Bill Text: FL S1640 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Legislative Apportionment and Congressional Redistricting

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2020-03-14 - Died in Ethics and Elections [S1640 Detail]

Download: Florida-2020-S1640-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2020                                    SB 1640
       
       
        
       By Senator Berman
       
       
       
       
       
       31-00545-20                                           20201640__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to legislative apportionment and
    3         congressional redistricting; creating s. 11.31, F.S.;
    4         creating an independent commission on legislative
    5         apportionment and congressional redistricting;
    6         providing the purpose, duties, and membership of the
    7         commission; requiring the Legislature to annually
    8         appropriate funds to the commission for employing
    9         professional staff and otherwise supporting the
   10         commission; requiring the commission’s office to be
   11         located in Orange County; requiring the commission to
   12         conduct public hearings, and to receive information
   13         from residents of the state through specified means;
   14         requiring the commission to transmit certain plans to
   15         the Legislature for consideration; providing that
   16         commission members and employees are subject to public
   17         records, public meetings, and specified financial
   18         disclosure requirements; prohibiting persons not
   19         serving on or employed by the commission from
   20         influencing or attempting to influence commission
   21         members and employees other than through prescribed
   22         processes; providing criminal penalties; providing an
   23         effective date.
   24          
   25  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   26  
   27         Section 1. Section 11.31, Florida Statutes, is created to
   28  read:
   29         11.31 Independent commission on legislative apportionment
   30  and congressional redistricting.—
   31         (1)(a) To assist the Legislature in its decennial
   32  apportionment of the state into senatorial and representative
   33  districts and congressional redistricting, there is created an
   34  independent commission on legislative apportionment and
   35  congressional redistricting.
   36         (b)1. The commission shall coordinate the state’s decennial
   37  legislative apportionment and congressional redistricting
   38  activities, including, but not limited to, preparing and
   39  proposing reapportionment plans and redistricting plans to the
   40  Legislature and conducting public hearings on the proposed
   41  plans.
   42         2. Beginning in 2021, and for each decennial period
   43  thereafter, commission members must be appointed before January
   44  1, and the first commission meeting must occur before March 1.
   45         (2)(a) The commission shall consist of the following nine
   46  members, each of whom must be a registered elector of the state:
   47         1. One member appointed by the President of the Senate.
   48         2. One member appointed by the Speaker of the House of
   49  Representatives.
   50         3. One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the
   51  Senate.
   52         4. One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House
   53  of Representatives.
   54         5. Five members appointed by the Governor:
   55         a. One of whom must be a registered Republican, as
   56  designated on his or her voter registration.
   57         b. One of whom must be a registered Democrat, as designated
   58  on his or her voter registration.
   59         c. Three of whom must be registered with a minor political
   60  party or have no party affiliation, as designated on their voter
   61  registration.
   62         (b)1. A member must have resided in this state for at least
   63  5 years before appointment to the commission.
   64         2. A member must have registered with his or her political
   65  party, or have no party affiliation, for at least 5 years before
   66  appointment to the commission.
   67         (c) A member may not hold an elected office during his or
   68  her service on the commission.
   69         (d) Members shall serve without compensation but shall be
   70  reimbursed for per diem and travel expenses in accordance with
   71  s. 112.061.
   72         (3) The Legislature shall annually appropriate funds to the
   73  commission for employing professional staff, procuring office
   74  space and necessary equipment, and other expenses necessary for
   75  the staff to perform their duties. The commission’s office shall
   76  be located in Orange County.
   77         (4)(a) The commission shall conduct public hearings as part
   78  of its activities. The commission shall establish and publish in
   79  the Florida Administrative Register a schedule of hearings and
   80  hearing locations as soon as practicable after its first
   81  meeting.
   82         (b) The hearing process shall include hearings to receive
   83  public input before the commission draws a redistricting or
   84  reapportionment map. The commission shall also conduct hearings
   85  following the drawing and display of draft redistricting and
   86  reapportionment maps. The commission shall display the draft
   87  maps to the public for comment in a timely manner to achieve the
   88  widest public dissemination reasonably possible.
   89         (c) As part of the hearing process, the commission shall
   90  create and maintain a website through which residents of the
   91  state may submit information. The commission shall also
   92  implement procedures that allow residents to submit information
   93  by regular mail, telephone, and facsimile.
   94         (d) Beginning in 2022, and for each decennial period
   95  thereafter, plans developed and approved by the commission must
   96  be transmitted to the Legislature before January 1 to be
   97  considered by the Legislature at its next regular session as
   98  required by s. 16, Art. III of the State Constitution.
   99         (5) In developing district boundaries, the commission shall
  100  ensure that plans conform to ss. 20 and 21, Art. III of the
  101  State Constitution.
  102         (6) Commission members and employees are subject to the
  103  provisions of chapter 119, relating to public records, and the
  104  provisions of chapter 286, relating to public meetings, and
  105  shall comply with the applicable financial disclosure
  106  requirements of s. 112.3145.
  107         (7) Except in the manner provided in subsection (4), it is
  108  unlawful for a person not serving on or employed by the
  109  commission to influence or attempt to influence a commission
  110  member or employee to alter a plan in any way. A person who
  111  violates this subsection commits a felony of the third degree,
  112  punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
  113         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.