitution

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, reducing the size of the

General Assembly. further providing for election of members

and vacancies, for terms of members, for sessions, for

compensation, for legislative districts, for Governor's

budget and financial plan, for appropriations and for

surplus.

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 section 16 of Article II be amended to read:

Section 1. The following integrated amendments to the

Constitution of Pennsylvania are proposed in accordance with

Article XI:

(1) 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.

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

§ 3. Terms of members.

[Senators] (a) Except as provided under 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 terms of four years.

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

§ 4. Sessions.

(a) The General Assembly shall be a continuing body [during

the term for which its Representatives are elected. It shall

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

[each] of an odd-numbered year[.] until November 30 of the

fourth following year . Regular sessions shall be conducted

during the months of January and February in each odd-numbered

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.

(b) The amendment of subsection (a) shall apply to the

General Assembly elected at the first general election after the

adoption of the amendment adding this subsection.

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

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§ 8. Compensation.

The members of the General Assembly shall receive [such

salary] compensation for their services 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 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.

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

§ 16. Legislative districts.

The Commonwealth shall be divided into 50 senatorial and

[203] 153 151 representative districts, which shall be composed

of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in

population as practicable. Each senatorial district shall elect

one Senator, and each representative district one

Representative. Unless absolutely necessary no county, city,

incorporated town, borough, township or ward shall be divided in

forming either a senatorial or representative district.

(6) That section 12 of Article VIII be amended to read:

§ 12. Governor's budgets and financial plan.

[Annually] Biennially, at the times set by law, the Governor

shall submit to the General Assembly:

(a) A balanced operating budget for the ensuing two fiscal

[year] years setting forth in detail for each fiscal year (i)

proposed expenditures classified by department or agency and by

program and (ii) estimated revenues from all sources. If

estimated revenues and available surplus are less than proposed

expenditures, the Governor shall recommend specific additional

sources of revenue sufficient to pay the deficiency and the

estimated revenue to be derived from each source;

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(b) A capital budget for the ensuing two fiscal [year] years

setting forth in detail for each fiscal year proposed

expenditures to be financed from the proceeds of obligations of

the Commonwealth or of its agencies or authorities or from

operating funds; and

[five] six fiscal years, which plan shall include for each such

fiscal year:

(i) Projected operating expenditures classified by

department or agency and by program, in reasonable detail, and

estimated revenues, by major categories, from existing and

additional sources, and

(ii) Projected expenditures for capital projects

specifically itemized by purpose, and the proposed sources of

financing each.

(7) That section 13 of Article VIII be amended to read:

§ 13. Appropriations.

(a) Operating budget appropriations made by the General

Assembly shall not exceed the actual and estimated revenues and

surplus available in the same fiscal year.

(b) The General Assembly shall adopt a capital budget for

the ensuing two fiscal [year] years.

(8) That section 14 of Article VIII be amended to read:

§ 14. Surplus.

All surplus of operating funds at the end of the fiscal year

shall be appropriated during the ensuing two fiscal [year] years

by the General Assembly.

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

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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.

(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

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.

Section 3. Upon ratification by the electors, the General

Assembly shall enact legislation to implement this

constitutional amendment so that it applies for the first time

to the first session of the General Assembly which begins after

the 2020 reapportionment.

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