Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB3976
Illinois General Assembly

Previous General Assemblies

Full Text of SB3976  96th General Assembly

SB3976enr 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

  
  
  

 


 
SB3976 EnrolledLRB096 24463 HLH 44167 b

1    AN ACT concerning elections.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4
Article 5. ILLINOIS VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 2011

 
5    Section 5-1. Short title. This Article may be cited as the
6Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011. All references in this
7Article to "this Act" mean this Article.
 
8    Section 5-5. Redistricting.
9    (a) In any redistricting plan pursuant to Article IV,
10Section 3 of the Illinois Constitution, Legislative Districts
11and Representative Districts shall be drawn, subject to
12subsection (d) of this Section, to create crossover districts,
13coalition districts, or influence districts. The requirements
14imposed by this Article are in addition and subordinate to any
15requirements or obligations imposed by the United States
16Constitution, any federal law regarding redistricting
17Legislative Districts or Representative Districts, including
18but not limited to the federal Voting Rights Act, and the
19Illinois Constitution.
20    (b) The phrase "crossover district" means a district where
21a racial minority or language minority constitutes less than a
22majority of the voting-age population but where this minority,

 

 

SB3976 Enrolled- 2 -LRB096 24463 HLH 44167 b

1at least potentially, is large enough to elect the candidate of
2its choice with help from voters who are members of the
3majority and who cross over to support the minority's preferred
4candidate. The phrase "coalition district" means a district
5where more than one group of racial minorities or language
6minorities may form a coalition to elect the candidate of the
7coalition's choice. The phrase "influence district" means a
8district where a racial minority or language minority can
9influence the outcome of an election even if its preferred
10candidate cannot be elected.
11    (c) For purposes of this Act, the phrase "racial minorities
12or language minorities", in either the singular or the plural,
13means the same class of voters who are members of a race,
14color, or language minority group receiving protection under
15the federal Voting Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1973; 42 U.S.C. §
161973b(f)(2); 42 U.S.C. § 1973aa-1a(e).
17    (d) Nothing in this Act shall be construed, applied, or
18implemented in a way that imposes any requirement or obligation
19that conflicts with the United States Constitution, any federal
20law regarding redistricting Legislative Districts or
21Representative Districts, including but not limited to the
22federal Voting Rights Act, or the Illinois Constitution.
23    (e) In the event of a violation of this Act, the
24redistricting plan shall be redrawn to the least extent
25necessary to remedy the violation.
 

 

 

SB3976 Enrolled- 3 -LRB096 24463 HLH 44167 b

1
Article 10. REDISTRICTING TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC
2
PARTICIPATION ACT

 
3    Section 10-1. Short title. This Article may be cited as the
4Redistricting Transparency and Public Participation Act. All
5references in this Article to "this Act" mean this Article.
 
6    Section 10-5. Committees; notices; hearings; public
7participation. In the year following each federal decennial
8census year, the Senate and House of Representatives shall each
9establish a committee, or the Senate and House of
10Representatives may create by joint resolution a joint
11committee of both chambers, to consider proposals to redistrict
12the Legislative Districts or Representative Districts, as
13applicable. After the receipt of the federal decennial census
14data from the federal government, each committee or joint
15committee must conduct at least 4 public hearings statewide to
16receive testimony and inform the public on the applicable
17existing Districts, with one hearing held in each of 4 distinct
18geographic regions of the State determined by the respective
19committee. All hearings shall be open to the public. The
20Chairperson of each committee or the Co-Chairpersons of a joint
21committee, as applicable, shall, no later than 6 days before
22any proposed hearing, post a notice with the Secretary of the
23Senate, Clerk of the House, or both, as applicable. The notice
24shall identify any measure and subject matter that may be

 

 

SB3976 Enrolled- 4 -LRB096 24463 HLH 44167 b

1considered during that hearing. The notice shall contain the
2day, hour, and place of the hearing.
 
3
Article 99. EFFECTIVE DATE

 
4    Section 99-99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
5becoming law.