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8 LONG TITLE
9 Committee Note:
10 The Government Operations Interim Committee recommended this bill.
11 General Description:
12 This joint rules resolution of the Legislature enacts provisions related to redistricting.
13 Highlighted Provisions:
14 This resolution:
15 ▸ enacts principles and procedures to guide the Legislature during redistricting.
16 Special Clauses:
17 None
18 Legislative Rules Affected:
19 ENACTS:
20 JR7-1-101
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22 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
23 Section 1. JR7-1-101 is enacted to read:
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26 JR7-1-101. Redistricting principles and procedures.
27 (1) When the Legislature exercises its constitutional authority to divide the state into
28 legislative districts, the Legislature shall, to the extent practicable, comply with the following
29 redistricting principles, in the following order of priority:
30 (a) comply with the federal and state constitutions;
31 (b) ensure that there is substantial equality of population between each district;
32 (c) ensure that each district is contiguous;
33 (d) ensure that each district is reasonably compact;
34 (e) permit small deviations in population between districts for the purpose of
35 complying with the other principles and procedures described in this section;
36 (f) follow county and municipal boundaries, to the extent reasonably practicable, by:
37 (i) giving first priority to county boundaries and second priority to municipal
38 boundaries; and
39 (ii) permitting small deviations in population between districts to avoid unnecessary
40 division of counties and municipalities; and
41 (g) when creating districts that include areas from more than one county, to the extent
42 practicable:
43 (i) join areas of the counties that are directly and proximately connected by a
44 commonly used road;
45 (ii) permit small deviations in population between districts, especially in less-populated
46 counties, to improve compactness and permit more effective representation; and
47 (iii) join areas of the counties that share common commercial or other interests.
48 (2) In addition to the requirements described in Subsection (1), the Legislature shall
49 comply with the following procedures:
50 (a) determine the standard district population by dividing the total state population, as
51 determined by the most recent decennial census, by the total number of districts;
52 (b) determine each county's district quotient by dividing the population of the county
53 by the standard district population;
54 (c) list the counties in descending order from the county with the highest district
55 quotient to the county with the lowest district quotient;
56 (d) to determine the presumed number of districts to be formed entirely within a
57 county, round the district quotient of each county with a district quotient of more than one
58 down to the nearest whole number;
59 (e) for each county with a district quotient of less than one, list the counties in
60 descending order from the county with the highest district quotient to the county with the
61 lowest district quotient; and
62 (f) create districts that include areas from more than one county by:
63 (i) to the extent practicable, starting with the undivided area of the counties at the top
64 of the list described in Subsection (2)(e); and
65 (ii) combining the areas described in Subsection (2)(f)(i) with areas on the list in
66 adjacent counties, while, to the extent reasonably practicable, keeping the areas in the adjacent
67 counties whole.
68 (3) The Legislature should draw legislative districts with the objective of achieving fair
69 and proportional representation of the state's residents in both the Senate and the House of
70 Representatives.
71 (4) This rule does not create a private right of action.
Legislative Review Note
Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel