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This bill would require states to use independent, nonpartisan commissions to draw congressional districts, instead of letting state lawmakers do it on their own. It also ties some federal election money to how states draw their state legislative districts: if a state wants certain federal election administration funds, it must certify that those districts are also drawn by a nonpartisan independent commission. The goal is to reduce political influence in redistricting and make district maps fairer.
- For congressional redistricting, each state would have to use a map created by a nonpartisan independent redistricting commission.
- This requirement would apply starting with the redistricting based on the 2020 census.
- For state legislative districts, a state would have to certify that it uses a similar commission if it wants to receive federal funds for election administration.
- A commission counts as “nonpartisan independent” only if it has equal numbers of members from the two largest political parties in the state and no members who are elected officials.
Official Summaries
Citizen Legislature Anti-Corruption Reform of Elections Act or the CLEAN Elections Act
This bill establishes requirements for nonpartisan redistricting.
States must conduct congressional redistricting using a plan developed by a nonpartisan independent redistricting commission, beginning with the 2020 census.
A state may not use federal funds provided for election administration purposes unless it certifies to the Election Assistance Commission that it conducts redistricting for its state legislative districts using a plan developed by a nonpartisan independent redistricting commission.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 158 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 158
To require the use of independent nonpartisan commissions to carry out
congressional redistricting.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 3, 2025
Mr. Fitzpatrick introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the use of independent nonpartisan commissions to carry out
congressional redistricting.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Citizen Legislature Anti-Corruption
Reform of Elections Act'' or the ``CLEAN Elections Act''.
SEC. 2. REQUIRING USE OF INDEPENDENT NONPARTISAN COMMISSIONS TO CARRY
OUT REDISTRICTING.
(a) Requirement.--
(1) Congressional redistricting.--Each State shall conduct
Congressional redistricting (beginning with the redistricting
carried out pursuant to the decennial census conducted during
2020) in accordance with a redistricting plan developed by a
nonpartisan independent redistricting commission.
(2) Redistricting for state legislative districts.--
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a State may not use
any funds provided by the Federal Government directly for
election administration purposes unless the State certifies to
the Election Assistance Commission that the State conducts
redistricting for State legislative districts in the State
(beginning with the first such redistricting carried out after
the date of the enactment of this Act) in accordance with a
redistricting plan developed by a nonpartisan independent
redistricting commission.
(b) Nonpartisan Independent Status.--For purposes of this section,
a commission shall be considered to be a nonpartisan independent
commission if--
(1) the number of its members who are affiliated with the
political party with the largest percentage of the registered
voters in the State who are affiliated with a political party
(as determined with respect to the most recent statewide
election for Federal office held in the State for which such
information is available) is equal to the number of its members
who are affiliated with the political party with the second
largest percentage of the registered voters in the State who
are affiliated with a political party (as so determined); and
(2) none of its members is an elected public official.
(c) State Defined.--In this section, the term ``State'' means each
of the several States.
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