2022 -- H 7584

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LC004192

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY -- REDISTRICTING ACT

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Newberry, Amore, Place, Edwards, and Filippi

     Date Introduced: February 18, 2022

     Referred To: House State Government & Elections

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Title 22 of the General Laws entitled "GENERAL ASSEMBLY" is hereby

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amended by adding thereto the following chapter:

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CHAPTER 1.1

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REDISTRICTING COMMISSION

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     22-1.1-1. Short title.

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     This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Redistricting Act".

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     22-1.1-2. Definitions.

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     As used in this chapter:

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     (1) "Commission" means the state redistricting commission;

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     (2) "Community of interest" means a contiguous population that shares common economic,

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social or cultural interests;

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     (3) "District plan" means an entire plan of single-member districts for electing members to

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the United States house of representatives, the state house of representatives, or the state senate;

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     (4) "Length-width compactness" means the absolute value of the difference between the

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length and the width of the district, as measured by the distance from the northernmost point or

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portion of the boundary of a district to the southernmost point or portion of the boundary of the

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same district and the distance from the westernmost point or portion of the boundary of the district

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to the easternmost point or portion of the boundary of the same district;

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     (5) "Lobbyist" means a person who is required to register as a lobbyist pursuant to § 42-

 

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139.1-4;

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     (6) "Perimeter compactness" means the distance needed to traverse the perimeter boundary

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of a district;

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     (7) "Political party" means a political party as defined by § 17-1-2; and

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     (8) "Public official" means a person elected to an office of the executive or legislative

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branch of the state.

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     22-1.1-3. State redistricting commission created -- Membership -- Terms.

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     (a) The "state redistricting commission" is created.

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     (b) The commission is comprised of seven (7) members, appointed as follows:

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     (1) One commissioner appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

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     (2) One commissioner appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives;

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     (3) One commissioner appointed by the president of the senate;

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     (4) One commissioner appointed by the minority leader of the senate;

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     (5) Two (2) commissioners appointed by the state ethics commission, who shall not be

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members of the largest or second largest political parties in the state; and

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     (6) One commissioner appointed by the state ethics commission, who shall be a retired

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justice of the Rhode Island supreme court, or a retired judge of the Rhode Island superior court,

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and who shall chair the commission.

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     (c) Commissioners shall be appointed not later than April 1, 2031 and August 1 of each

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year ending in the number zero thereafter and shall serve until a district plan for each of Rhode

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Island's congressional districts, the house of representatives, and the senate is passed by the

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legislature and approved by the governor and any legal challenges to the district plans, including

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appeals, if any, have been resolved.

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     (d) When any member of the commission dies, resigns or no longer has the qualifications

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required for the commissioner's original appointment, that commissioner's position on the

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commission becomes vacant and the chair shall notify the original appointing authority of the

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vacant position. The vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the original appointing authority no

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later than fifteen (15) days following notification of the vacancy.

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     (e) The commission shall meet as necessary to carry out its duties pursuant to this chapter.

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     (f) Commissioners are entitled to receive per diem and mileage reimbursement and shall

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receive no other compensation, perquisite or allowance.

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     22-1.1-4. Commissioners -- Qualifications -- Limitations.

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     (a) To qualify for appointment to the commission, a person shall:

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     (1) Be a qualified elector of Rhode Island; and

 

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     (2) Not be, or in the two (2) years prior to appointment have been, in Rhode Island, any of

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the following:

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     (i) A public official;

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     (ii) A candidate for public office;

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     (iii) A lobbyist;

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     (iv) An office holder in a political party at the state or federal level;

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     (v) A relative in the first degree of consanguinity of a member of congress, the house of

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representatives or the senate; or

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     (vi) An employee of congress or the state legislature.

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     (b) Before entering upon the duties of the office of commissioner, a commissioner shall

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review this chapter and take the oath of office, as provided in the constitution of Rhode Island.

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     22-1.1-5. Commission -- Powers and duties.

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     (a) Beginning April 1, 2031, and every August 1 of each year ending in the number zero

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thereafter, the commission shall:

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     (1) No later than October 15, 2031, and every September 1 of each year ending in the

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number one thereafter, adopt three (3) to five (5) district plans for each of:

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     (i) Rhode Island's congressional districts;

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     (ii) The house of representatives; and

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     (iii) The senate.

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     (2) Adopt rules to govern the operation of the commission;

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     (3) Hold no fewer than six (6) public meetings either virtually or in various counties of the

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state before issuing the district plans as proposed rules for public comment;

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     (4) Hold no fewer than six (6) public rule hearings, either virtually or in various counties

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of the state, for the purpose of adopting district plans;

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     (5) Conduct all meetings pursuant to the requirements of chapter 46 of title 42 ("open

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meetings");

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     (6) Contract for legal and technical assistance in the creation of alternative district plans;

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and

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     (7) Compile, index, maintain and provide public access to the commission's record for each

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district plan it adopts.

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     (b) Beginning April 1, 2031, and every August 1 of each year ending in the number zero

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thereafter, the commission may:

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     (1) Develop, adopt and promulgate the rules for public hearings; and

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     (2) Hire staff and enter into contracts and any interagency agreements as necessary to

 

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accomplish the duties set forth in this section.

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     22-1.1-6. Commission meetings before proposing district plans.

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     (a) Before the commission issues proposed district plans for public comment, the

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commission shall hold no fewer than six (6) public meetings at which the commission shall receive

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testimony, documents and information regarding the identification of communities of interest and

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other testimony, documents and information regarding the creation of district plans. The

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commission shall provide the public with notice not later than thirty (30) days before these

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meetings, and the notice shall include information about how the public may participate and submit

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testimony, documents and information. The commission shall hold meetings either virtually or in

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various regions across the state, and in each of the five (5) counties of the state.

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     (b) The commission shall compile, index, maintain and provide public access to all

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testimony, documents and information received in the meetings conducted before issuing proposed

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district plans, for public comment.

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     (c) The proposed district plans, that the commission issues for public comment, shall be

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based, in part, on the testimony, documents and information received.

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     22-1.1-7. District plans -- Requirements and prohibitions.

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     (a) When proposing or adopting district plans, the commission shall:

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     (1) Create district plans composed of single-member districts;

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     (2) Create district plans composed of contiguous territory; provided that, districts that meet

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only at the points of adjoining corners are not contiguous; and

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     (3) Comply with all applicable federal laws.

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     (b) When proposing or adopting district plans, the commission may use, rely upon or

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reference the most recent federal decennial census data provided by the United States census bureau

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as well as other reliable sources of demographic data, as determined by a majority of the

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commission.

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     (c) When proposing or adopting district plans, the commission shall not:

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     (1) Propose or adopt district plans to favor a political party or incumbent;

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     (2) Use, rely upon or reference partisan data, such as voting history or party registration

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data; provided that, voting history in elections may be considered to ensure that the district plan

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complies with applicable federal law;

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     (3) Create district plans to intentionally dilute the representation of communities of interest;

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or

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     (4) Create district plans to intentionally preserve the cores of existing districts; provided,

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however, that district plans may intentionally preserve the cores of existing districts as long as the

 

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district plan meets all other requirements provided by this section.

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     (d) When proposing or adopting district plans for congressional districts, the commission

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shall ensure that congressional districts are as equal in population as practicable.

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     (e) When proposing or adopting district plans for the house of representatives, and the

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senate, the commission shall create districts that are as close to equal in population as possible;

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provided that, any deviation from equal population across districts shall not exceed plus or minus

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five percent (5%) and shall be based on:

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     (1) Compliance with applicable federal law;

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     (2) Consideration of tribal government;

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     (3) The avoidance of diluting the representation of communities of interest;

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     (4) The avoidance of fragmenting governmental subdivisions; or

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     (5) The preservation of the core of existing districts; provided that, the district plan meets

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all other requirements provided by this section.

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     (f) When a district plan satisfies all of the requirements provided by this section, the

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commission shall adopt those district plans, that are most compact, as determined by a measure of

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length-width compactness or perimeter compactness. The absolute compactness values computed

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for individual districts may be cumulated for all districts in a plan to compare the overall

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compactness of two (2) or more alternative redistricting plans for the state or for a portion of the

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state. The total perimeter distance computed for individual districts may be cumulated for all

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districts in a plan to compare the overall compactness of two (2) or more alternative redistricting

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plans for the state or for a portion of the state.

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     (g) Based on length-width compactness, a district shall be most compact when the length

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of the district and the width of the district are equal.

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     22-1.1-8. Commission adoption of district plans.

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     The commission shall adopt three (3) to five (5) district plans for each of Rhode Island's

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congressional districts, the house of representatives, or the senate at an open meeting. After the

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commission adopts the district plans, the commission shall:

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     (1) Provide written evaluations of each district plan that address the satisfaction of the

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requirements set forth in this chapter, the ability of racial and language minorities to elect

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candidates of their choice, a measure of partisan fairness and the preservation of communities of

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interest; and

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     (2) Indicate which district plan for each of Rhode Island's congressional districts, the house

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of representatives and the senate, best satisfies the requirements of § 22-1.1-7. The commission

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shall explain its selection for each indicated district plan in the written evaluation accompanying

 

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the indicated district plan.

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     22-1.1-9. Legislative selection of district plans.

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     (a) The commission shall deliver its adopted district plans for Rhode Island's congressional

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districts, the house of representatives and the senate, all accompanying written evaluations and all

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accompanying concise explanatory statements to the secretary of the senate and the clerk of the

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house by October 15, 2031, and every September 1 of each year ending in the number one

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thereafter.

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     (b) The legislature may select one district plan from each set of district plans and pass the

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selected district plans without amendment and present the plans to the governor for approval.

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     (c) If the legislature does not select one district plan, from any one set of district plans,

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pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, then the legislature shall select, pass without amendment

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and present to the governor for approval, the district plan for that set that the commission indicated

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best satisfies the requirements of § 22-1.1-7.

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     22-1.1-10. Judicial review.

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     (a) A person who submitted data, views, or arguments, orally or in writing, at a public

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hearing conducted by the commission may file a notice of appeal in the supreme court asking for a

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review of any district plan adopted by the commission. A notice of appeal shall be filed within

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thirty (30) days after the commission adopts the district plan being appealed. The notice of appeal

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shall name the commission as appellee and shall identify the district plan from which the appeal is

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taken. A person who submitted data, views, or arguments, orally or in writing, at a public rule

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hearing conducted by the commission and whose rights may be directly affected by the appeal may

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appear and become a party, or the supreme court may, upon proper notice, order any person to be

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joined as a party.

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     (b) Upon the filing of a notice of appeal, the appellant shall cause a copy of the notice of

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appeal to be served upon the commission in the manner prescribed by the supreme court rules of

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appellate procedure. Within thirty (30) days after service of the notice of appeal or such further

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time as the supreme court may specify, the commission shall certify to the supreme court the

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complete commission rulemaking record; provided that, the parties and the commission may

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stipulate that only a specified portion of the commission rulemaking record shall be certified to the

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supreme court for review on appeal.

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     (c) The appeal shall be heard on the commission rulemaking record, and the supreme court

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shall not permit the introduction of new evidence addressed to any of the issues presented at the

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hearing before the commission.

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     (d) The burden shall be on the appellant to show that the district plan appealed from,

 

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violates applicable law, is arbitrary or capricious or is not supported by substantial evidence.

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     (e) The supreme court shall have no power to modify the district plan appealed from, but

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shall either affirm or annul and vacate the same. If the supreme court either affirms or annuls a

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district plan, the supreme court may remand the matter to the commission for any further necessary

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administrative proceedings. Proceedings in the supreme court shall be governed by the provisions

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of this chapter and by the supreme court rules of appellate procedure.

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     (f) During the pendency of an appeal, the supreme court in its discretion may stay or

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suspend adoption by the legislature of any district plan subject to appeal.

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     (g) The supreme court shall not award fees to the prevailing party unless required by federal

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law.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage or June 30, 2022, whichever date is

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later.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY -- REDISTRICTING ACT

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     This act would create a redistricting commission to act every ten (10) years to adopt a

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redistricting plan for all general assembly and congressional districts that would require the

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approval of the general assembly and the governor. This act would set forth requirements and

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prohibitions for creating district plans, allow public participation and allow for a possible right of

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appeal of the plan, to the state supreme court.

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     This act would take effect upon passage or June 30, 2022, whichever date is later.

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