BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 375

By: Huffman

Redistricting

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Texas Legislature redraws the districts from which members are elected to the state senate and house of representatives, as well as for the U.S. Congress and the Texas State Board of Education, based on data from the federal decennial census. S.B. 375 seeks to reaffirm current law relating to the composition of the districts for the election of members of the Texas Senate.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 375 ratifies and adopts the districts established by Chapter 5 (S.B. 4), Acts of the 87th Legislature, 3rd Called Session, 2021, and identified as PLANS2168 in the Texas Legislature's redistricting system as the permanent districts used to elect members of the Texas Senate. The bill establishes that its purpose is to ensure the legislature has fulfilled its duty to apportion the state into senatorial districts at its first regular session after the publication of the 2020 federal census. The bill sets out the following legislative findings regarding the districts:

·         the districts are a continuation of the districts used for the election of the members of the Senate of the 88th Legislature;

·         accordingly, the bill's enactment does not require a new senate be chosen for the 89th Legislature for constitutional purposes; and

·         these legislative findings are consistent with the opinion of the court of appeals in Armbrister v. Morales.

S.B. 375 specifies that the districts apply to the election of the members of the Texas Senate beginning with the primary and general elections in 2024 for members of the 89th Legislature and that the bill does not affect the membership or districts of the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2023.