PRINTER'S NO. 201
No. 189 Session of 1979
INTRODUCED BY STAIRS, FEBRUARY 6, 1979
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 7, 1979
A JOINT RESOLUTION
1 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth
2 of Pennsylvania, reducing the number of Senators and
3 Representatives in the General Assembly, providing for their
4 election and term of office, and further providing for the
5 January meeting and making editorial changes.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby resolves as follows:
8 Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of
9 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is proposed in accordance with
10 the provisions of Article XI thereof:
11 That sections 2, 3, 4 and 16 of Article II be amended to
12 read:
13 § 2. Election of members; vacancies.
14 Members of the [General Assembly] Senate shall be chosen at
15 the general or municipal election every [second] third year.
16 Members of the House of Representatives shall be chosen at the
17 general election every fourth year. Their term of service shall
18 begin on the first day of December next after their election.
19 Whenever a vacancy shall occur in either House, the presiding
20 officer thereof shall issue a writ of election to fill such
1 vacancy for the remainder of the term.
2 § 3. Terms of members.
3 Senators shall be elected for the term of [four] six years
4 and Representatives for the term of [two] four years.
5 § 4. Sessions.
6 The General Assembly shall be a continuing body during the
7 term for which its [Representatives] members are elected. It
8 shall meet at 12 o'clock noon on the [first] second Tuesday of
9 January each year. Special sessions shall be called by the
10 Governor on petition of a majority of the members elected to
11 each House or may be called by the Governor whenever in his
12 opinion the public interest requires.
13 § 16. Legislative districts.
14 The Commonwealth shall be divided into [50] 35 senatorial and
15 [203] 151 representative districts, which shall be composed of
16 compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in population
17 as practicable. Each senatorial district shall elect one
18 Senator, and each representative district one Representative.
19 Unless absolutely necessary no county, city, incorporated town,
20 borough, township or ward shall be divided in forming either a
21 senatorial or representative district.
22 SCHEDULE
23 The first elections after reapportionment of the Commonwealth
24 under § 17 to conform to the foregoing amendment shall be held
25 in the year 1984. The terms of all Senators in office in 1984
26 shall expire November 30, 1984. At the first meeting of the
27 Senate in 1985, the Senators shall draw lots to determine the
28 length of initial terms, 17 of which shall be for three years
29 and 18 of which shall be for six years.
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