PRIOR PASSAGE - NONE

PRINTER'S NO. 531

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

No.

22

Session of

2019

INTRODUCED BY BOSCOLA, FOLMER, COSTA, BROWNE, FONTANA, SCHWANK,

hereby resolves as follows:

Pennsylvania is proposed in accordance with Article XI:

§ 17. [Legislative] Independent Reapportionment and

decennial census [,a Legislative], but not later than July 1, an

Independent Reapportionment and Redistricting Commission shall

of whom shall be the majority and minority leaders of both the

Senate and the House of Representatives, or deputies appointed

by each of them, and a chairman selected as hereinafter

provided.] and the General Assembly shall prescribe by law:

commission, provided that no person who has been registered as a

lobbyist, held elective or appointive public office at the

Federal or State level or elective judicial office in this

Commonwealth , or any position of public service in aid or

support of such a person, in the five years immediately

the geographic, gender and racial diversity of this

Commonwealth.

manner by which vacancies shall be filled.

shall submit to the Governor and the General Assembly a list of

qualified applicants by political party affiliation.

of the two largest political parties in this Commonwealth based

upon registration for approval by a two-thirds vote of the

General Assembly.

shall each recommend two individuals from the list of qualified

applicants for approval by a two-thirds vote of the Senate.

Representatives shall each recommend two individuals from the

list of qualified applicants for approval by a two-thirds vote

of the House of Representatives.

Assembly shall consider such factors as deemed appropriate so

that the commission reasonably reflects the geographic, gender

and racial diversity of this Commonwealth.

the Federal census as required by Federal law] July 1 in each

year of the Federal decennial census, the [four] members

approved under this section shall be certified by the President

pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of

Representatives to the elections officer of the Commonwealth who

under law shall have supervision over elections.

chairman shall be a citizen of the Commonwealth other than a

local, State or Federal official holding an office to which

compensation is attached.

the time prescribed, a majority of the entire membership of the

Supreme Court within 30 days thereafter shall appoint the

chairman as aforesaid and certify his appointment to such

elections officer.

in the same manner in which such position was originally

as determined by the Federal census are available, whichever is

later in time, the commission shall file a preliminary

reapportionment and redistricting plan with such elections

officer[.] based upon Federal census data for each geographic

and political unit. The preliminary reapportionment and

redistricting plan must be approved by at least seven

affirmative votes that must include at least two votes of

members registered from each of the two largest political

parties in this Commonwealth based on registration and two votes

of members not registered with either of the two largest

shall apply:

number of divisions to counties, municipalities and wards within

the maximum population deviation permissible. A county may not

contain more senatorial districts than the number required by

the population plus one. The commission shall provide a written

explanation for each division.

number of divisions to counties, municipalities and wards within

composed of compact and contiguous territory and, unless

absolutely necessary, no county, city, incorporated town,

borough, township or ward shall be divided in forming

congressional districts. The commission shall provide a written

explanation for each division.

intersecting continuous line.

consider the following data:

present held for the purpose of deliberating official business

or taking official action shall be conducted in an open forum

and in a manner by which the public may contemporaneously

observe the proceedings.

may not communicate with or receive communications from any

other person about reapportionment or redistricting matters

unless during an open public meeting or under such exceptions as

the General Assembly may prescribe by law.

officer a revised reapportionment and redistricting plan. If no

exceptions are filed within 30 days, or if filed and acted upon,

the commission's plan shall be final and have the force of law.

be approved by at least seven affirmative votes that must

include at least two votes of members registered from each of

the two largest political parties in this Commonwealth based on

registration and two votes of members not registered with either

of the two largest political parties based upon registration.

the final plan, and return the record and a transcript of the

testimony together with a report and recommendations as

prescribed by general rules of procedure. If the appellant

establishes that the final plan is contrary to law, the Supreme

Court shall issue an order remanding the plan to the commission

and directing the commission to reapportion and redistrict the

Commonwealth in a manner not inconsistent with such order.

when the last day for filing an appeal has passed with no appeal

taken, the reapportionment and redistricting plan shall have the

scheduled for election at the next general election shall elect

a Senator at such election.

for the compensation and expenses of members and staff appointed

by the commission, and other necessary expenses. The members of

the commission shall be entitled to such compensation for their

services as the General Assembly from time to time shall

determine.[, but no part thereof shall be paid until a

preliminary plan is filed. If a preliminary plan is filed but

the commission fails to file a revised or final plan within the

time prescribed by this section unless the time be extended by

the Supreme Court for cause shown, the Supreme Court shall

immediately proceed on its own motion to reapportion the

Commonwealth.] by October 1 of each year ending in one, the

following shall apply:

reapportionment and redistricting plan under this section.

the commission shall submit at least two, but not more than

three, maps for reapportionment and redistricting of

each category by a two-thirds vote of each chamber.

paragraph (3) by December 31 of each year ending in one, the

General Assembly shall submit the same sets of maps for each

category to the Supreme Court within seven days, which shall

approve one map submitted in each category. Upon receipt of the

maps submitted under this paragraph, the Supreme Court shall

immediately direct the appointment of a special master. The

special master shall hold a hearing and take testimony on the

maps submitted by the General Assembly and return the record and

commission, or [ordered or prepared] approved by the [Supreme

Court] General Assembly or Supreme Court upon the failure of the

commission to act, shall be published by the elections officer

once in at least one newspaper of general circulation in each

senatorial and representative district. The publication shall

contain a map of the Commonwealth showing the complete

reapportionment [of the General Assembly] and redistricting by

districts, and a map showing the [reapportionment] reapportioned

and redistricted districts in the area normally served by the

comply with the advertising requirements of section 1 of Article

XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the

required advertisements to two newspapers in every county in

which such newspapers are published in sufficient time after

passage of this proposed constitutional amendment.

proposed constitutional amendment, the Secretary of the

Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with the

advertising requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the