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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the apportionment and composition of the districts of |
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the Texas House of Representatives. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. PURPOSE. The purpose of this Act is to fulfill |
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the Legislature's constitutional responsibility to redistrict the |
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House of Representatives following the publication of the 2020 |
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census in compliance with the United States and Texas Constitutions |
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and applicable Federal law. |
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SECTION 2. FINDINGS. The Legislature finds: |
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(1) Section 28, Article III, Texas Constitution, |
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requires the Legislature to draw new representative districts |
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during the first regular session following publication of the |
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decennial census; |
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(2) As a result of the estimated changes in the |
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population of the state since 2013, the populations of the current |
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representative districts are unequal and no longer comply with |
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applicable legal requirements; and |
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(3) The current representative districts must be |
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replaced with new districts that satisfy all applicable legal |
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requirements. |
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SECTION 3. APPORTIONMENT; COMPOSITION OF DISTRICTS. The |
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State of Texas is apportioned into representative districts as |
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provided in this Act. Each district is composed of the counties or |
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parts of counties as determined by the Legislature consistent with |
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the requirements of the United States and Texas Constitutions and |
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applicable Federal law. One representative is elected from each |
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district established by this Act. |
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SECTION 4. TRANSITION PROVISION. The districts established |
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by this Act apply to the election of the members of the Texas House |
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of Representatives beginning with the primary and general elections |
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in 2022 for members of the 88th Legislature. This Act does not |
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affect the membership or districts of the Texas House of |
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Representatives of the 87th Legislature. |
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SECTION 5. REPEALER. Chapter 2 (S.B. 3), Acts of the 83rd |
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Legislature, 1st Called Session, 2013 (Article 195a-13, Vernon's |
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Texas Civil Statutes), is repealed. |
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SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |