Representation Act

Key Points

• The bill defines 'communities of interest' as groups of people in the same area who share culture, history, language, religion, or civic identity, and requires states to identify and document them before redrawing congressional maps.
• States must accept and publish community suggestions submitted by residents and consider adding them to the official list before finalizing new district maps.
• States generally cannot split a documented community of interest across multiple congressional districts unless needed for equal population, Voting Rights Act compliance, or to preserve another community.
• Individuals get a new right to sue in federal court if their community is split without proper justification, or if the state ignores their request to be recognized as a community of interest.
• The Election Assistance Commission would build standards and mapping tools to help states carry out these new requirements consistently.