SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2020 SESSION

  • | print version

HB 877 Redistricting; establishes Virginia Redistricting Commission.

Introduced by: Mark D. Sickles | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Redistricting; Virginia Redistricting Commission. Establishes the Virginia Redistricting Commission (the Commission) pursuant to proposed amendments to Article II of the Constitution of Virginia, amending Section 6 and adding Section 6-A. The Commission, tasked with establishing districts for the United States House of Representatives and for the Senate and the House of Delegates of the General Assembly, will consist of eight legislative commissioners and eight citizen commissioners. The legislative commissioners consist of four members of the Senate of Virginia and four members of the House of Delegates, with equal representation given to the political parties having the highest and next highest number of members in their respective houses. The citizen commissioners are chosen by a selection committee consisting of five retired judges of the circuit courts of Virginia, from lists submitted to the selection committee by 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 the political party having the next highest number of members in the Senate. The bill contains eligibility requirements for the citizen commissioners, including restrictions on holding or having held partisan national or state public office. As part of the application process for service on the Commission, the Division of Legislative Services acts as a repository for applications submitted by interested persons and is tasked with screening out applicants who are ineligible or submit incomplete applications. The applications of the citizen candidates selected by political leadership and submitted for consideration to the selection committee are public records.

The bill also directs the Division of Legislative Services to provide staff support to the Commission in the redistricting of congressional and state legislative districts. The Commission is required to submit to the General Assembly plans of districts within certain time periods. Provisions to ensure public participation in the redistricting process are included. If efforts to establish districts fail, the Supreme Court of Virginia is responsible for establishing districts, and the bill directs the Court to appoint a special master to draw the maps for the establishment of the districts.

The bill has a contingent effective date of November 15, 2020, provided that the voters approve the amendments to Article II of the Constitution of Virginia, amending Section 6 and adding Section 6-A, at the November 2020 general election.


FULL TEXT

HISTORY