Congressional redistricting

BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 1
STATE OF WASHINGTON, IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION ASSEMBLED:2
THAT, At the next general election to be held in this state the 3
secretary of state shall submit to the qualified voters of the state 4
for their approval and ratification, or rejection, an amendment to 5
Article II, section 43 of the Constitution of the state of Washington 6
to read as follows: 7
Article II, section 43. (1) In January of each year ending in 8
one, a commission shall be established to provide for the 9
redistricting of state legislative and congressional districts.10
(2) The commission shall be composed of five members to be 11
selected as follows: The legislative leader of the two largest 12
political parties in each house of the legislature shall appoint one 13
voting member to the commission by January 15th of each year ending 14
in one. By January 31st of each year ending in one, the four 15
appointed members, by an affirmative vote of at least three, shall 16
appoint the remaining member. The fifth member of the commission, who 17
shall be nonvoting, shall act as its chairperson. If any appointing 18
authority fails to make the required appointment by the date 19
established by this subsection, within five days after that date the 20
supreme court shall make the required appointment.21
H-2571.2
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 4209
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Fitzgibbon, Mena, Ramel, Reed, Thomas, Ormsby, and
Hill
Prefiled 01/06/26. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on State Government & Tribal Relations.
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(3) No elected official and no person elected to legislative 1
district, county, or state political party office may serve on the 2
commission. A commission member shall not have been an elected 3
official and shall not have been an elected legislative district, 4
county, or state political party officer within two years of his or 5
her appointment to the commission. The provisions of this subsection 6
do not apply to the office of precinct committee person.7
(4) The legislature shall enact laws providing for the 8
implementation of this section, to include additional qualifications 9
for commissioners and additional standards to govern the commission. 10
The legislature shall appropriate funds to enable the commission to 11
carry out its duties. 12
(5) Each district shall contain a population, excluding 13
nonresident military personnel, as nearly equal as practicable to the 14
population of any other district. To the extent reasonable, each 15
district shall contain contiguous territory, shall be compact and 16
convenient, and shall be separated from adjoining districts by 17
natural geographic barriers, artificial barriers, or political 18
subdivision boundaries. The commission's plan shall not provide for a 19
number of legislative districts different than that established by 20
the legislature. The commission's plan shall not be drawn purposely 21
to favor or discriminate against any political party or group.22
(6) The commission shall complete redistricting as soon as 23
possible following the federal decennial census, but no later than 24
November 15th of each year ending in one. At least three of the 25
voting members shall approve such a redistricting plan. If three of 26
the voting members of the commission fail to approve a plan within 27
the time limitations provided in this subsection, the supreme court 28
shall adopt a plan by April 30th of the year ending in two in 29
conformance with the standards set forth in subsection (5) of this 30
section. 31
(7) The legislature may amend the redistricting plan but must do 32
so by a two-thirds vote of the legislators elected or appointed to 33
each house of the legislature. Any amendment must have passed both 34
houses by the end of the thirtieth day of the first session convened 35
after the commission has submitted its plan to the legislature. After 36
that day, the plan, with any legislative amendments, constitutes the 37
state districting law. 38
(8) The legislature shall enact laws providing for the 39
reconvening of a commission for the purpose of modifying a 40
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districting law adopted under this section. Such reconvening requires 1
a two-thirds vote of the legislators elected or appointed to each 2
house of the legislature. The commission shall conform to the 3
standards prescribed under subsection (5) of this section and any 4
other standards or procedures that the legislature may provide by 5
law. At least three of the voting members shall approve such a 6
modification. Any modification adopted by the commission may be 7
amended by a two-thirds vote of the legislators elected and appointed 8
to each house of the legislature. The state districting law shall 9
include the modifications with amendments, if any.10
(9) If any state of the United States redistricts such state's 11
congressional districts at any point following that state's adoption 12
of a decennial districting law, but prior to the next decennial 13
census, for a purpose other than as ordered by any state or federal 14
court to remedy an unlawful or unconstitutional district map, the 15
legislature may, before the next decennial census, amend the 16
congressional districts of the districting law adopted under this 17
section by a majority vote of the legislators elected or appointed to 18
each house of the legislature. Each district shall contain a 19
population, excluding nonresident military personnel, as nearly equal 20
as practicable to the population of any other district. To the extent 21
reasonable, each district shall contain contiguous territory, shall 22
be compact and convenient, and shall be separated from adjoining 23
districts by natural geographic barriers, artificial barriers, or 24
political subdivision boundaries. The amended districting law adopted 25
pursuant to this subsection shall take effect immediately after 26
adoption and remain in effect until this subsection is triggered 27
again or until adoption of the state districting law for the next 28
decennial census.29
(10) The legislature shall prescribe by law the terms of 30
commission members and the method of filling vacancies on the 31
commission. 32
(((10))) (11) The supreme court has original jurisdiction to hear 33
and decide all cases involving congressional and legislative 34
redistricting. 35
(((11))) (12) Legislative and congressional districts may not be 36
changed or established except pursuant to this section. A districting 37
plan and any legislative amendments to the plan are not subject to 38
Article III, section 12 of this Constitution. 39
p. 3 HJR 4209
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the secretary of state shall cause 1
notice of this constitutional amendment to be published at least four 2
times during the four weeks next preceding the election in every 3
legal newspaper in the state. 4
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p. 4 HJR 4209