Bill > SB874

This bill modifies Pennsylvania's election code to establish how incarcerated individuals are counted for redistricting purposes. Specifically, the bill requires that individuals incarcerated in federal or state correctional facilities or juvenile placement facilities during a federal census be counted for redistricting plans based on their last known address in Pennsylvania. If an inmate's last known residence is outside Pennsylvania or cannot be determined, they will be counted as residing at their facility's location. The Department of Corrections and Department of Human Services must provide detailed information about incarcerated individuals to redistricting bodies, including a unique identifier, census block of the facility, prior residential address, and demographic information like race, ethnicity, and age. The goal is to ensure more accurate representation by counting incarcerated individuals at their pre-incarceration residential address rather than at their correctional facility. The bill defines "last known place of residence" as the address where an inmate was last domiciled before their current incarceration, as reported by the inmate themselves. These provisions will apply to legislative, congressional, and political subdivision redistricting plans, aiming to provide a more equitable method of population counting for electoral district mapping.

Government Affairs

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=S&type=B&bn=874