Bill > SB943

This bill proposes an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution that would establish a new constitutional principle requiring government branches (legislative, executive, and judicial) to interpret and execute laws strictly according to the original meanings of words and phrases in both the Pennsylvania and United States Constitutions at the time they were written. The proposed amendment would add a new section (§ 30) to Article I of the state constitution, asserting that the "sovereign will of the people" should be the highest law of the Commonwealth. The bill also outlines the procedural steps for implementing this constitutional amendment, which involves two passages by the General Assembly and subsequent advertising and submission to qualified voters at a general or municipal election that meets specific constitutional requirements. The core intent appears to be establishing a form of strict originalist interpretation of constitutional text, ensuring that government branches adhere closely to the original understanding of constitutional language when making legal and governmental decisions.

Government Affairs

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=S&type=B&bn=943