In 2022, the Pennsylvania No State Constitutional Right to Abortion Amendment passed in both the House and Senate chambers of the General Assembly. This initiative declared that the constitution grants no right to a taxpayer-funded abortion or any other right relating to abortion. Abortion is legal in Pennsylvania up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for the life of the mother and the “substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function.” The proposed amendment would maintain current laws regulating abortion and prevent the taxpayer funding of elective abortion.
In Pennsylvania, citizens do not have the power to initiate statewide initiatives or referenda. Only the legislature has this power. A proposed amendment requires a simple majority vote (50%+1) in each legislative chamber during two successive legislative sessions to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot.
A legislative session for Pennsylvania consists of two calendar years. To be put on this year’s November ballot, the proposed amendment that passed in 2022 would again have to pass through both House and Senate during the current 2023-2024 session. Due to the 2022 elections, the leadership of the PA General Assembly changed and is now divided: the Republicans control the Senate and the Democrats control the House.
The Pennsylvania No State Constitutional Right to Abortion Amendment would still need to go through the proper committees in order to go to the full chambers for a vote. Currently, there has been no movement in the House committees regarding this amendment.
To learn about other Pennsylvania measures, see PA Catholic Conference.
