[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 80 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. J. RES. 80

  Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to 
     prohibit gerrymandering in the establishment of Congressional 
                               districts.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 11, 2016

   Mr. Grayson introduced the following joint resolution; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

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                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
  Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to 
     prohibit gerrymandering in the establishment of Congressional 
                               districts.

    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This joint resolution may be cited as the ``Fair Districts 
Amendment''.

SEC. 2. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

    The following article is proposed as an amendment to the 
Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents 
and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the 
legislatures of three-fourths of the several States:

                              ``Article--

    ``Section 1. In establishing districts for the election of 
Representatives in Congress, a State shall ensure that no plan for the 
apportionment of Representatives among individual districts, or any 
individual district established under such plan, is drawn with the 
intent to favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent; and 
districts shall not be drawn with the intent or result of denying or 
abridging the equal opportunity of racial or language minorities to 
participate in the political process or to diminish their ability to 
elect Representatives of their choice; and districts shall consist of 
contiguous territory (including any territory that would be contiguous 
except for the fact that it is bounded by a body of water or territory 
outside of the State).
    ``Section 2. Unless compliance with the standards under this 
section conflicts with the standards set forth under section 1, 
districts for the election of Representatives in Congress shall be as 
nearly equal in population as is practicable; districts shall be 
compact; and districts shall, where feasible, utilize existing 
political and geographical boundaries.
    ``Section 3. The order in which the standards under sections 1 and 
2 are set forth shall not be read to establish any priority of one 
standard over any other standard within the same section.''.
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