Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 25, June 22, 2024
Section 15.64 - Declaration of purpose(a)Use. Language stating the purpose of a statute or a recital of facts upon which the statute is predicated should not be included in a statute. A well drafted statute requires no extraneous statement within itself of what it seeks to accomplish nor the reasons prompting its enactment. The practice of resorting to purpose clauses is but a revival of the tried and convicted preamble. However, if it is desirable to express the policy or purpose of a statute, the "declaration of purpose" is preferred to the preamble in a bill since it is a section of the statute and becomes part of the statute.(b)Form. The declaration of purpose may be a variation of the following form: "It is the purpose of this act to protect the health and safety of the people of Pennsylvania from the menace of drug addiction. The General Assembly intends that the criminal laws shall be enforced against drug users as well as other persons. This act shall not be construed as intending to substitute treatment for punishment where crimes are committed by drug users."