PRIOR PASSAGE - NONE
PRINTER'S NO. 502
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
70
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY BARTOLOTTA, EICHELBERGER, ALLOWAY, ARGALL, FOLMER,
VULAKOVICH, SCARNATI, GORDNER, VOGEL, AUMENT, WARD, RAFFERTY,
HUTCHINSON, VANCE, STEFANO, MENSCH, WHITE, WAGNER, BROOKS,
BROWNE AND SMUCKER, FEBRUARY 23, 2015
REFERRED TO FINANCE, FEBRUARY 23, 2015
A JOINT RESOLUTION
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, in taxation and finance, providing for
spending limitations.
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) Except as provided in subsection (c), total spending by
the Commonwealth in a fiscal year shall not exceed the spending
appropriation limit as set forth in this section.
(b) (1) The spending appropriation limit for any fiscal
year shall be equal to total appropriations made during the
immediately prior fiscal year, adjusted by the lesser of:
(i) the average percentage change in personal income in
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Pennsylvania for the three preceding calendar years as reported
by the Federal Government or as determined pursuant to an act of
the General Assembly; or
(ii) the average percentage change in inflation for the
three preceding calendar years plus the average percentage
change in the State population for the three preceding years as
reported by the annual Federal census estimates and adjusted
every decade to match the official Federal census.
(2) For purposes of this subsection, inflation shall mean
the percentage change in the United States Department of Labor,
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban
Consumers, not seasonally adjusted; all items index, or its
successor index.
(c) The spending appropriation limit may be exceeded in any
fiscal year:
(1) to respond to a declared emergency, if the General
Assembly approves by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the
members elected to each House of the General Assembly; or
(2) in other situations if the Governor so requests at least
30 days prior to the beginning of the fiscal year and the
General Assembly approves by the affirmative vote of two-thirds
of the members elected to each House of the General Assembly.
(d) For purposes of this section, total spending by the
Commonwealth means the total of the amounts approved as
executive authorizations by the Governor plus the total amounts
of appropriations made by the General Assembly, excluding
appropriations made with money received from the Federal
Government.
Section 2. (a) Upon the first passage by the General
Assembly of this proposed constitutional amendment, the
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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.
(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
as a single ballot question 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.
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