Sep. 19, 2016
HARRISBURG – The state House today unanimously approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Kate Harper (R-Blue Bell) that would help active duty military personnel who wish to run for a local elective office.
“In many communities across the state, there are not enough candidates to fill vacancies on borough councils and township boards,” Harper said. “The last thing we want to do is make it more difficult for a person who is voluntarily serving our country to run for a local elective office just because he or she was deployed elsewhere for a period of time.”
Under
House Bill 2186, a person who has established residence in a community would remain a resident of that community during a period of active duty military service, specifically as it applies to any residency requirements outlined as a condition for running for a local elective office. The bill also says a resident would be deemed an ongoing resident of the municipality due to active military duty unless and until the person declares an intent to establish a new domicile outside the municipality.
“Case law has held that a person must be physically present in a place to be a resident, so a person returning to his or her permanent home after active military duty could be required to ‘restart the clock’ to meet a residency requirement,” Harper said. “That’s not fair to our dedicated military personnel, and it potentially robs our communities of their service on the local level.”
The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Representative Kate Harper
61st District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Rep. Harper’s Blue Bell Office
610.277.3230
KateHarper.net /
Facebook.com/RepKateHarper
kharper@pahousegop.com