Iowa HJR 2006: A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to legislative redistricting.

Bill Text

HouseJointResolution2006-Introduced
HOUSEJOINTRESOLUTION2006
BYBAGNIEWSKI
HOUSEJOINTRESOLUTION
AJointResolutionproposinganamendmenttotheConstitution1
oftheStateofIowarelatingtolegislativeredistricting.2
BEITRESOLVEDBYTHEGENERALASSEMBLYOFTHESTATEOFIOWA:3
TLSB5589YH(4)91
th/ns

H.J.R.2006
Section1.ThefollowingamendmenttotheConstitutionof1
theStateofIowaisproposed:2
TheConstitutionoftheStateofIowaisamendedbyadding3
thefollowingnewsectionstoanewarticle:4
ARTICLE___.5
REDISTRICTING.6
Section1.Dutiesofgeneralassembly.7
1.Thegeneralassemblyshallcreateandmaintaina8
nonpartisanlegislativeservicesagencyorsuccessorentity9
havingthedutiessetforthinthisarticleandotherdutiesas10
thegeneralassemblymayprovidebylaw.11
2.Thegeneralassemblyshalldesignatebylawastate12
commissionerofelectionshavingthedutiessetforthinthis13
articleandotherdutiesasthegeneralassemblymayprovide14
bylaw.15
Sec.2.Preparations.16
1.Thelegislativeservicesagencyshallacquire17
appropriateinformation,reviewandevaluateavailable18
facilities,anddevelopprogramsandproceduresinpreparation19
fordrawingcongressionalandlegislativeredistrictingplans20
onthebasisofeachfederalcensus.Moneysshallbeexpended21
forthepurchaseorleaseofequipmentandmaterialsonlywith22
priorapprovalofthegeneralassembly.23
2.ByDecember31ofeachyearendinginzero,the24
legislativeservicesagencyshallobtainfromtheUnitedStates25
governmentinformationregardinggeographicandpoliticalunits26
inthestateforwhichfederalcensuspopulationdatahasbeen27
gatheredandwillbetabulated.Thelegislativeservices28
agencyshallusethedatasoobtainedto:29
a.Preparenecessarydescriptionsofgeographicand30
politicalunitsforwhichcensusdatawillbereported,31
andwhicharesuitableforuseascomponentsoflegislative32
districts.33
b.Preparemapsofcounties,cities,andothergeographic34
unitswithinthestate,whichmaybeusedtoillustratethe35
-1-
LSB5589YH(4)91
th/ns1/12

H.J.R.2006
locationsoflegislativedistrictboundariesproposedinplans1
drawninaccordancewithsection4ofthisarticle.2
3.AssoonaspossibleafterJanuary1ofeachyearending3
inone,thelegislativeservicesagencyshallobtainfrom4
theUnitedStatesgovernmentthepopulationdataneededfor5
legislativedistricting,andshallusethatdatatoassigna6
populationfigurebaseduponcertifiedfederalcensusdatato7
eachgeographicorpoliticalunit.Uponcompletingthattask,8
thelegislativeservicesagencyshallbeginthepreparationof9
congressionalandlegislativedistrictingplans.10
4.Uponeachdeliverybythelegislativeservicesagency11
tothegeneralassemblyofabillembodyingaplan,the12
legislativeservicesagencyshallattheearliestfeasibletime13
makeavailabletothepublicthefollowinginformation:14
a.Copiesofthebilldeliveredbythelegislativeservices15
agencytothegeneralassembly.16
b.Mapsillustratingtheplan.17
c.Asummaryofthestandardsprescribedbysection4of18
thisarticlefordevelopmentoftheplan.19
d.Astatementofthepopulationofeachdistrictincluded20
intheplan,andtherelativedeviationofeachdistrict21
populationfromtheidealdistrictpopulation.22
Sec.3.Timetable.23
1.a.NotlaterthanApril1ofeachyearendingin24
one,thelegislativeservicesagencyshalldelivertothe25
secretaryofthesenateandthechiefclerkofthehouseof26
representativesidenticalbillsembodyingaplanoflegislative27
andcongressionaldistrictingpreparedinaccordancewith28
section4ofthisarticle.Thegeneralassemblyshallbring29
thebilltoavoteineitherthesenateorthehouseof
30
representativesexpeditiously,butnotlessthanthreedays31
afterthereportofthecommissionrequiredbysection6of32
thisarticleisreceivedandmadeavailabletothemembersof
33
thegeneralassembly,underaprocedureorrulepermittingno34
amendmentsexceptthoseofapurelycorrectivenature.Ifthe35
-2-
LSB5589YH(4)91
th/ns2/12

H.J.R.2006
billisapprovedbythefirsthouseinwhichitisconsidered,1
itshallexpeditiouslybebroughttoavoteinthesecondhouse2
underasimilarprocedureorrule.Ifthebillembodyingthe3
plansubmittedbythelegislativeservicesagencyfailstobe4
approvedbyaconstitutionalmajorityineitherthesenateor5
thehouseofrepresentatives,thesecretaryofthesenateor6
thechiefclerkofthehouse,asthecasemaybe,shallatonce,7
butinnoeventlaterthansevendaysafterthedatethebill8
failedtobeapproved,transmittothelegislativeservices9
agencyinformationwhichthesenateorhousemaydirectby10
resolutionregardingreasonswhytheplanwasnotapproved.11
b.However,ifthefederalpopulationdataforlegislative12
districtingandthecorrespondingtopologicallyintegrated13
geographicencodingandreferencinginformationforthat14
populationdataarenotavailabletothelegislativeservices15
agencyonorbeforeFebruary15oftheyearendinginone,16
thedatessetforthinparagraph“a”shallbeextendedbya17
numberofdaysequaltothenumberofdaysafterFebruary1518
oftheyearendinginonethatthefederalcensuspopulation19
dataandthetopologicallyintegratedgeographicencodingand20
referencinginformationforlegislativedistrictingbecome21
available.22
2.Ifthebillembodyingtheplansubmittedbythe23
legislativeservicesagencyundersubsection1
failstobe24
enacted,thelegislativeservicesagencyshallprepareabill25
embodyingasecondplanoflegislativeandcongressional26
districting.Thebillshall