HR 17 — A Resolution designating March 15, 2026, as "Legislative Branch Day" in Pennsylvania.

PRINTER'S NO.   249

                  THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



           HOUSE RESOLUTION
              No. 17
                                              Session of
                                                2025

     INTRODUCED BY GROVE, GREINER, FREEMAN, REICHARD, JAMES AND
        MENTZER, JANUARY 23, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, JANUARY 23, 2025


                               A RESOLUTION
 1   Designating March 15, 2026, as "Legislative Branch Day" in
 2      Pennsylvania.
 3      WHEREAS, In 1682, at the order of William Penn, the first
 4   Pennsylvania Assembly met in Upland, Chester County, consisting
 5   of a representative from each of the counties of Bucks, Chester,
 6   Philadelphia, New Castle, Sussex and Kent; and
 7      WHEREAS, During the American Revolution, Pennsylvania's 1776
 8   Constitutional Convention resulted in the creation of the
 9   unicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly; and
10      WHEREAS, Established by Pennsylvania's 1790 Constitutional
11   Convention, the Pennsylvania State Senate made the Pennsylvania
12   General Assembly a bicameral institution; and
13      WHEREAS, Since 1790, there have been three more
14   Constitutional Conventions in Pennsylvania, changing the
15   Pennsylvania General Assembly from a county-based representation
16   system to a population district-based representation system; and
17      WHEREAS, Of those who are considered our nation's founding
18   fathers, a number served in the Pennsylvania General Assembly
 1   and its predecessors, making Pennsylvania essential in the
 2   formation of "a more perfect Union"; and
 3      WHEREAS, From its inception until 1729, the Pennsylvania
 4   General Assembly would meet wherever space was available; and
 5      WHEREAS, In 1729, the Pennsylvania General Assembly voted to
 6   fund the building of a state house, now known as Independence
 7   Hall, where both the Declaration of Independence and the United
 8   States Constitution were debated and signed; and
 9      WHEREAS, Until 1799, both the State and national legislatures
10   would meet there; and
11      WHEREAS, Many of the Pennsylvania General Assembly's debates
12   shaped the nation's founding, including its decision to ratify
13   the United States Constitution; and
14      WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's leadership in this endeavor earned
15   its legislature a lasting reputation for foresight and
16   excellence; and
17      WHEREAS, As one of the original 13 colonies, Pennsylvania's
18   central role in early American governance gave rise to its
19   nickname as the "Keystone State," and the Pennsylvania General
20   Assembly was instrumental in securing this status by shaping
21   policies and decisions pivotal to the country's framework,
22   marking its legacy as the American democracy "keystone"; and
23      WHEREAS, Representing a large commonwealth with dignity, the
24   Pennsylvania General Assembly features a robust House of
25   Representatives with 203 members and a Senate with 50 members,
26   making it the largest full-time legislature in the nation; and
27      WHEREAS, Charismatic and groundbreaking, K. Leroy Irvis made
28   history in 1977 as the first African American to lead any state
29   House in the nation; and
30      WHEREAS, His tenure as speaker lasted nearly 15 years,

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 1   leaving an enduring legacy which to this day inspires others;
 2   and
 3         WHEREAS, Heralding back to its establishment in 1682, the
 4   Pennsylvania General Assembly is one of the oldest legislative
 5   bodies in the United States; and
 6         WHEREAS, This institution, celebrating 250 years under its
 7   current official name, has weathered centuries of change while
 8   maintaining its foundational role in shaping laws and policies
 9   for this Commonwealth and the nation; therefore be it
10         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate March
11   15, 2026, as "Legislative Branch Day" in Pennsylvania.




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