SB 306 — An Act amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, in the Secretary of the Commonwealth, further providing for explanation of ballot question.

PRINTER'S NO.   243

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         SENATE BILL
                         No. 306
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY PHILLIPS-HILL, PENNYCUICK, ROTHMAN, J. WARD,
        BAKER, STEFANO AND DUSH, FEBRUARY 26, 2025

     REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 26, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), entitled
 2      "An act concerning elections, including general, municipal,
 3      special and primary elections, the nomination of candidates,
 4      primary and election expenses and election contests; creating
 5      and defining membership of county boards of elections;
 6      imposing duties upon the Secretary of the Commonwealth,
 7      courts, county boards of elections, county commissioners;
 8      imposing penalties for violation of the act, and codifying,
 9      revising and consolidating the laws relating thereto; and
10      repealing certain acts and parts of acts relating to
11      elections," in the Secretary of the Commonwealth, further
12      providing for explanation of ballot question.
13      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
14   hereby enacts as follows:
15      Section 1.    Section 201.1 of the act of June 3, 1937
16   (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, is
17   amended to read:
18      Section 201.1.     Explanation of Ballot Question and Posting on
19   Internet.--(a)     Whenever a proposed constitutional amendment or
20   other State-wide ballot question shall be submitted to the
21   electors of the Commonwealth in referendum, the Attorney General
22   shall prepare a statement in plain English which indicates the
23   purpose, limitations and effects of the ballot question on the
 1   people of the Commonwealth.
 2      (b)   The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall include such
 3   statement in [his] the publication of a proposed constitutional
 4   amendment as required by Article XI of the Constitution of
 5   Pennsylvania. The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall also post
 6   on the Department of State's publicly accessible Internet
 7   website a detailed account of each action taken to publish the
 8   proposed constitutional amendment, including a copy of the
 9   notice and constitutionally required deadline, a listing of the
10   newspapers in which the notice was published and the date of
11   publication and the earliest election date on which the proposed
12   constitutional amendment may be voted on by the electors.
13      (c)   The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall certify such
14   statement to the county boards of elections who shall publish
15   such statement as a part of the notice of elections required by
16   section 1201 or any other provision of this act. The county
17   board of elections shall also require that at least three copies
18   of such statement be posted in or about the voting room outside
19   the enclosed space with the specimen ballots and other
20   instructions and notices of penalties. In election questions
21   which affect only one county or portion thereof, the county
22   board of elections shall fulfill these requirements in the place
23   of the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
24      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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