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.