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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to establishing principles to govern redistricting plans |
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enacted by the legislature. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 3, Government Code, is amended |
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by adding Chapter 319A to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 319A. REDISTRICTING LEGISLATION |
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Sec. 319A.001. PRINCIPLES GOVERNING LEGISLATIVE |
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REDISTRICTING. (a) In enacting legislation adopting or modifying |
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a redistricting plan for the election of the Texas Senate, the Texas |
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House of Representatives, the State Board of Education, or the |
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members of the United States House of Representatives elected from |
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this state, the legislature shall ensure that the plan, including |
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any modifications to the plan, conforms to the following |
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principles: |
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(1) a plan shall avoid unnecessarily dividing counties |
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and municipalities in the formation of districts, and district |
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boundaries shall to the extent practicable be coterminous with the |
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boundaries of counties and municipalities; |
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(2) a plan shall to the extent practicable keep intact |
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communities of interest defined by social, economic, racial, |
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ethnic, cultural, industrial, commercial, and geographic |
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commonalities; |
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(3) a plan must protect minority voting rights in |
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accordance with applicable state and federal constitutional and |
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statutory requirements, including the federal Voting Rights Act of |
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1965 (52 U.S.C. Section 10101 et seq.); and |
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(4) the districts in a plan must be equal in population |
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as nearly as practicable in accordance with the other principles |
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described by this subsection. |
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(b) The principle described by Subsection (a)(1) applies to |
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a plan for the election of the Texas House of Representatives in |
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addition to the requirements of Section 26, Article III, Texas |
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Constitution. District lines shall to the extent practicable be |
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coterminous with the boundaries of counties and municipalities. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |