Bill Text: IL HB0059 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Redistricting Transparency and Public Participation Act. Creates the Independent Redistricting Commission to adopt and file with the Secretary of State a redistricting plan for Legislative and Representative Districts (rather than requiring the Senate and House of Representatives to each establish a committee, or the Senate and House of Representatives may create by joint resolution a joint committee of both chambers, to consider proposals to redistrict the Legislative Districts or Representative Districts). Provides the commissioner selection process and meeting and voting requirements to adopt a plan. Makes conforming changes in the Act. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Republican 12-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-06-15 - Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Avery Bourne [HB0059 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2021-HB0059-Introduced.html

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102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2021 and 2022 HB0059 Introduced , by Rep. Tim Butler SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
10 ILCS 125/10-10 new
10 ILCS 125/10-5 rep.
Amends the Redistricting Transparency and Public Participation Act. Creates the Independent Redistricting Commission to adopt and file with the Secretary of State a redistricting plan for Legislative and Representative Districts (rather than requiring the Senate and House of Representatives to each establish a committee, or the Senate and House of Representatives may create by joint resolution a joint committee of both chambers, to consider proposals to redistrict the Legislative Districts or Representative Districts). Provides the commissioner selection process and meeting and voting requirements to adopt a plan. Makes conforming changes in the Act. Effective immediately.
LRB102 02795 SMS 12803 b
A BILL FOR
HB0059 LRB102 02795 SMS 12803 b
AN ACT concerning elections.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Redistricting Transparency and Public
Participation Act is amended by adding Section 10-10 as
follows:
(10 ILCS 125/10-10 new)
Sec. 10-10. Independent Redistricting Commission.
(a) The Independent Redistricting Commission comprised of
11 commissioners shall adopt and file with the Secretary of
State a redistricting plan for Legislative Districts and
Representative Districts by June 30 of the year following each
federal decennial census. Legislative districts shall be
contiguous and substantially equal in population.
Representative Districts shall be contiguous and substantially
equal in population. The redistricting plan shall comply with
federal law. Subject to the foregoing, the Commission shall
apply the following criteria: (1) the redistricting plan shall
not dilute or diminish the ability of a racial or language
minority community to elect the candidates of its choice,
including when voting in concert with other persons; (2) the
redistricting plan shall respect the geographic integrity of
units of local government; and (3) the redistricting plan

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shall respect the geographic integrity of communities sharing
common social and economic interests, which do not include
relationships with political parties or candidates for office.
The redistricting plan shall not either intentionally or
unduly discriminate against or intentionally or unduly favor
any political party, political group, or particular person. In
designing the redistricting plan, the Commission shall
consider party registration and voting history data only to
assess compliance with the requirements in this subsection
(a).
(b) For the purpose of conducting the commissioner
selection process, an applicant review panel comprising of 3
reviewers shall be chosen in the manner set forth in this
subsection (b). Beginning not later than February 1 and ending
not later than February 8 following the year in which the
federal decennial census occurs, the Auditor General shall
request and accept applications to serve as a reviewer. The
Auditor General shall review all applications and select a
pool of 30 potential reviewers. The Auditor General should
select applicants for the pool of potential reviewers who
would operate in an ethical and non-partisan manner by
considering whether each applicant is a resident and
registered voter of the State and has been for the 4 years
preceding his or her application, has demonstrated
understanding of and adherence to standards of ethical
conduct, and has been unaffiliated with any political party

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for the 3 years preceding appointment. By February 15
following the year in which the federal decennial census
occurs, the Auditor General shall publicly select by random
draw the applicant review panel of 3 reviewers from the pool of
potential reviewers.
(c) Beginning not later than February 1 and ending not
later than February 15 following the year in which the federal
decennial census occurs, the Auditor General shall request and
accept applications to serve as a commissioner on the
Independent Redistricting Commission. By March 15 following
the year in which the federal decennial census occurs, the
applicant review panel shall select a pool of 100 potential
commissioners. The applicant review panel should select
applicants for the pool of potential commissioners who would
be diverse and unaffected by conflicts of interest by
considering whether each applicant is a resident and
registered voter of the State and has been for the 4 years
preceding his or her application, as well as each applicant's
prior political experience, relevant analytical skills,
ability to contribute to a fair redistricting process, and
ability to represent the demographic and geographic diversity
of the State. The applicant review panel shall act by
affirmative vote of 2 reviewers. All records of the applicant
review panel, including applications to serve on the applicant
review panel, shall be open for public inspection, except
private information about applicants for which there is no

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compelling public interest in disclosure.
(d) Not later than April 1 following the year in which the
federal decennial census occurs, the Speaker and Minority
Leader of the House of Representatives and the President and
Minority Leader of the Senate each may remove up to 5 of those
potential commissioners. Thereafter, but not later than April
15 following the year in which the federal decennial census
occurs, the applicant review panel shall publicly select 7
commissioners by random draw from the remaining pool of
potential commissioners; of those 7 commissioners, including
any replacements, (1) the 7 commissioners shall reside among
the judicial districts in the same proportion as the number of
judges elected therefrom under Section 3 of Article VI of the
Illinois Constitution, (2) 2 commissioners shall be affiliated
with the political party whose candidate for Governor received
the most votes cast in the last general election for Governor,
2 commissioners shall be affiliated with the political party
whose candidate for Governor received the second-most votes
cast in such election and the remaining 3 commissioners shall
not be affiliated with either such political party, and (3) no
more than 2 commissioners may be affiliated with the same
political party. The Speaker and Minority Leader of the House
of Representatives and the President and Minority Leader of
the Senate each shall appoint one commissioner from among the
remaining applicants in the pool of potential commissioners on
the basis of the appointee's contribution to the demographic

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and geographic diversity of the Commission. A vacancy on the
applicant review panel or Commission shall be filled within 5
days by a potential reviewer or potential commissioner from
among the applicants remaining in the pool of potential
reviewers or potential commissioners, respectively, in the
manner in which the office was previously filled.
(e) The Commission shall act in public meetings by
affirmative vote of 6 commissioners, except that approval of
any redistricting plan shall require the affirmative vote of
at least (1) 7 commissioners total, (2) 2 commissioners from
each political party whose candidate for Governor received the
most and second-most votes cast in the last general election
for Governor, and (3) 2 commissioners not affiliated with
either such political party. The Commission shall elect its
chairperson and vice chairperson, who shall not be affiliated
with the same political party. Six commissioners shall
constitute a quorum. All meetings of the Commission attended
by a quorum, except for meetings qualified under
attorney-client privilege, shall be open to the public and
publicly noticed at least 2 days before the meeting. All
records of the Commission, including communications between
commissioners regarding the Commission's work, shall be open
for public inspection, except for records qualified under
attorney-client privilege. The Commission shall adopt rules
governing its procedure, public hearings, and the
implementation of matters under this Section. The Commission

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shall hold public hearings throughout the State both before
and after releasing the initial proposed redistricting plan.
The Commission may not adopt a final redistricting plan unless
the plan to be adopted without further amendment, and a report
explaining its compliance with the Illinois Constitution, have
been publicly noticed at least 7 days before the final vote on
the redistricting plan.
(f) If the Independent Redistricting Commission does not
adopt a redistricting plan by June 30 of that year, pursuant to
Section 3 of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution, a
Legislative Redistricting Commission shall be constituted not
later than July 10.
(g) An adopted redistricting plan filed with the Secretary
of State shall be presumed valid and shall be published
promptly by the Secretary of State.
(h) The Supreme Court shall have original jurisdiction in
cases relating to matters under this Section.
(10 ILCS 125/10-5 rep.)
Section 10. The Redistricting Transparency and Public
Participation Act is amended by repealing Section 10-5.
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.