Bill Text: FL S1370 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Legislative Apportionment and Congressional Redistricting

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2015-05-01 - Died in Ethics and Elections [S1370 Detail]

Download: Florida-2015-S1370-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2015                                    SB 1370
       
       
        
       By Senator Bullard
       
       
       
       
       
       39-01358A-15                                          20151370__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to legislative apportionment and
    3         congressional redistricting; creating s. 11.31, F.S.;
    4         creating an independent commission on legislative
    5         apportionment and congressional redistricting;
    6         providing for the purpose, duties, and membership of
    7         the commission; requiring the Legislature to annually
    8         appropriate funds to the commission for employing
    9         professional staff and otherwise supporting the
   10         commission; requiring the commission’s office to be
   11         located in Orange County; requiring the commission to
   12         conduct public hearings; providing procedures for such
   13         hearings; requiring the commission to receive certain
   14         information from residents of the state through
   15         specified means; requiring the commission to transmit
   16         certain plans to the Legislature for consideration;
   17         providing that commission members and employees are
   18         subject to chs. 119 and 286, F.S., relating to public
   19         records and public meetings, respectively, and are
   20         subject to specified financial disclosure
   21         requirements; prohibiting persons not serving on or
   22         employed by the commission from influencing or
   23         attempting to influence commission members and
   24         employees other than through prescribed processes;
   25         providing criminal penalties; providing an effective
   26         date.
   27          
   28  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   29  
   30         Section 1. Section 11.31, Florida Statutes, is created to
   31  read:
   32         11.31 Independent commission on legislative apportionment
   33  and congressional redistricting.—
   34         (1)(a) To assist the Legislature in its decennial
   35  apportionment of the state into senatorial and representative
   36  districts and congressional redistricting, there is created an
   37  independent commission on legislative apportionment and
   38  congressional redistricting.
   39         (b)1. The commission shall coordinate the state’s decennial
   40  legislative apportionment and congressional redistricting
   41  activities, including, but not limited to, preparing and
   42  proposing reapportionment plans and redistricting plans to the
   43  Legislature and conducting public hearings on the proposed
   44  plans.
   45         2. Beginning in 2020, and for each decennial period
   46  thereafter, commission members must be appointed before January
   47  1, and the first commission meeting must occur before March 1.
   48         (2)(a) The commission shall consist of the following nine
   49  members, each of whom must be a registered elector of the state:
   50         1. One member appointed by the President of the Senate.
   51         2. One member appointed by the Speaker of the House of
   52  Representatives.
   53         3. One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the
   54  Senate.
   55         4. One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House
   56  of Representatives.
   57         5. Five members appointed by the Governor:
   58         a. One of whom must be a registered Republican, as
   59  designated on his or her voter registration.
   60         b. One of whom must be a registered Democrat, as designated
   61  on his or her voter registration.
   62         c. Three of whom must be registered with a minor political
   63  party or have no party affiliation, as designated on his or her
   64  voter registration.
   65         (b)1. A member must have resided in the state for at least
   66  5 years before appointment to the commission.
   67         2. A member must have registered with his or her political
   68  party, or have no party affiliation, for at least 5 years before
   69  appointment to the commission.
   70         (c) A commission member may not hold any elected office
   71  during his or her service on the commission.
   72         (d) Commission members shall serve without compensation but
   73  shall be reimbursed for per diem and travel expenses in
   74  accordance with s. 112.061.
   75         (3) The Legislature shall annually appropriate funds to the
   76  commission for employing professional staff, procuring office
   77  space and necessary equipment, and other expenses necessary for
   78  the staff to perform their duties. The commission’s office shall
   79  be located in Orange County.
   80         (4)(a) The commission shall conduct public hearings as part
   81  of its activities. The commission shall establish and publish in
   82  the Florida Administrative Register a schedule of hearings and
   83  hearing locations as soon as practicable after its first
   84  meeting.
   85         (b) The hearing process shall include hearings to receive
   86  public input before the commission draws a redistricting or
   87  reapportionment map. The commission shall also conduct hearings
   88  following the drawing and display of draft redistricting and
   89  reapportionment maps. The commission shall display the draft
   90  maps to the public for comment in a timely manner to achieve the
   91  widest public dissemination reasonably possible.
   92         (c) As part of the hearing process, the commission shall
   93  create and maintain a website through which residents of the
   94  state may submit information on behalf of any individual,
   95  employee, group, or themselves. The commission shall also
   96  implement procedures allowing residents to submit information by
   97  regular mail, telephone, and facsimile.
   98         (d) Beginning in 2022, and for each decennial period
   99  thereafter, plans developed and approved by the commission shall
  100  be transmitted to the Legislature before January 1 to be
  101  considered by the Legislature at its next regular session as
  102  required by s. 16, Art. III of the State Constitution.
  103         (5) In developing district boundaries, the commission must
  104  ensure that plans conform to ss. 20 and 21, Art. III of the
  105  State Constitution.
  106         (6) Commission members and employees are subject to the
  107  provisions of chapter 119, relating to public records, and the
  108  provisions of chapter 286, relating to public meetings, and
  109  shall comply with the applicable financial disclosure
  110  requirements of ss. 112.3148 and 112.3149.
  111         (7) Except in the manner provided in subsection (4), it is
  112  unlawful for a person not serving on or employed by the
  113  commission to influence or attempt to influence a commission
  114  member or employee to alter a plan in any way. A person who
  115  violates this subsection commits a felony of the third degree,
  116  punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
  117         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.