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Council Submits Plan for Independent Police Oversight Agency to Voters in Upcoming May Ballot

Official:Providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia of the proposal set forth in a Resolution approved by Council proposing an amendment of The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter relating to the creation, funding, appointment, powers and duties of a Police Advisory Commission to service as the citizen oversight agency of the Philadelphia Police Department; and authorizing the appropriate officers to publish notice and to make arrangements for the special election.

Sponsor: Councilmember Jones

Introduced: September 11, 2014

: Committee on Law and Government

citizen oversightgovernment public safety

No one voted on this bill

This bill was introduced in the 2012–2015 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 puts a question on the May ballot asking voters if they want to create an independent Police Advisory Commission to oversee the Philadelphia Police Department.

What This Bill Does

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

Submits a question to the qualified electors of the City of Philadelphia asking if they want to create an independent Police Advisory Commission to oversee the Philadelphia Police Department.
Seeks to amend The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter to establish the creation, funding, appointment, powers, and duties of the Police Advisory Commission.
Authorizes the Clerk of Council to certify the resolution to the Board of Elections for placement on the May ballot.
Schedules the question for the May 19, 2015 election.