House Bill No. 259 seeks to create the Independent Citizen Redistricting Commission in Texas, which will manage the redistricting process for the U.S. House of Representatives, the Texas Legislature, and the State Board of Education. The bill introduces new legal language to the Government Code, establishing a new subtitle and chapter focused on redistricting. It defines key terms and outlines the commission's composition, which includes 14 members: five from the majority party, five from the minority party, and four independent members. The selection process is designed to ensure independence from legislative influence, with a transparent method for appointing members and a prohibition on certain political office holders from serving on the commission for a specified period.

The bill also details the commission's responsibilities, including conducting an open redistricting process, drawing district boundaries based on legal criteria, and ensuring fairness and integrity. It mandates public outreach, requiring public hearings and the display of preliminary maps for feedback, while ensuring compliance with open meetings and public information laws. The commission will have the authority to defend legal challenges to its maps and will be supported administratively by the Secretary of State. Compensation for commission members will be adjusted based on the Consumer Price Index, and the bill's provisions will take effect only if a related constitutional amendment is approved by voters, applying to censuses conducted on or after January 1, 2030.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Election Code 42.032, Government Code 24.946, Government Code 24.948 (Government Code 24, Election Code 42)