1 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Chapter 19 - Rules Of Construction

• Chapter Notes

Subchapter A.  Construction of Words and Phrases

• Section 1901 - Rules Of Interpretation
  In the construction of the statutes of this Commonwealth, the rules set forth in this chapter shall be observed, unless the application of such...
• Section 1902 - Number; Gender; Tense
  The singular shall include the plural, and the plural, the singular. Words used in the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter. Words...
• Section 1903 - Words And Phrases
  (a) General rule.--Words and phrases shall be construed according to rules of grammar and according to their common and approved usage; but technical words...
• Section 1904 - Numerals
  The Roman numerals and the Arabic numerals shall be deemed parts of the English language.
• Section 1905 - Joint Authority; Quorum
  (a) Joint authority.--Words in a statute conferring a joint authority upon three or more public officers or other persons shall be construed to confer...
• Section 1906 - Bonds
  A statute requiring a bond or undertaking with sureties to be given by any person, shall be construed to permit in lieu thereof a...
• Section 1907 - Uniform Standard Time
  Every mention of, or reference to any hour or time in any statute, shall be construed with reference to and in accordance with the...
• Section 1908 - Computation Of Time
  When any period of time is referred to in any statute, such period in all cases, except as otherwise provided in section 1909 of...
• Section 1909 - Time; Publication For Successive Weeks
  Whenever in any statute providing for the publishing of notices, the phrase "successive weeks" is used, weeks shall be construed as calendar weeks. The...
• Section 1910 - Time; Computation Of Months
  Whenever in any statute the lapse of a number of months after or before a certain day is required, such number of months shall...

Subchapter B.  Construction of Statutes

• Section 1921 - Legislative Intent Controls
  (a) Object and scope of construction of statutes.--The object of all interpretation and construction of statutes is to ascertain and effectuate the intention of...
• Section 1922 - Presumptions In Ascertaining Legislative Intent
  In ascertaining the intention of the General Assembly in the enactment of a statute the following presumptions, among others, may be used: (1) That...
• Section 1923 - Grammar And Punctuation Of Statutes
  (a) Grammatical errors and transposition of words.--Grammatical errors shall not vitiate a statute. A transposition of words and clauses may be resorted to where...
• Section 1924 - Construction Of Titles, Preambles, Provisos, Exceptions And Headings
  The title and preamble of a statute may be considered in the construction thereof. Provisos shall be construed to limit rather than to extend...
• Section 1925 - Constitutional Construction Of Statutes
  The provisions of every statute shall be severable. If any provision of any statute or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is...
• Section 1926 - Presumption Against Retroactive Effect
  No statute shall be construed to be retroactive unless clearly and manifestly so intended by the General Assembly.
• Section 1927 - Construction Of Uniform Laws
  Statutes uniform with those of other states shall be interpreted and construed to effect their general purpose to make uniform the laws of those...
• Section 1928 - Rule Of Strict And Liberal Construction
  (a) Statutes in derogation of common law.--The rule that statutes in derogation of the common law are to be strictly construed, shall have no...
• Section 1929 - Penalties No Bar To Civil Remedies
  The provision in any statute for a penalty or forfeiture for its violation shall not be construed to deprive an injured person of the...
• Section 1930 - Penalties For Each Offense
  Whenever a penalty or forfeiture is provided for the violation of a statute, such penalty or forfeiture shall be construed to be for each...
• Section 1931 - Intent To Defraud
  Whenever an intent to defraud is required in any statute in order to constitute an offense, the statute shall be construed to require only...
• Section 1932 - Statutes In Pari Materia
  (a) Meaning.--Statutes or parts of statutes are in pari materia when they relate to the same persons or things or to the same class...
• Section 1933 - Particular Controls General
  Whenever a general provision in a statute shall be in conflict with a special provision in the same or another statute, the two shall...
• Section 1934 - Irreconcilable Clauses In The Same Statute
  Except as provided in section 1933 of this title (relating to particular controls general), whenever, in the same statute, several clauses are irreconcilable, the...
• Section 1935 - Irreconcilable Statutes Passed By Same General Assembly
  Whenever the provisions of two or more statutes enacted finally during the same General Assembly are irreconcilable, the statute latest in date of final...
• Section 1936 - Irreconcilable Statutes Passed By Different General Assemblies
  Whenever the provisions of two or more statutes enacted finally by different General Assemblies are irreconcilable, the statute latest in date of final enactment...
• Section 1937 - References To Statutes And Regulations
  (a) General rule.--A reference in a statute to a statute or to a regulation issued by a public body or public officer includes the...
• Section 1938 - References To Public Bodies And Public Officers
  A reference in a statute to a governmental agency, department, board, commission or other public body or to a public officer includes an entity...
• Section 1939 - Use Of Comments And Reports
  The comments or report of the commission, committee, association or other entity which drafted a statute may be consulted in the construction or application...

Subchapter C.  Amendatory Statutes

• Section 1951 - Interpretation Of Amendatory Statutes
  In ascertaining the correct reading, status and interpretation of an amendatory statute, the matter inserted within brackets shall be omitted, and the matter in...
• Section 1952 - Effect Of Separate Amendments On Code Provisions &Nbsp; enacted By Same General Assembly.
  § 1952. Effect of separate amendments on code provisions enacted by same General Assembly. Whenever any existing statute, incorporated into and repealed by a...
• Section 1953 - Construction Of Amendatory Statutes
  Whenever a section or part of a statute is amended, the amendment shall be construed as merging into the original statute, become a part...
• Section 1954 - Merger Of Subsequent Amendments
  Whenever a statute has been more than once amended, the latest amendment shall be read into the original statute as previously amended and not...
• Section 1955 - Two Or More Amendments To Same Provision, One &Nbsp; overlooking The Other.
  § 1955. Two or more amendments to same provision, one overlooking the other. Whenever two or more amendments to the same provision of a...
• Section 1956 - Repeal Of Amendatory Statutes And Original Statutes Subsequently Amended
  The repeal of an amendatory statute does not revive the corresponding provision or section of the original statute or of any prior amendment. Except...
• Section 1957 - Ineffective Provisions Not Revived By Reenactment In Amendatory Statutes
  Provisions of a statute no longer effective because of having been deleted by an earlier amendment or otherwise shall not be construed as being...

Subchapter D.  Reenactments

• Section 1961 - Effect Of Reenactment On Original Statute
  Whenever a statute reenacts a former statute, the provisions common to both statutes shall date from their first adoption. Such provisions only of the...
• Section 1962 - Repeal And Reenactment
  Whenever a statute is repealed and its provisions are at the same time reenacted in the same or substantially the same terms by the...
• Section 1963 - Effect Of Reenactment On Intervening Statutes
  A statute which reenacts the provisions of an earlier statute shall not be construed to repeal an intermediate statute which modified but did not...

Subchapter E.  Repealing Statutes

• Section 1971 - Implied Repeal By Later Statute
  (a) Revision or exclusive system covering entire subject.--Whenever a statute purports to be a revision of all statutes upon a particular subject, or sets...
• Section 1972 - Nonexistence Of Reason For Statute Does Not Effect Repeal
  A statute shall not be deemed repealed because the reason for its passage no longer exists.
• Section 1973 - No Implied Repeal By Nonuser
  A statute shall not be deemed repealed by failure to use such statute.
• Section 1974 - Effect Of Separate Repeals On Code Provisions By Same General Assembly
  Whenever a statute repeals any provision of another statute incorporated into a code adopted by the same General Assembly, the statute repealing the provision...
• Section 1975 - Effect Of Repeal On Limitations
  Whenever a limitation or period of time, prescribed in any statute for acquiring a right or barring a remedy, or for any other purpose,...
• Section 1976 - Effect Of Repeal On Rights, et Cetera
  (a) Existing rights and pending actions.--The repeal of any civil provisions of a statute shall not affect or impair any act done, or right...
• Section 1977 - Repeal Does Not Revive Repealed Statute
  The repeal of a repealing statute shall not be construed to revive the statute originally repealed.
• Section 1978 - Repeal As Obsolete Does Not Affect Substantive Rights
  Whenever a statute which created a personal or property right in derogation of the common law is repealed as obsolete or by a code...

Subchapter F.  Definitions of Words and Phrases

• Section 1991 - Definitions
  The following words and phrases, when used in any statute finally enacted on or after September 1, 1937, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise,...

Last modified: October 8, 2016