PRINTER'S NO. 1361
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
93
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY WEBSTER, ROWE, SANCHEZ, HOHENSTEIN, KINSEY,
GALLOWAY, HILL-EVANS AND ISAACSON, APRIL 23, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, APRIL 23, 2021
A RESOLUTION
Directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a
study on the feasibility of computational redistricting in
Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania law requires that a five-member
commission be responsible for redrawing congressional and State
legislative district boundaries after each decennial census; and
WHEREAS, Congressional reapportionment plans are subject to
the strictest Federal requirements and must be approved through
the standard legislative process; and
WHEREAS, State legislative districts must be composed of
compact and contiguous territory with no division of counties or
municipalities unless absolutely necessary; and
WHEREAS, The General Assembly does not vote on State
legislative districts nor does the Governor have the power to
veto them; and
WHEREAS, Local-level districts are determined by each
municipality's governing body following each decennial census;
and
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WHEREAS, The redistricting process is often politicized and
leads to gerrymandered districts; and
WHEREAS, Gerrymandering creates districts with complex shapes
that seek to dilute the vote of one party in favor of another;
and
WHEREAS, Both major political parties have practiced
gerrymandering nationwide; and
WHEREAS, Laws exist at the Federal and State levels to
safeguard the rights of residents during redistricting; and
WHEREAS, In practice, redistricting laws do little to reduce
the occurrence of gerrymandering; and
WHEREAS, One possible solution to partisan gerrymandering is
the use of computer algorithms, known as computational
redistricting, to draw legislative districts; and
WHEREAS, A transition to the use of computational
redistricting would minimize human involvement in the
redistricting process; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the Joint
State Government Commission to conduct a study on the
feasibility of computational redistricting in Pennsylvania; and
be it further
RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission study
shall include, at a minimum, the following:
(1) Cost-benefit analysis on the implementation of
computational redistricting.
(2) Analysis of the implementation and use of
computational redistricting in other states, if applicable.
(3) Analysis of the implementation and use of
computational redistricting in other countries, if
applicable.
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(4) Input from stakeholders and interest groups
detailing the possible positive and negative outcomes of
using computational redistricting.
(5) Public comment on the potential implementation of
computational redistricting.
(6) Recommendations for legislative action to implement
computational redistricting;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission be
authorized to request information from the United States Census
Bureau for the study on behalf of the House of Representatives;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission be
authorized to request information from the Department of State
and the Secretary of the Commonwealth for the study on behalf of
the House of Representatives; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission be
authorized to request information from government entities
outside of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the study on
behalf of the House of Representatives; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission report
its findings and recommendations to the House of Representatives
no later than one year after the adoption of this resolution.
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