Bill Text: PA SB1160 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: A Joint Resolution proposing separate and distinct amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the legislature, further providing for terms of members for legislative districts.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 14-2)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-12-14 - Referred to STATE GOVERNMENT [SB1160 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-SB1160-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 1537
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 1160 Session of2009
INTRODUCED BY ARGALL, VOGEL, FONTANA, WARD, RAFFERTY, ERICKSON, BAKER, BRUBAKER, PIPPY, MENSCH, ALLOWAY, D. WHITE, TOMLINSON, EARLL, BROWNE AND FARNESE, DECEMBER 14, 2009
REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, DECEMBER 14, 2009
A JOINT RESOLUTION
Proposing separate and distinct amendments to the Constitution
of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the legislature,
further providing for terms of members for legislative
districts.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby resolves as follows:
Section 1. The following separate and distinct amendments to
the Constitution of Pennsylvania are proposed in accordance with
Article XI:
(1) That section 3 of Article II be amended to read:
§ 3. Terms of members.
[Senators] The members of the General Assembly shall be
elected for the term of four years [and Representatives for the
term of two years].
(2) That section 16 of Article II be amended to read:
§ 16. Legislative districts.
[The] (a) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (b)
and (c), the Commonwealth shall be divided into 50 senatorial
and 203 representative districts, which shall be composed of
compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in population
as practicable.
(b) (1) Beginning with the legislative session that
commences the first Tuesday of January 2013, the Commonwealth
shall be divided into 193 representative districts, which shall
be composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal
in population as practicable.
(2) Beginning with the legislative session that commences
the first Tuesday of January 2023, the Commonwealth shall be
divided into 183 representative districts, which shall be
composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in
population as practicable.
(3) Beginning with the legislative session that commences
the first Tuesday of January 2033, the Commonwealth shall be
divided into 173 representative districts, which shall be
composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in
population as practicable.
(4) Beginning with the legislative session that commences
the first Tuesday of January 2043, the Commonwealth shall be
divided into 163 representative districts, which shall be
composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in
population as practicable.
(5) Beginning with the legislative session that commences
the first Tuesday of January 2053, the Commonwealth shall be
divided into 153 representative districts, which shall be
composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in
population as practicable.
(c) (1) Beginning with the legislative session that
commences the first Tuesday of 2013, the Commonwealth shall be
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divided into 49 senatorial districts, which shall be composed of
compact and contiguous territory as practicable.
(2) Beginning with the legislative session that commences
the first Tuesday of 2023, the Commonwealth shall be divided
into 47 senatorial districts, which shall be composed of compact
and contiguous territory as practicable.
(3) Beginning with the legislative session that commences
the first Tuesday of 2033, the Commonwealth shall be divided
into 45 senatorial districts, which shall be composed of compact
and contiguous territory as practicable.
(d) 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.
Section 2. (a) At the 2014 elections to conform to the
amendment under section 1(1) of this Joint Resolution, as it
relates to the amendment of section 3 of Article II, and
quadrennially thereafter, Representatives shall be chosen to
serve for four years in all representative districts.
(b) The Representatives now in office shall continue in such
office and shall respectively represent the representative
districts, as apportioned prior to the effective date of the
amendment under section 1(1) of this Joint Resolution, in which
they reside until the expiration of the terms for which they
were elected.
Section 3. (a) The first elections after reapportionment of
the Commonwealth under section 17 of Article II of the
Constitution of Pennsylvania to conform to the amendment under
section 1(2) of this Joint Resolution, as it relates to the
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addition of section 16(b)(1) and (c)(1) of Article II, shall be
held in the year 2012.
(b) The first elections after reapportionment of the
Commonwealth under section 17 of Article II of the Constitution
of Pennsylvania to conform to the amendment under section 1(2)
of this Joint Resolution, as it relates to the addition of
section 16(b)(2) and (c)(2) of Article II, shall be held in the
year 2022.
(c) The first elections after reapportionment of the
Commonwealth under section 17 of Article II of the Constitution
of Pennsylvania to conform to the amendment under section 1(2)
of this Joint Resolution, as it relates to the addition of
section 16(b)(3) and (c)(3) of Article II, shall be held in the
year 2032.
(d) The first elections after reapportionment of the
Commonwealth under section 17 of Article II of the Constitution
of Pennsylvania to conform to the amendment under section 1(2)
of this Joint Resolution, as it relates to the addition of
section 16(b)(4) of Article II, shall be held in the year 2042.
(e) The first elections after reapportionment of the
Commonwealth under section 17 of Article II of the Constitution
of Pennsylvania to conform to the amendment under section 1(2)
of this Joint Resolution, as it relates to the addition of
section 16(b)(5) of Article II, shall be held in the year 2052.
Section 4. (a) Upon the first passage by the General
Assembly of these proposed constitutional amendments, the
Secretary of the Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to
comply with the advertising requirements of section 1(2) of
Article XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall
transmit the required advertisements to two newspapers in every
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county in which such newspapers are published in sufficient time
after passage of these proposed constitutional amendments.
(b) Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of these
proposed constitutional amendments, 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
these proposed constitutional amendments. The Secretary of the
Commonwealth shall submit the proposed constitutional amendment
under section 1(1) to the qualified electors of this
Commonwealth as a separate ballot question and the
constitutional amendment under section 1(2) as a separate ballot
question 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 amendments are passed by the General Assembly.
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