Bill > S2304

This bill, titled the "Residence of Individuals in Government Custody Act," mandates that for redistricting purposes, the state must count individuals in government custody at their actual home residences rather than at the correctional facilities where they are incarcerated. The Department of Corrections will be responsible for collecting and maintaining electronic records of these individuals' last known addresses prior to incarceration, along with demographic data, starting January 1, 2027. This information, excluding names to maintain confidentiality, will be provided annually to the Division of Statewide Planning. The Division of Statewide Planning will then use this data to prepare redistricting population counts, ensuring that incarcerated individuals are counted at their home addresses and not at correctional facilities, which is crucial for fair representation in congressional, state, and local districts. The bill also requires the Division of Statewide Planning to request similar information from federal facilities and to publish reports on the data's completeness and any issues encountered in geocoding addresses. Importantly, the data generated by this process will not be used for the distribution of state or federal aid.

Justice

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