Bill Text: PA HB706 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Providing for convening the General Assembly following the general election.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-2)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-03-03 - Referred to STATE GOVERNMENT [HB706 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-HB706-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 778
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 706 Session of2009
INTRODUCED BY HORNAMAN, FABRIZIO, GIBBONS, GROVE, MELIO, MOUL, READSHAW AND K. SMITH, MARCH 3, 2009
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 3, 2009
AN ACT
Providing for convening the General Assembly following the
general election.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Emergency
Legislative Sessions Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Act of terrorism." A violent act, or an act that is
dangerous to human life, property or infrastructure, that is
committed by an individual or individuals acting on behalf of a
foreign person or foreign interest and that appears to be part
of an effort to coerce a civilian population or to create chaos
within a society leading to influencing the policy or affecting
the conduct of any government by coercion.
"Emergency situation or circumstance." Social, economic or
biological conditions which threaten the continued operation of
government or the health, safety or lives of the residents of
this Commonwealth.
"Natural disaster." Any hurricane, tornado, storm, flood,
high water, earthquake, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, drought,
insect infestation, fire, explosion or other natural catastrophe
which results in substantial property damage, human suffering
and hardship or loss of life.
Section 3. Convening of General Assembly postelection.
(a) General rule.--The General Assembly shall not meet after
the date of the general election in an even-numbered year unless
one or more of the conditions in subsection (b) are met.
(b) Exceptions.--Following the date of the general election
in an even-numbered year, the General Assembly may be called
into session only if:
(1) the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the
House of Representatives in consultation with one another
determine jointly that convening the General Assembly is
warranted by either an emergency situation or circumstance,
an act of terrorism or a natural disaster; or
(2) the Governor has called the General Assembly into
extraordinary session pursuant to section 12 of Article IV of
the Constitution of Pennsylvania.
Section 4. Proclamation.
(a) Joint legislative proclamation.--Pursuant to section
3(b)(1), the President of the Senate in consultation with the
Majority Leader of the Senate and the Minority Leader of the
Senate and, if possible, the Speaker of the House of
Representatives in consultation with the Majority Leader of the
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House of Representatives and the Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives, if possible, shall jointly issue a proclamation
identifying the nature of the act of terrorism, emergency
situation or circumstance or natural disaster justifying the
convening of the General Assembly and designating the subjects
of legislation to be considered, which shall be directly related
to the identified need for convening the emergency session.
(b) Dissemination.--The proclamation issued pursuant to
subsection (a) shall be communicated immediately to all members
of the General Assembly and, at a minimum, shall be distributed
to the news media correspondents located in the Capitol Building
and to other members of the news media identified jointly by the
Secretary of the Senate and Chief Clerk of the House of
Representatives.
Section 5. Emergency session.
Within 24 hours after issuance of a proclamation pursuant to
section 4(a), or within 24 hours after receiving communications
from the Governor pursuant to section 12 of Article IV of the
Constitution of Pennsylvania, the President of the Senate shall
reconvene the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives shall reconvene the House of Representatives.
Section 6. General limitation on legislation.
When the General Assembly is convened in emergency session
pursuant to this act, only legislation which relates directly to
legislation designated either in the proclamation of the
Governor calling such session or legislation jointly designated
by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives calling such session shall be considered.
Section 20. Effective date.
This act shall take effect immediately.
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