HB 1320

                        PRIOR PASSAGE - NONE
                                                PRINTER'S NO.     1512
                THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
                    HOUSE BILL
                    No. 1320
                                          Session of
                                            2025
INTRODUCED BY DAVANZO, COOK, ROWE AND STAATS, APRIL 28, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, APRIL 28, 2025
                         A JOINT RESOLUTION
1 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth
2    of Pennsylvania, further providing for removal of civil
3    officers.
4    The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby resolves as follows:
6    Section 1.    The following amendment to the Constitution of
7 Pennsylvania is proposed in accordance with Article XI:
8    That section 7 of Article VI be amended to read:
9 § 7.   Removal of civil officers.
10    (a)   All civil officers shall hold their offices on the
11 condition that they behave themselves well while in office, and
12 shall be removed on conviction of misbehavior in office or of
13 any infamous crime. Appointed civil officers, other than judges
14 of the courts of record, may be removed at the pleasure of the
15 power by which they shall have been appointed. [All] Except as
16 provided under subsection (b), all civil officers elected by the
17 people, except the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, members of
18 the General Assembly and judges of the courts of record, shall
1 be removed by the Governor for reasonable cause, after due
2 notice and full hearing, on the address of two-thirds of the
3 Senate.
4    (b)    The General Assembly shall provide, by uniform general
5 law or by classification, for the removal of elected officers of
6 a municipality. Elected officers shall be removed only for cause
7 as defined by the General Assembly. Cause shall include
8 absenteeism from meetings and dereliction of duty. The
9 authorization provided by this subsection shall not preclude the
10 use of provisions in this Constitution for the disqualification,
11 impeachment or removal of municipal officers.
12    Section 2.     The following procedure applies to the proposed
13 constitutional amendment in this joint resolution:
14(1)   Upon the first passage by the General Assembly of
15    the amendment, the Secretary of the Commonwealth shall
16    proceed immediately to comply with the advertising
17    requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the Constitution
18    of Pennsylvania.
19(2)   Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of
20    the amendment, the Secretary of the Commonwealth shall
21    proceed immediately to comply with the advertising
22    requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the Constitution
23    of Pennsylvania. The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall
24    submit the amendment to the qualified electors of this
25    Commonwealth at the first general or municipal election which
26    meets the requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the
27    Constitution of Pennsylvania.
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