(a) An amendment to article nine of the Constitution of Pennsylvania which reads as follows, “Section 22.¹ In addition to the purposes stated in article nine, section four of this Constitution,² the Commonwealth may be authorized by law to create debt and to issue bonds to the amount of $500,000,000 for the payment of compensation to certain persons from this Commonwealth who shall have served in the armed forces of the United States or of any of her allies during World War II, between the seventh day of December, one thousand nine hundred forty-one and the second day of September, one thousand nine hundred forty-five, for the service of such persons to their country whether or not they be living when distribution shall be made, and if such persons shall be deceased when distribution shall be made, such deceased person's compensation shall be paid to his spouse, child, children or parents,” was adopted by the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania at the election of November 8, 1949.

(b) In implementation thereof the General Assembly enacted the act of May 18, 1949 (P.L. 1451)³ and bonds of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in aggregate principal amount $440,000,000 were authorized and issued.

(c) Funds not in excess of $1,000,000 are presently needed to accomplish fully such purposes.

(d) Therefore, the Governor, the Auditor General and the State Treasurer, in accordance with the provisions of the constitutional amendment set forth herein in section 2, subsection (a),⁴ are hereby authorized and directed to borrow, on the credit of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, such sum or sums of money not exceeding in the aggregate, at any one time, the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000), as may be found necessary to carry out the purposes of such amendment and statutes passed in conformity therewith.