PRIOR PASSAGE - NONE
PRINTER'S NO. 353
No. 326 Session of 1993
INTRODUCED BY SAURMAN, KREBS, NAILOR, FLICK, STRITTMATTER,
ARGALL, CLARK, WOGAN, KENNEY, STERN, LYNCH AND E. Z. TAYLOR,
FEBRUARY 8, 1993
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 8, 1993
A JOINT RESOLUTION
1 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth
2 of Pennsylvania, further providing for the consideration of,
3 differences in, signing of, origination of and approval of
4 bills.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby resolves as follows:
7 Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of
8 Pennsylvania is proposed in accordance with Article XI:
9 That sections 4, 5, 8 and 10 of Article III and section 15 of
10 Article IV be amended to read:
11 § 4. Consideration of bills.
12 [Every] (a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b),
13 every bill shall be considered on three different days in each
14 House. All amendments made thereto shall be printed for the use
15 of the members before the final vote is taken on the bill and
16 before the final vote is taken, upon written request addressed
17 to the presiding officer of either House by at least 25% of the
18 members elected to that House, any bill shall be read at length
1 in that House. No bill shall become a law, unless on its final
2 passage the vote is taken by yeas and nays, the names of the
3 persons voting for and against it are entered on the journal,
4 and, except as provided in subsection (b), a majority of the
5 members elected to each House is recorded thereon as voting in
6 its favor.
7 (b) If two identical bills are introduced, one in each
8 House, each bill shall be considered on three different days in
9 the House in which it was introduced. All amendments made
10 thereto shall be printed for the use of the members before the
11 final vote is taken on the bill, and before the final vote is
12 taken, upon written request addressed to the presiding officer
13 of either House by at least 25% of the members elected to that
14 House, any bill shall be read at length in that House. Each
15 identical bill shall become a law if on its final passage the
16 vote is taken by yeas and nays, the names of the persons voting
17 for and against it are entered on the journal and a majority of
18 the members elected to the House in which the bill was
19 introduced is recorded thereon as voting in its favor.
20 § 5. Concurring in amendments; conference committee reports.
21 (a) No amendment to bills by one House shall be concurred in
22 by the other, except by the vote of a majority of the members
23 elected thereto, taken by yeas and nays, and the names of those
24 voting for and against recorded upon the journal thereof; and
25 reports of committees of conference shall be adopted in either
26 House only by the vote of a majority of the members elected
27 thereto, taken by yeas and nays, and the names of those voting
28 recorded upon the journals.
29 (b) If two bills are introduced, one in each House, and are
30 finally passed by their respective House of origin in
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1 substantially the same form, a committee of conference shall be
2 appointed to resolve the differences between the two bills.
3 Reports of committees of conference shall be adopted in either
4 House only by the vote of a majority of the members elected
5 thereto, taken by yeas and nays, and the names of those voting
6 recorded upon the journals.
7 § 8. Signing of bills.
8 (a) The presiding officer of each House shall, in the
9 presence of the House over which he presides, sign all bills and
10 joint resolutions passed by the General Assembly, after their
11 titles have been publicly read immediately before signing; and
12 the fact of signing shall be entered on the journal.
13 (b) In the case of identical bills provided for in section
14 4(b) of this article, the presiding officer of each House shall,
15 in the presence of the House over which he presides, sign the
16 bill passed by the House over which he presides, after its title
17 has been publicly read immediately before signing; and the fact
18 of signing shall be entered on the journal.
19 § 10. Revenue bills.
20 [All] (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), all bills
21 for raising revenue shall originate in the House of
22 Representatives, but the Senate may propose amendments as in
23 other bills.
24 (b) Identical bills, provided for in section 4(b) of this
25 article, for raising revenue may originate in the House of
26 Representatives or the Senate.
27 § 15. Approval of bills; vetoes.
28 (a) Every bill which shall have passed both Houses shall be
29 presented to the Governor; if he approves he shall sign it, but
30 if he shall not approve he shall return it with his objections
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1 to the House in which it shall have originated, which House
2 shall enter the objections at large upon their journal, and
3 proceed to re-consider it. If after such re-consideration, two-
4 thirds of all the members elected to that House shall agree to
5 pass the bill, it shall be sent with the objections to the other
6 House by which likewise it shall be re-considered, and if
7 approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to that House
8 it shall be a law; but in such cases the votes of both Houses
9 shall be determined by yeas and nays, and the names of the
10 members voting for and against the bill shall be entered on the
11 journals of each House, respectively. If any bill shall not be
12 returned by the Governor within ten days after it shall have
13 been presented to him, the same shall be a law in like manner as
14 if he had signed it, unless the General Assembly, by their
15 adjournment, prevent its return, in which case it shall be a
16 law, unless he shall file the same, with his objections, in the
17 office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, and give notice
18 thereof by public proclamation within 30 days after such
19 adjournment.
20 (b) If identical bills, provided for in section 4(b) of
21 Article III, have both passed the House in which each was
22 introduced, both bills shall be presented to the Governor; if he
23 approves the bills, he shall sign them and the bills shall
24 become a law. In printed form and in the Laws of Pennsylvania,
25 the law shall bear both the Senate bill number and the House
26 bill number. If the Governor does not approve the bills, he
27 shall return them, with his objections, to their respective
28 House of origin. Each House shall enter the objections at large
29 upon its journal and proceed to re-consider it. If, after such
30 re-consideration, two-thirds of all the members elected to that
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1 House shall agree to pass the bill, the bills shall be a law;
2 but in such cases the votes of each House shall be determined by
3 yeas and nays, and the names of the members voting for and
4 against the bill shall be entered on the journals of each House,
5 respectively. If identical bills shall not be returned by the
6 Governor within ten days after they shall have been presented to
7 him, the same shall be a law in like manner as if he had signed
8 them, unless the General Assembly, by their adjournment, prevent
9 their return, in which case the bills shall be a law, unless he
10 shall file the bills, with his objections, in the office of the
11 Secretary of the Commonwealth and give notice thereof by public
12 proclamation within 30 days after such adjournment.
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