Bill Text: VA HB877 | 2020 | Regular Session | Prefiled
Bill Title: Redistricting; establishes Virginia Redistricting Commission.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-07 - Incorporates HB877 (Sickles) [HB877 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2020-HB877-Prefiled.html
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §§24.2-306, 24.2-309.2, 30-263, 30-264, and 30-265 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Title 30 a chapter numbered 60, consisting of sections numbered 30-376 through 30-386, as follows:
§24.2-306. Changes not to be enacted within 60 days of general election; notice requirements.
A. No change in any local election district, precinct, or polling place shall be enacted within 60 days next preceding any general election. Notice shall be published prior to enactment in a newspaper having general circulation in the election district or precinct once a week for two successive weeks. The published notice shall state where descriptions and maps of proposed boundary and polling place changes may be inspected.
B. Notice of any adopted change in any election district, town, precinct, or polling place other than in the location of the office of the general registrar shall be mailed to all registered voters whose election district, town, precinct, or polling place is changed at least 15 days prior to the next general, special, or primary election in which the voters will be voting in the changed election district, town, precinct, or polling place. Notice of a change in the location of the office of the general registrar shall be given by posting on the official website of the county or city, by posting at not less than 10 public places, or by publication once in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or city within not more than 21 days in advance of the change or within seven days following the change.
C. Each county, city, and town shall comply with the
applicable requirements of law, including §§24.2-304.3 and 30-264 30-380,
and send copies of enacted changes, including a Geographic Information System
(GIS) map showing the new boundaries of the districts or precincts, to the
local electoral board, the Department, and the Division of Legislative
Services. Any county, city, or town that does not have GIS capabilities may
request the Department of Elections to create on its behalf a GIS map showing the
boundaries of the new districts or precincts, and the Department of Elections
shall create such a map.
§24.2-309.2. Election precincts; prohibiting precinct changes for specified period of time.
No county, city, or town shall create, divide, abolish, or consolidate any precincts, or otherwise change the boundaries of any precinct, effective during the period from February 1, 2019, to May 15, 2021, except as (i) provided by law upon a change in the boundaries of the county, city, or town, (ii) the result of a court order, (iii) the result of a change in the form of government, or (iv) the result of an increase or decrease in the number of local election districts other than at-large districts. Any ordinance required to comply with the requirements of §24.2-307 shall be adopted on or before February 1, 2019.
If a change in the boundaries of a precinct is required
pursuant to clause (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv), the county, city, or town shall
comply with the applicable requirements of law, including §§24.2-304.3 and 30-264 30-380,
and send copies of the ordered or enacted changes to the State Board of
Elections and the Division of Legislative Services.
This section shall not prohibit any county, city, or town from adopting an ordinance revising precinct boundaries after January 1, 2021. However, no revisions in precinct boundaries shall be implemented in the conduct of elections prior to May 15, 2021.
§30-263. Joint Reapportionment Committee; membership; terms; quorum; compensation and expenses.
A. The Joint Reapportionment Committee is established in the legislative branch of state government. The Committee shall consist of five members of the Committee on Privileges and Elections of the House of Delegates and three members of the Committee on Privileges and Elections of the Senate appointed by the respective chairmen of the two committees. Members shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office.
B. The Joint Committee shall elect a chairman and vice-chairman from among its membership. A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum. The meetings of the Committee shall be held at the call of the chairman or whenever the majority of the members so request.
C. The Joint Committee shall supervise activities required for
the tabulation of population for the census and for the timely reception of
precinct population data for reapportionment, and
perform such other duties and responsibilities and exercise such supervision as
may promote the orderly redistricting of congressional, state legislative, and
local election districts.
D. Members shall receive such compensation as provided in § 30-19.12 and shall be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in §§2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825. Funding for the costs of compensation and expenses of the members shall be provided by the Office of the Clerk of the House of Delegates and the Office of Clerk of the Senate for their respective members.
§30-264. Staff to Joint Reapportionment Committee.
A. The
Division of Legislative Services (the Division) shall serve as staff to the
Joint Reapportionment Committee. The Director of the
Division, or his designated representative, shall serve as the state liaison
with the United States Bureau of the Census on matters relating to the
tabulation of the population for reapportionment purposes pursuant to United
States Public Law 94-171. The governing bodies, electoral boards, and
registrars of every county and municipality shall cooperate with the Division
in the exchange of all statistical and other information pertinent to
preparation for the census.
B. The Division shall
maintain the current election district and precinct boundaries of each county
and city as a part of the General Assembly's computer-assisted mapping and
redistricting system. Whenever a county or city governing body adopts an
ordinance that changes an election district or precinct boundary, the local
governing body shall provide a copy of its ordinance, along with Geographic
Information System (GIS) maps and other evidence documenting the boundary, to
the Division.
C. The Division shall
prepare and maintain a written description of the boundaries for the
congressional, senatorial, and House of Delegates districts set out in Article
2 (§24.2-302 et seq.) of Chapter 3 of Title 24.2. The descriptions shall
identify each district boundary, insofar as practicable, by reference to
political subdivision boundaries or to physical features such as named roads
and streets. The Division shall furnish to each general registrar the
descriptions for the districts dividing his county or city. The provisions of
Article 2, including the statistical reports referred to in Article 2, shall be
controlling in any legal determination of a district boundary.
§30-265. Reapportionment of congressional and state legislative districts; United States Census population counts.
For the purposes of redrawing the boundaries of the
congressional, state Senate, and House of Delegates districts after the United
States Census for the year 2000 and every 10 years thereafter, the General Assembly Virginia Redistricting Commission
shall use the population data provided by the United States Bureau of the
Census identical to those from the actual enumeration conducted by the Bureau
for the apportionment of the Representatives of the United States House of
Representatives following the United States decennial census, except that the
census data used for this apportionment purpose shall not include any
population figure which is not allocated to specific census blocks within the
Commonwealth, even though that population may have been included in the
apportionment population figures of the Commonwealth for the purpose of
allocating United States House of Representatives seats among the states.
§30-376. Virginia Redistricting Commission.
The Virginia Redistricting Commission is established in the legislative branch of state government. It shall be convened in the year 2020 and every 10 years thereafter for the purpose of establishing districts for the United States House of Representatives and for the Senate and the House of Delegates of the General Assembly.
As used in this chapter:
"Census data" means the population data received from the United States Bureau of the Census pursuant to P.L. 94-171.
"Commission" means the Virginia Redistricting Commission established pursuant to this chapter.
"Committee" means the Redistricting Commission Selection Committee established pursuant to §30-378.
"Partisan public office" means (i) an elective or appointive office in the executive or legislative branch or in an independent establishment of the federal government; (ii) an elective office in the executive or legislative branch of the government of the Commonwealth, or an office that is filled by appointment and is exempt from the Virginia Personnel Act (§ 2.2-2900 et seq.); or (iii) an office of a county, city, or other political subdivision of the Commonwealth that is filled by an election process involving nomination and election of candidates on a partisan basis.
"Political party office" means an elective office in the national or state organization of a political party, as defined in § 24.2-101.
§30-377. Membership; terms; vacancies; chairman; quorum; compensation and expenses.
A. The Virginia Redistricting Commission shall consist of 16 commissioners that include eight legislative commissioners and eight citizen commissioners as follows: two commissioners shall be members of the Senate of Virginia, representing the political party having the highest number of members in the Senate and appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate; two commissioners shall be members of the Senate, representing the political party having the next highest number of members in the Senate and appointed by the leader of that political party; two commissioners shall be members of the House of Delegates, representing the political party having the highest number of members in the House of Delegates and appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates; two commissioners shall be members of the House of Delegates, representing the political party having the next highest number of members in the House of Delegates and appointed by the leader of that political party; and eight citizen commissioners who shall be selected by the Redistricting Commission Selection Committee pursuant to §30-379.
B. Legislative commissioners selected to serve as commissioners of the Virginia Redistricting Commission shall be appointed by the respective authorities no later than December 1 of the year ending in zero and shall continue to serve until their successors are appointed. Appointments to fill vacancies, other than by expiration of a term, shall be for the unexpired terms. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment, such that the proper partisan balance of the Commission is maintained.
C. Citizen commissioners selected to serve as commissioners of the Virginia Redistricting Commission shall be selected by the Redistricting Commission Selection Committee as provided in §30-379. They shall be appointed no later than January 15 of the year ending in one and shall continue to serve until their successors are appointed. Appointments to fill vacancies, other than by expiration of a term, shall be for the unexpired terms. Vacancies shall be filled by the Committee by selecting a replacement from the list submitted pursuant to subsection E of §30-379 from which his predecessor was selected.
D. Legislative commissioners shall receive such compensation as provided in §30-19.12 and citizen commissioners shall receive such compensation as provided in §2.2-2813 for their services. All members shall be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in §§2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825. All such compensation and expense payments shall come from existing appropriations to the Commission.
E. By February 1 of the year ending in one, the Commission shall hold a public meeting at which it shall select a chairman from its membership. The chairman shall be a citizen commissioner and shall be responsible for coordinating the work of the Commission. A majority of the commissioners appointed, which majority shall include a majority of the legislative commissioners and a majority of the citizen commissioners, shall constitute a quorum.
F. The Commission shall hire a qualified expert political or social scientist for purposes of conducting complete racial voting analysis reports and reviewing proposed plans for compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended, and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, pursuant to subsection D of §30-382. Such hiring shall require a majority vote of the Commission, which majority shall include majority of the legislative commissioners and a majority of the citizen commissioners.
G. All meetings and records of the Commission shall be subject to the Freedom of Information Act (§2.2-3700 et seq.), except as provided in subsection E of § 30-379. All records and documents of the Commission, or any individual or group performing delegated functions of or advising the Commission, related to the Commission's work, including internal communications and communications from outside parties, shall be considered public information.
§30-378. Redistricting Commission Selection Committee; chairman; quorum; compensation and expenses.
A. There shall be a Redistricting Commission Selection Committee established for the purpose of selecting the citizen commissioners of the Virginia Redistricting Commission. This committee shall consist of five retired judges of the circuit courts of Virginia.
B. By November 15 of the year ending in zero, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia shall certify to the Speaker of the House of Delegates, the leader in the House of Delegates of the political party having the next highest number of members in the House of Delegates, the President pro tempore of the Senate of Virginia, and the leader in the Senate of Virginia of the political party having the next highest number of members in the Senate of Virginia a list of retired judges of the circuit courts of Virginia who are willing to serve on the Committee. These members shall each select a judge from the list and promptly, but not later than November 20, communicate their selection to the Chief Justice, who shall immediately notify the four judges selected. Within three days of being notified of their selection, the four judges shall select, by a majority vote, a judge from the list prescribed herein to serve as the fifth member of the Committee, who shall serve as the chair of the Committee.
A majority of the judges, which majority shall include the chair, shall constitute a quorum.
The judges of the Committee shall serve until their successors are appointed. If a judge cannot, for any reason, complete his term, the remaining judges shall select a replacement from the list prescribed herein.
C. Members of the Committee shall receive compensation for their services and shall be allowed all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in §§2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825. The compensation and expenses of members and all other necessary expenses of the Committee shall be provided from existing appropriations to the Commission.
D. All meetings and records of the Committee shall be subject to the Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.), except as provided in subsection E of § 30-379.
E. Notwithstanding the provisions of §1-210 regarding the computation of time, if an act required by this section is to be performed on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday or any day or part of a day on which the government office where the act to be performed is closed, the act required shall be performed on the first business day immediately preceding the Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, or day on which the government office is closed.
§30-379. Citizen commissioners; application process; qualifications; selection.
A. Within three days following the selection of the fifth member of the Committee, the Committee shall adopt an application and process by which residents of the Commonwealth may apply to serve on the Commission.
The application for service on the Commission shall require applicants to provide personal contact information and information regarding the applicant's (i) race, ethnicity, gender, age, date of birth, and household income; (ii) voter registration status; (iii) education and employment history, including any current or prior employment with the Congress of the United States or one of its members, the General Assembly or one of its members, or a campaign for local, state, or federal office; (iv) history of any partisan public offices or political party offices held or sought; and (v) relatives who are or have been a member of the Congress of the United States or of the General Assembly.
The Committee may direct applicants to provide information regarding the applicant's qualifications to serve on the Commission, or any involvements with, or financial contributions to, professional, social, political, volunteer, and community organizations and causes.
The Committee may require applicants to submit three letters of recommendation from individuals or organizations.
The application process shall provide for both paper and electronic or online applications. The Committee shall cause to be advertised throughout the Commonwealth information about the Commission and how interested persons may apply.
B. To be eligible for service on the Commission, a person shall be a qualified voter of the Commonwealth. No person shall be eligible for service on the Commission who:
1. Holds or has held partisan public office or political party office;
2. Is a relative of or is employed by a member of the Congress of the United States or of the General Assembly or is employed directly by the United States Congress or by the General Assembly;
3. Is employed by or has been employed by any local, state, or federal campaign; or
4. Is a lobbyist registered pursuant to Article 3 (§2.2-418 et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 2.2 or a lobbyist's principal as defined in § 2.2-419.
C. The application period shall begin no later than December 1 of the year ending in zero and shall end four weeks after the beginning date. During this period, interested persons shall submit a completed application and any required documentation to the Division of Legislative Services. The Division of Legislative Services shall make available the application for persons to use when submitting a paper application and shall provide electronic access for electronic submission of applications.
D. Within two days of the close of the application period, the Division of Legislative Services shall provide to the Speaker of the House of Delegates, the leader in the House of Delegates of the political party having the next highest number of members in the House of Delegates, the President pro tempore of the Senate of Virginia, and the leader in the Senate of Virginia of the political party having the next highest number of members in the Senate of Virginia the applications and documentation submitted by those applicants who are eligible for service on the Commission pursuant to subsection B and submitted complete applications, including any required documentation.
E. By January 1 of the year ending in one, those persons receiving the applications pursuant to subsection D shall each submit to the Committee a list of at least 16 citizen candidates for service on the Commission. They shall also notify the Division of Legislative Services of the citizen candidates submitted to the Committee for consideration and the Division of Legislative Services shall promptly provide to the Committee the applications and documentation for each citizen candidate being considered. The applications and documentation for each citizen candidate shall be maintained as public records.
F. Within two weeks of receipt of the lists of citizen candidates and related materials pursuant to subsection E, the Committee shall select, by a majority vote in a public meeting, two citizen members from each list submitted. In making its selections, the Committee shall give consideration to the racial, ethnic, and geographic diversity of the Commonwealth. The Committee shall promptly notify those eight citizens of their selection to serve as citizen commissioners of the Commission.
G. Notwithstanding the provisions of §1-210 regarding the computation of time, if an act required by this section is to be performed on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday or any day or part of a day on which the government office where the act to be performed is closed, the act required shall be performed on the first business day immediately preceding the Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, or day on which the government office is closed.
§30-380. Staff to Virginia Redistricting Commission; census liaison.
A. The Division of Legislative Services shall provide staff support to the Commission. Staff shall perform those duties assigned to it by the Commission. The Director of the Division of Legislative Services, or his designated representative, shall serve as the state liaison with the United States Bureau of the Census on matters relating to the tabulation of the population for reapportionment purposes pursuant to P.L. 94-171. The governing bodies, electoral boards, and registrars of every county and municipality shall cooperate with the Division of Legislative Services in the exchange of all statistical and other information pertinent to preparation for the census.
B. The Division of Legislative Services shall maintain the current election district and precinct boundaries of each county and city as a part of the Commission's computer-assisted mapping and redistricting system. Whenever a county or city governing body adopts an ordinance that changes an election district or precinct boundary, the local governing body shall provide a copy of its ordinance, along with Geographic Information System (GIS) maps and other evidence documenting the boundary, to the Division of Legislative Services.
C. The Division of Legislative Services shall prepare and maintain a written description of the boundaries for the congressional, senatorial, and House of Delegates districts set out in Article 2 (§24.2-302.2 et seq.) of Chapter 3 of Title 24.2. The descriptions shall identify each district boundary, insofar as practicable, by reference to political subdivision boundaries or to physical features such as named roads and streets. The Division of Legislative Services shall furnish to each general registrar the descriptions for the districts dividing his county or city. The provisions of Article 2, including the statistical reports referred to in Article 2, shall be controlling in any legal determination of a district boundary.
§30-381. Public participation in redistricting process.
A. Prior to proposing any plan for districts for the United States House of Representatives, the Senate, or the House of Delegates and prior to voting to submit such plans to the General Assembly, the Commission shall hold at least three public hearings in different parts of the Commonwealth in order to receive and consider comments from the public.
B. The Commission shall establish and maintain a website or other equivalent electronic platform. The website shall be available to the general public and shall be used to disseminate information about the Commission's activities. The website shall be capable of receiving comments and proposals by citizens of the Commonwealth. Prior to voting on any proposed plan, the Commission shall publish the proposed plans on the website.
§30-382. Proposal and submission of plans for districts.
A. The Commission shall submit to the General Assembly plans for districts for the Senate and the House of Delegates of the General Assembly no later than 45 days following the receipt of census data.
To be submitted as a proposed plan for districts for members of the Senate, a plan shall receive affirmative votes of at least six of the eight legislative commissioners, including at least three of the four legislative commissioners who are members of the Senate, and at least six of the eight citizen commissioners.
To be submitted as a proposed plan for districts for members of the House of Delegates, a plan shall receive affirmative votes of at least six of the eight legislative commissioners, including at least three of the four legislative commissioners who are members of the House of Delegates, and at least six of the eight citizen commissioners.
B. The Commission shall submit to the General Assembly plans for districts for the United States House of Representatives no later than 60 days following the receipt of census data or by the first day of July of that year, whichever occurs first.
To be submitted as a proposed plan for districts for members of the United States House of Representatives, a plan shall receive affirmative votes of at least six of the eight legislative commissioners and at least six of the eight citizen commissioners.
C. If the Commission fails to submit a plan for districts by the deadline set forth in subsection A or B, the Commission shall have 14 days following its initial failure to submit a plan to the General Assembly. If the Commission fails to submit a plan for districts to the General Assembly by this date, the districts shall be established by the Supreme Court of Virginia pursuant to §30-384.
D. All plans to be submitted to the General Assembly shall, prior to submission, be reviewed by a qualified expert political or social scientist who shall have conducted complete racial voting analyses reports on voting patterns in Virginia. The review of a proposed plan shall include standard statistical analyses for determining voting patterns by race and any other reports deemed necessary by the Commission or the expert. These analyses shall demonstrate the degree to which the proposed plan comply with the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended, and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.
§30-383. Consideration of plans by the General Assembly; timeline.
A. All plans for districts for the Senate and the House of Delegates shall be embodied in and voted on as a single bill.
B. All bills embodying plans for districts for the United States House of Representatives, the Senate, or the House of Delegates shall be voted on by the General Assembly in accordance with the provisions of Article IV, Section 11 of the Constitution of Virginia, except no amendments shall be permitted. All bills embodying a plan that are approved by both houses shall become law without the signature of the Governor and, pursuant to Article II, Section 6 of the Constitution of Virginia, shall take effect immediately.
C. Within 15 days of receipt of any plan for districts, the General Assembly shall take a vote on a bill embodying such plan. If the General Assembly fails to adopt the bill by this deadline, the Commission shall submit a new plan for districts within 14 days of the General Assembly's failure to adopt the bill. Within seven days of receipt of such plan, the General Assembly shall take a vote on the bill embodying the plan, and if the General Assembly fails to adopt the plan by this deadline, the districts shall be established by the Supreme Court of Virginia pursuant to §30-384.
D. If the Commission submits a plan for districts pursuant to subsection C of §30-382, the General Assembly shall take a vote on such plan within seven days of its receipt. If the General Assembly fails to adopt the plan by this deadline, the districts shall be established by the Supreme Court of Virginia pursuant to §30-384.
§30-384. Establishment of districts by the Supreme Court of Virginia.
A. In the event the Commission fails to submit a plan for districts by a deadline set forth in §30-382, or the General Assembly fails to adopt a plan for districts by the deadline set forth in subsection C or D of §30-383, the Supreme Court of Virginia (the Court) shall be responsible for establishing the districts.
B. The Court shall, not later than March 1 of a year ending in one, enact rules and procedures as may be necessary for implementing the requirements of Section 6-A of Article II of the Constitution of Virginia, empowering the Court to establish congressional or state legislative districts as provided for in that section. In enacting such rules and procedures, the Court shall ensure public participation in the Court's redistricting deliberations is permitted.
C. The Court shall appoint a special master to assist the Court in the establishment of districts. Within one week of the Commission's failure to submit plans or the General Assembly's failure to adopt plans, the Speaker of the House of Delegates, the leader in the House of Delegates of the political party having the next highest number of members in the House of Delegates, the President pro tempore of the Senate of Virginia, and the leader in the Senate of Virginia of the political party having the next highest number of members in the Senate of Virginia shall confer and attempt to agree upon a nomination for the position of special master. If such persons are able to agree on an appropriate nominee for special master, the Court shall appoint such nominee to serve as the special master and to draw maps for the establishment of districts. If such persons are unable to agree on an appropriate nominee for special master, each shall submit a list of two or more nominees, along with a brief biography and resume for each nominee, including the nominee's particular expertise or experience relevant to redistricting, and the court shall, by a majority vote, appoint a nominee for a special master from the nominees submitted. The person appointed to serve as special master shall have the requisite qualifications and experience to serve as the special master and shall have no conflicts of interest. In making its appointment, the court shall consider any relevant redistricting experience in the Commonwealth and any practical or academic experience in the field of redistricting.
D. Within two weeks of his appointment, the special master shall submit to the court two or more proposed plans for districts. Such districts shall comply with the standards and criteria set forth in Article II, Section 6 of the Constitution of Virginia. The court shall review the plans submitted and shall, by a majority vote, adopt one proposed plan. Such plan shall become law and take effect immediately.
§30-386. Remedial redistricting plans.
If any congressional or state legislative district established pursuant to this chapter or the provisions of Article II, Section 6 and Section 6-A of the Constitution of Virginia is declared unlawful or unconstitutional, in whole or in part, by order of any state or federal court, the Commission shall be convened to determine and propose a redistricting plan to remedy the unlawful or unconstitutional district.
2. That the provisions of this act shall become effective on November 15, 2020, contingent upon the passage of an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November 2020, establishing the Virginia Redistricting Commission by amending Section 6 of Article II and adding in Article II a new section numbered 6-A.
