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Council Proposes Special Vote in May on Smoking Ban in Public Places and Workplaces

Official:Providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia of an amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter creating a new Chapter 5 entitled "Referenda Approved By The Voters" in Article VIII, Provisions of General Application, and creating a new Section 8-500 entitled "Smoking in Public Places and in the Workplace" calling on the Council of the City of Philadelphia to pass no legislation that will prohibit smoking in public places and in the workplace; fixing the date of a special election for such purpose; prescribing the form of ballot questions to be voted on; and authorizing the appropriate officers to publish notice and to make arrangements for the special election.

Sponsor: Councilmember Mariano

Introduced: February 24, 2005

: Committee of the Whole

public healthsmoking regulation

No one voted on this bill

This bill was introduced in the 2004–2007 Council term and when that term ran out. The public record shows no committee vote and no floor vote at any stage, so no member of Council ever went on record for or against it.

That is not unusual here. Of the 8,465 bills introduced between 2000 and 2025, 1,624 lapsed without a single recorded vote. Ninety percent of bills that became law carry a roll call. Three percent of lapsed bills do. How this works.

Plain-Language Summary

This bill proposes to hold a special election in May 2005 where Philadelphians would vote on whether the City Council should pass legislation prohibiting smoking in public places and workplaces.

What This Bill Does

AI-written. Every figure is checked against the bill text.

Creation of a new Chapter 5 entitled "Referenda Approved By The Voters" in Article VIII of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter.
Creation of a new Section 8-500 entitled "Smoking in Public Places and in the Workplace" in the same charter.
A special election would be held in May 2005 for the purpose of determining whether the City Council should pass legislation prohibiting smoking in public places and workplaces.
The election would be conducted in accordance with the procedures outlined in the bill, including the form of ballot questions and the publication of notice.