PRIOR PASSAGE - NONE
PRINTER'S NO. 481
No. 372 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY O'PAKE, MUSTO, KITCHEN AND STOUT, MARCH 12, 2003
REFERRED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT, MARCH 12, 2003
A JOINT RESOLUTION
1 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth
2 of Pennsylvania, providing for the removal by referendum of
3 elected municipal officers in home rule charter
4 municipalities where the charter authorizes such removal.
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 section 7 of Article VI be amended to read:
10 § 7. Removal of civil officers.
11 All civil officers shall hold their offices on the condition
12 that they behave themselves well while in office, and shall be
13 removed on conviction of misbehavior in office or of any
14 infamous crime. Appointed civil officers, other than judges of
15 the courts of record, may be removed at the pleasure of the
16 power by which they shall have been appointed. All civil
17 officers elected by the people, except the Governor, the
18 Lieutenant Governor, members of the General Assembly and judges
1 of the courts of record, shall be removed by the Governor for
2 reasonable cause, after due notice and full hearing, on the
3 address of two-thirds of the Senate. Elected municipal officials
4 may be removed, recalled or suspended from office by a public
5 referendum provided for under a home rule charter.
6 Section 2. (a) Upon the first passage by the General
7 Assembly of this proposed constitutional amendment, the
8 Secretary of the Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to
9 comply with the advertising requirements of section 1 of Article
10 XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the
11 required advertisements to two newspapers in every county in
12 which such newspapers are published in sufficient time after
13 passage of this proposed constitutional amendment.
14 (b) Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of this
15 proposed constitutional amendment, the Secretary of the
16 Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with the
17 advertising requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the
18 Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the required
19 advertisements to two newspapers in every county in which such
20 newspapers are published in sufficient time after passage of
21 this proposed constitutional amendment. The Secretary of the
22 Commonwealth shall submit this proposed constitutional amendment
23 to the qualified electors of this Commonwealth at the first
24 primary, general or municipal election occurring at least three
25 months after the proposed constitutional amendment is passed by
26 the General Assembly.
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