Us constitution amendments pdf download

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONSTITUTION

of the

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

ARTICLE I.  DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

§  1.  Inherent rights of mankind.

§  2.  Political powers.

§  3.  Religious freedom.

§  4.  Religion.

§  5.  Elections.

§  6.  Trial by jury.

§  7.  Freedom of press and speech; libels.

§  8.  Security from searches and seizures.

§  9.  Rights of accused in criminal prosecutions.

§ 10.  Initiation of criminal proceedings; twice in jeopardy; eminent domain.

§ 11.  Courts to be open; suits against the Commonwealth.

§ 12.  Power of suspending laws.

§ 13.  Bail, fines and punishments.

§ 14.  Prisoners to be bailable; habeas corpus.

§ 15.  Special criminal tribunals.

§ 16.  Insolvent debtors.

§ 17.  Ex post facto laws; impairment of contracts.

§ 18.  Attainder.

§ 19.  Attainder limited.

§ 20.  Right of petition.

§ 21.  Right to bear arms.

§ 22.  Standing army; military subordinate to civil power.

§ 23.  Quartering of troops.

§ 24.  Titles and offices.

§ 25.  Reservation of powers in people.

§ 26.  No discrimination by Commonwealth and its political subdivisions.

§ 27.  Natural resources and the public estate.

§ 28.  Prohibition against denial or abridgment of equality of rights because of sex.

ARTICLE II.  THE LEGISLATURE

§  1.  Legislative power.

§  2.  Election of members; vacancies.

§  3.  Terms of members.

§  4.  Sessions.

§  5.  Qualifications of members.

§  6.  Disqualification to hold other office.

§  7.  Ineligibility by criminal convictions.

§  8.  Compensation.

§  9.  Election of officers; judge of election and qualifications of members.

§ 10.  Quorum.

§ 11.  Powers of each house; expulsion.

§ 12.  Journals; yeas and nays.

§ 13.  Open sessions.

§ 14.  Adjournments.

§ 15.  Privileges of members.

§ 16.  Legislative districts.

§ 17.  Legislative Reapportionment Commission.

ARTICLE III.  LEGISLATION

A.  PROCEDURE

§  1.  Passage of laws.

§  2.  Reference to committee; printing.

§  3.  Form of bills.

§  4.  Consideration of bills.

§  5.  Concurring in amendments; conference committee reports.

§  6.  Revival and amendment of laws.

§  7.  Notice of local and special bills.

§  8.  Signing of bills.

§  9.  Action on concurrent orders and resolutions.

§ 10.  Revenue bills.

§ 11.  Appropriation bills.

§ 12.  Legislation designated by Governor at special sessions.

§ 13.  Vote denied members with personal interest.

B.  EDUCATION

§ 14.  Public school system.

§ 15.  Public school money not available to sectarian schools.

C.  NATIONAL GUARD

§ 16.  National Guard to be organized and maintained.

D.  OTHER LEGISLATION SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZED

§ 17.  Appointment of legislative officers and employees.

§ 18.  Compensation laws allowed to General Assembly.

§ 19.  Appropriations for support of widows and orphans of persons who served in the armed forces.

§ 20.  Classification of municipalities.

§ 21.  Land title registration.

§ 22.  State purchases.

§ 23.  Change of venue.

§ 24.  Paying out public moneys.

§ 25.  Emergency seats of government.

§ 26.  Extra compensation prohibited; claims against the Commonwealth; pensions.

§ 27.  Changes in term of office or salary prohibited.

E.  RESTRICTIONS ON LEGISLATIVE POWER

§ 28.  Change of permanent location of State Capital.

§ 29.  Appropriations for public assistance, military service, scholarships.

§ 30.  Charitable and educational appropriations.

§ 31.  Delegation of certain powers prohibited.

§ 32.  Certain local and special laws.

ARTICLE IV.  THE EXECUTIVE

§  1.  Executive Department.

§  2.  Duties of Governor; election procedure; tie or contest.

§  3.  Terms of office of Governor; number of terms.

§  4.  Lieutenant Governor.

§  4.1. Attorney General.

§  5.  Qualifications of Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General.

§  6.  Disqualification for offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General.

§  7.  Military power.

§  8.  Appointing power.

§  9.  Pardoning power; Board of Pardons.

§ 10.  Information from department officials.

§ 11.  Messages to the General Assembly.

§ 12.  Power to convene and adjourn the General Assembly.

§ 13.  When Lieutenant Governor to act as Governor.

§ 14.  Vacancy in office of Lieutenant Governor.

§ 15.  Approval of bills; vetoes.

§ 16.  Partial disapproval of appropriation bills.

§ 17.  Contested elections of Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General; when succeeded.

§ 18.  Terms of office of Auditor General and State Treasurer; number of terms; eligibility of State Treasurer to become Auditor General.

§ 19.  State seal; commissions.

ARTICLE V.  THE JUDICIARY

§  1.  Unified judicial system.

§  2.  Supreme Court.

§  3.  Superior Court.

§  4.  Commonwealth Court.

§  5.  Courts of common pleas.

§  6.  Community courts; Philadelphia Municipal Court.

§  7.  Justices of the peace; magisterial districts.

§  8.  Other courts.

§  9.  Right of appeal.

§ 10.  Judicial administration.

§ 11.  Judicial districts; boundaries.

§ 12.  Qualifications of justices, judges and justices of the peace.

§ 13.  Election of justices, judges and justices of the peace; vacancies.

§ 14.  Judicial Qualifications Commission.

§ 15.  Tenure of justices, judges and justices of the peace.

§ 16.  Compensation and retirement of justices, judges and justices of the peace.

§ 17.  Prohibited activities.

§ 18.  Suspension, removal, discipline and other sanctions.

SCHEDULE TO JUDICIARY ARTICLE

COURTS OTHER THAN IN THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA

AND ALLEGHENY COUNTY

§  1.  The Supreme Court.

§  2.  The Superior Court.

§  3.  Commonwealth Court.

§  4.  The courts of common pleas.

§  5.  Orphans' court judges.

§  6.  Courts of common pleas in multi-county judicial districts.

§  7.  Community courts.

JUSTICES, JUDGES AND JUSTICES OF THE PEACE

§  8.  Justices, judges and justices of the peace.

§  9.  Associate judges.

§ 10.  Retention election of present justices and judges.

§ 11.  Selection of president judges.

MAGISTRATES, ALDERMEN AND JUSTICES OF THE PEACE

AND MAGISTERIAL DISTRICTS OTHER THAN IN THE

CITY OF PHILADELPHIA

§ 12.  Magistrates, aldermen and justices of the peace.

§ 13.  Magisterial districts.

§ 14.  Magisterial districts.

PROTHONOTARIES AND CLERKS OTHER THAN IN THE

CITY OF PHILADELPHIA

§ 15.  Prothonotaries, clerks of courts, clerks of orphans' courts.

THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA

§ 16.  Courts and judges.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY

§ 17.  Courts.

§ 18.  Judges.

§ 19.  President judges.

§ 20.  President judges; court divisions.

THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH

§ 21.  Inferior courts.

CAUSES, PROCEEDINGS, BOOKS AND RECORDS

§ 22.  Causes, proceedings, books and records.

COMMISSION AND BOARD

§ 23.  Judicial Qualifications Commission.

§ 24.  Judicial discipline.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

§ 25.  Dispensing with trial by jury.

§ 26.  Writs of certiorari.

§ 27.  Judicial districts.

§ 28.  Referendum.

§ 29.  Persons specially admitted by local rules.

ARTICLE VI.  PUBLIC OFFICERS

§  1.  Selection of officers not otherwise provided for in Constitution.

§  2.  Incompatible offices.

§  3.  Oath of office.

§  4.  Power of impeachment.

§  5.  Trial of impeachments.

§  6.  Officers liable to impeachment.

§  7.  Removal of civil officers.

ARTICLE VII.  ELECTIONS

§  1.  Qualifications of electors.

§  2.  General election day.

§  3.  Municipal election day; offices to be filled on election days.

§  4.  Method of elections; secrecy in voting.

§  5.  Electors privileged from arrest.

§  6.  Election and registration laws.

§  7.  Bribery of electors.

§  8.  Witnesses in contested elections.

§  9.  Fixing election districts.

§ 10.  Viva voce elections.

§ 11.  Election officers.

§ 12.  Disqualifications for service as election officer.

§ 13.  Contested elections.

§ 14.  Absentee voting.

ARTICLE VIII.  TAXATION AND FINANCE

§  1.  Uniformity of taxation.

§  2.  Exemptions and special provisions.

§  3.  Reciprocal exemptions.

§  4.  Public utilities.

§  5.  Exemption from taxation restricted.

§  6.  Taxation of corporations.

§  7.  Commonwealth indebtedness.

§  8.  Commonwealth credit not to be pledged.

§  9.  Municipal debt not to be assumed by Commonwealth.

§ 10.  Audit.

§ 11.  Gasoline taxes and motor license fees restricted.

§ 12.  Governor's budgets and financial plan.

§ 13.  Appropriations.

§ 14.  Surplus.

§ 15.  Project "70".

§ 16.  Land and Water Conservation and Reclamation Fund.

§ 17.  Special emergency legislation.

ARTICLE IX.  LOCAL GOVERNMENT

§  1.  Local government.

§  2.  Home rule.

§  3.  Optional plans.

§  4.  County government.

§  5.  Intergovernmental cooperation.

§  6.  Area government.

§  7.  Area-wide powers.

§  8.  Consolidation, merger or boundary change.

§  9.  Appropriation for public purposes.

§ 10.  Local government debt.

§ 11.  Local reapportionment.

§ 12.  Philadelphia debt.

§ 13.  Abolition of county offices in Philadelphia.

§ 14.  Definitions.

ARTICLE X.  PRIVATE CORPORATIONS

§  1.  Certain unused charters void.

§  2.  Certain charters to be subject to the Constitution.

§  3.  Revocation, amendment and repeal of charters and corporation laws.

§  4.  Compensation for property taken by corporations under right of eminent domain.

ARTICLE XI.  AMENDMENTS

§  1.  Proposal of amendments by the General Assembly and their adoption.

SCHEDULE NO. 1  (ADOPTED WITH THE CONSTITUTION)

§  1.  When to take effect.

§  2.  Former laws remain in force.

§  3.  Election of Senators.

§  4.  Election of Senators (continued).

§  5.  Election of Governor.

§  6.  Election of Lieutenant Governor.

§  7.  Secretary of Internal Affairs.

§  8.  Superintendent of Public Instruction.

§  9.  Eligibility of present officers.

§ 10.  Judges of Supreme Court.

§ 11.  Courts of record.

§ 12.  Register's courts abolished.

§ 13.  Judicial districts.

§ 14.  Decennial adjustment of judicial districts.

§ 15.  Judges in commission.

§ 16.  President judges; casting lots; associate judges.

§ 17.  Compensation of judges.

§ 18.  Courts of Philadelphia and Allegheny Counties; organization in Philadelphia.