HB 381

Abstract

Redistricting; Virginia Redistricting Commission; localredistricting commissions. Establishes the Virginia RedistrictingCommission (the Commission) pursuant to Article II, Sections 6 and 6-A of theConstitution of Virginia. The Commission, tasked with establishing districtsfor the United States House of Representatives and for the Senate and the Houseof Delegates of the General Assembly, will consist of eight legislativecommissioners and eight citizen commissioners. The legislative commissioners consistof four members of the Senate of Virginia and four members of the House ofDelegates, with equal representation given to the political parties having thehighest and next highest number of members in their respective houses. Thecitizen commissioners are chosen by a selection committee consisting of fiveretired judges of the circuit courts of Virginia, from lists submitted to theselection committee by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, the leader in theHouse of Delegates of the political party having the next highest number ofmembers in the House of Delegates, the President pro tempore of the Senate ofVirginia, and the leader in the Senate of the political party having the nexthighest number of members in the Senate. The bill contains eligibilityrequirements for the citizen commissioners, including restrictions on holdingor having held partisan national or state public office. As part of theapplication process for service on the Commission, the Division of LegislativeServices acts as a repository for applications submitted by interested personsand is tasked with screening out applicants who are ineligible or submitincomplete applications. The applications of the citizen candidates selected bypolitical leadership and submitted for consideration to the selection committeeare public records. The bill also directs the Division of Legislative Services toprovide staff support to the Commission in the redistricting of congressionaland state legislative districts. The Commission is required to submit to theGeneral Assembly plans of districts within certain time periods, and the billsets out criteria by which the districts are to be drawn, including equalpopulation, racial and ethnic fairness, respect for existing politicalboundaries, contiguity, compactness, and communities of interest. Provisions toensure public participation in the redistricting process are included. Ifefforts to establish districts fail, the Supreme Court of Virginia isresponsible for establishing districts, and the bill directs the Court to enacta rule by March 1, 2021, establishing a procedure for implementing thisrequirement. Additionally, the bill requires the establishment of localredistricting commissions in each county, city, and town in which members ofthe governing body are elected from districts or wards and other than entirelyat large. These commissions will each consist of four commissioners appointedby the governing body, with equal representation given to the political partieshaving the highest and next highest number of votes in the Commonwealth forGovernor at the last preceding gubernatorial election.The bill has a contingent effective date of November 15, 2020,provided that the voters approve the amendments to Article II of theConstitution of Virginia, amending Section 6 and adding Section 6-A, at theNovember 2020 general election.