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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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Relating to the composition of districts for the election of |
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members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas. |
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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 establish |
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districts for the election of members of the United States House of |
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Representatives following the publication of the 2020 census in |
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compliance with the United States Constitution and applicable |
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Federal and state law and the decennial reapportionment of |
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congressional districts among the states. |
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SECTION 2. FINDINGS. The Legislature finds: |
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(1) 2 U.S.C. Section 2a requires the election of |
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members of the United States House of Representatives from |
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districts; |
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(2) As a result of the estimated changes in the |
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population of the state since 2011, the populations of the current |
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districts for the election of members of the United States House of |
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Representatives are unequal and no longer comply with applicable |
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legal requirements; and |
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(3) The current districts must be replaced following |
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publication of the decennial census with new districts that satisfy |
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all applicable legal requirements. |
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SECTION 3. COMPOSITION OF DISTRICTS. (a) The State of |
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Texas is divided into congressional districts as provided in this |
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Act. Each district is composed of the counties or parts of counties |
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as determined by the Legislature consistent with the requirements |
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of the United States and Texas Constitutions and applicable Federal |
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law. |
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(b) One member of the United States House of Representatives |
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is elected from each district established under 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 United |
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States House of Representatives of the 118th Congress beginning |
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with the primary and general elections in 2022. This Act does not |
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affect the membership or districts of members of the United States |
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House of Representatives of the 117th Congress. |
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SECTION 5. REPEALER. (a) This Act supersedes all previous |
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enactments or orders adopting districts for the United States House |
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of Representatives. All previous acts of the legislature adopting |
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districts for the United States House of Representatives are |
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repealed. |
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(b) Chapter 3 (S.B. 4), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, 1st |
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Called Session, 2013, 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. |