Bill > SB277

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to modify the tenure rules for justices and judges in Pennsylvania. Currently, justices and judges serve ten-year terms (six years for Philadelphia municipal court judges and justices of the peace), and they can seek retention through a voter election process. The key change is that justices of the Supreme Court, judges of the Superior Court, and judges of the Commonwealth Court will now be limited to serving two terms on each court. However, any justice or judge who has already exceeded this term limitation will be permitted to complete their current term in office. The retention process remains largely unchanged: judges can file a declaration of candidacy for retention, and voters will decide at a municipal election whether to retain them, with a majority vote allowing the judge to serve another full term. If a judge does not file for retention or is not retained by voters, a vacancy will be created at the end of their term, to be filled by election or appointment. The bill also outlines the procedural steps for implementing this constitutional amendment, which include advertising the proposed changes and submitting the amendment to voters at the first eligible general or municipal election.

Government Affairs

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=S&type=B&bn=277