The newest version of pioneering redistricting reform legislation for Pennsylvania has now been introduced in the state legislature for the 2025-2026 session. The House (HB 31) and Senate (SB 131) versions of the bill have identical language and have already achieved substantial support, with 49 House co-sponsors and 18 Senate co-sponsors as of May 1.

Both bills are supported by Fair Districts PA, which has been working tirelessly for nearly a decade to pass an independent commission redistricting amendment to the state constitution, to end the ability of politicians to design legislative districts for their own individual and partisan advantage. See their full announcement about the bills here.

In addition to creating an independent commission to draw Congressional and legislative districts for Pennsylvania, the amendment would also mandate transparency during the entire mapping process, through open meetings and public input, as well as prioritized mapping criteria to enforce fair and sensible district design, as CCFD has long advocated.

The clock is ticking, as the amendment needs to be passed with identical language by majorities of both chambers of the legislature during two successive legislative terms, and then must also pass as a ballot measure put before the voting public at large. This whole process takes multiple years, thus initial passage of the bill in 2025 or 2026 could be critical to ensuring a fair redistricting process in 2031. Watch this space!