Bill Text: NJ A2551 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires incarcerated persons be counted as residents of their previous address, not prison, for redistricting purposes.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-03-16 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State Government Committee [A2551 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-A2551-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN
District 15 (Mercer)
Assemblyman ALBERT COUTINHO
District 29 (Essex and Union)
SYNOPSIS
Requires incarcerated persons be counted as residents of their previous address, not prison, for redistricting purposes.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the use of certain federal decennial census information for redistricting purposes and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the population count used by the Apportionment Commission to create legislative districts pursuant to Article IV, Sections II and III of the New Jersey Constitution, used by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission to create Congressional districts pursuant to Article II, Section II of the New Jersey Constitution, and used to conduct any other form of redistricting required to be conducted pursuant to current law, shall not include, if possible, any individual who, when counted for the purpose of the official decennial census of the United States for New Jersey, was incarcerated in a State or federal correctional institution in this State and was not a resident of this State before such incarceration. Instead, the population count used for these purposes shall, if possible, count individuals incarcerated in a State or federal correctional institution, as determined by the official decennial census, only at their last known residence before incarceration and only if those individuals were residents of this State.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that the population count used by the Apportionment Commission to create legislative districts, and used by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission to create Congressional districts and used to conduct any other form of redistricting required to be conducted pursuant to current law, cannot include, if possible, any individual who, when counted for the purpose of the official decennial census of the United States for New Jersey, was incarcerated in a State or federal correctional institution in this State and was not a resident of this State before such incarceration. Instead, the population count used for these purposes must count, if possible, individuals incarcerated in a State or federal correctional institution, as determined by the official decennial census, only at their last known residence before incarceration and only if those individuals were residents of this State.
