The proposed bill establishes a new chapter titled "Residence of Individuals in Government Custody Act" within Title 17 of the General Laws, focusing on the treatment of individuals in government custody for redistricting purposes. It mandates that these individuals be counted at their actual residences rather than their places of incarceration. To facilitate this, the Department of Corrections is required to maintain an electronic record of the legal residences and demographic data of individuals entering custody after January 1, 2026, and to report this information annually to the Division of Statewide Planning, ensuring confidentiality and the exclusion of identifiable information.

Additionally, the bill requires the Division of Statewide Planning to prepare redistricting population data that reflects the residential addresses of incarcerated individuals, which will be used to determine congressional and state legislative districts. It specifies that individuals with unknown residences will not be included in population totals for districting. While the bill introduces new legal language emphasizing the use of actual residences for redistricting, it does not indicate any deletions from current law. The act is designed to take effect immediately upon passage, aiming for prompt implementation to enhance fair representation based on the true living situations of those in government custody.