PA Marriage Amendment Fails

July 3, 2006

HARRISBURG—The Pennsylvania Legislature recessed for the summer without passing an amendment that would have prohibited same-sex marriage and, perhaps, civil unions and domestic partnerships.

The Pennsylvania Assembly had passed a version of the amendment that prohibited all same-sex unions, including marriage, domestic partnership and civil unions. The Pennsylvania Senate, however, passed a version that struck the language prohibiting civil unions and domestic partnerships. The two houses were unable to reconcile the different versions prior to the end of the legislative session. As a result, the proposed amendment died.

The Pennsylvania Constitution may only be amended by passing a proposed amendment in two separate legislative sessions, after which the proposed amendment must be approved by a majority of the state's voters in a general election.

Because of the failure to pass the proposed amendment in the current session, the earliest that an amendment could be placed on the ballot would be 2009.

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