In the near future, we plan to re-introduce legislation (formerly HB 1339, 2023-24) that will authorize the Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) to write the language of proposed constitutional amendments and the plain English explanations. 

Under our constitutional amendment process, the General Assembly proposes amendments to the Pennsylvania Constitution and the voters get to decide whether or not to adopt the proposed amendments. Under current law, the Election Code tasks the Department of State with determining the wording of any constitutional questions that are placed on the ballot and the Office of Attorney General is charged with the duty of writing explanations of ballot questions in plain English. In recent years, many have raised concerns that the drafting of the wording of amendments and their explanations has become politicized.

In order to prevent partisan influence on this process, our legislation would amend the Election Code to shift the duty for preparing the wording of constitutional amendment questions and the corresponding plain English explanations to the non-partisan Legislative Reference Bureau.

 Please join us in co-sponsoring this important legislation.

Prior co-sponsors of HB 1339 (2023-2024): B. MILLER, ZIMMERMAN, SCHLEGEL CULVER, JAMES, HAMM, STAMBAUGH, ROAE, IRVIN, KAUFFMAN, PICKETT, ECKER, MOUL,  SCIALABBA, KEEFER, LEADBETER and T. JONES

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 1355 (Apr 15, 2025): P.L.1333, No.320
Printer's No. 1355: P.L.1333, No.320