Bill > SJR0169

This Joint Resolution, known as the "Tennessee Independent Redistricting Commission Amendment," proposes to amend Article II, Section 4 of the Tennessee Constitution to create a five-member independent redistricting commission responsible for drawing the boundaries of senatorial and representative districts after each decennial census conducted by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. The commission must follow specific criteria when creating these redistricting plans, including ensuring districts are single-member, substantially equal in population to adhere to the "one person, one vote" principle, and as much as possible, avoid dividing counties, with specific limits on splitting counties for state representative districts. Districts must also be contiguous, and plans will be based on the most recent federal census data. Importantly, the commission is prohibited from considering the voting history of a district or the residence of incumbent lawmakers, except as required by federal law, and all its meetings must be open to the public with opportunities for public input and access to proposed plans before adoption. A plan requires at least three affirmative votes to be adopted, and neither the General Assembly nor the Governor can amend or veto these adopted plans. The General Assembly can terminate the commission after it completes its redistricting duties but must re-establish it before each subsequent decennial census and to address any court orders. The resolution also allows the General Assembly to assign the commission the task of drawing congressional districts.