AP Photo Pennsylvania House of Representatives Chambers at the Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019.

Pennsylvania has the largest full-time state legislature in the United States – something Sen. Lisa Boscola wants to see change in the coming years.

That change won’t happen quickly.

The last such proposal – by a Republican House of Representatives member in 2020 – didn’t make it out of committee. And, to become law, the legislation being drafted by state Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Bethlehem, would require an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution. That process requires the passage of identical versions of the bill by the legislature in back-to-back sessions, and ratification by voters through a simple majority. There have been efforts in the past that have been approved in one legislative session, but not the required second passage required to place the measure on the ballot for public approval.

Boscola proposes trimming the state House from 203 to 101 members and the Senate from 50 to 38 members.

“Pennsylvania currently has the largest full-time state legislature in the nation,” Boscola wrote in her co-sponsorship memorandum. “While the importance of strong constituent representation cannot be overstated, the size and cost of our legislature have become unsustainable and outdated for the needs of a modern and efficient government.”

Boscola isn’t the only lawmaker considering the idea. State Rep. Jeremy Shaffer, R-Allegheny, told the Pennsylvania Capital-Star that he’s in favor of both term limits and downsizing the legislature – including taking the state House of Representatives from 203 members to between 100 and 150 members.

Pennsylvania is one of 10 states that has a full-time legislature, and its 253-member legislature is the largest in the country. While the General Assembly meets nearly every month of the year in Harrisburg, the legislature takes lengthy recesses and votes a few times a month. Actual session days are about the same as states with part-time legislatures like New York, though some legislative committees or legislative hearings are held on non-voting days.

Stambaugh wrote in his memorandum that the National Conference of State Legislatures lists Pennsylvania’s legislature as among the nation’s most expensive.

“Beyond the fiscal and procedural benefits, this reform is a direct response to what we continue to hear from voters across the Commonwealth,” Boscola wrote. “Pennsylvanians have repeatedly expressed their desire for a smaller, more efficient, and more accountable legislature. This legislation offers a real opportunity to deliver on that expectation.”

Rep. Perry Stambaugh, R-New Bloomfield, has introduced House Bill 77, which lists Shaffer among its eight Republican co-sponsors, to authorize a study of whether or not to reduce the General Assembly to part-time status. The state Legislative Budget and Finance Committee would be asked to study pros and cons of a part-time legislature, including various methods, processes and timelines for a constitutional amendment switching to a part-time legislature, if the measure is approved by voters.

Stambaugh said a part-time legislature that uses technology for some of the legislature’s work in Harrisburg rather than requiring frequent trips to the capitol could make the legislature more efficient and cost-effective.

“There are many ways to make Pennsylvania’s legislature more efficient and less costly. We can and should look to examples of other states for guidance,” Stambaugh wrote in his co-sponsorship memorandum. “Reducing the time the General Assembly remains in session would shrink the cost of benefits, reduce the opportunity for political corruption (it is not mere coincidence that lobbying firms maintain their most significant presence in the few states with full-time legislatures), and, most importantly, force more productive legislative sessions — as worked successfully for PA prior to 1968.”