the fifteenth and subsequent decennial censuses and to 
provide for an apportionment of Representatives in Con-
gress’’, approved June 18, 1929 (2 U.S.C. 2a(a)), is 
amended by striking ‘‘to the Congress’’ and inserting ‘‘to 
the Congress and to the National Commission for Inde-
pendent Redistricting established with respect to the de-
cennial census involved’’. 
SEC. 103. MEMBERSHIP. 
(a) APPOINTMENT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Commission shall be 
composed of 14 members, of whom no more than 7 
may be members of or affiliated with the same polit-
ical party, who are appointed as follows: 
(A) The Speaker of the House of Rep-
resentatives shall appoint 4 members. 
(B) The minority leader of the House of 
Representatives shall appoint 4 members. 
(C) The majority leader of the Senate shall 
appoint 3 members. 
(D) The minority leader of the Senate 
shall appoint 3 members. 
(2) QUALIFICATIONS.—Members of the Com-
mission shall be appointed on the basis of relevant 
experience, integrity, impartiality, and good judg-
ment and members, subject to the following: 
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(A) An individual may not be appointed as 
a Member if, at the time of appointment, the 
individual is elected or appointed officer or em-
ployee of the Federal Government. 
(B) An individual who is appointed as a 
Member shall certify in writing, under penalty 
of perjury, to each of the officers referred to in 
paragraph (1) that the individual shall not seek 
election or appointment to any public office 
until the expiration of the 3-year period which 
begins on the date the Commission terminates. 
(3) DEADLINE.—Members of the Commission 
shall be appointed by not later than October 1 of the 
year in which the regular decennial census is con-
ducted. 
(b) CO-CHAIRS.—The Co-Chairs of the Commission 
shall be elected from among the members of the Commis-
sion. The Co-Chairs may not be members or affiliated with 
the same political party. 
(c) TERM OF SERVICE; VACANCIES.—Each Member 
shall be appointed for the life of the Commission. A va-
cancy in the Commission shall be filled in the manner in 
which the original appointment was made, but shall be 
filled not later than 14 days after the vacancy occurs. 
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(d) COMPENSATION: TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Members 
shall each be paid at a rate not to exceed the rate of basic 
pay for level IV of the Executive Schedule for each day 
(including travel time) during which they are engaged in 
the actual performance of duties vested in the Commis-
sion. Each Member shall receive travel expenses, including 
per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with applica-
ble provisions under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 
5, United States Code. 
(e) ADMINISTRATION.— 
(1) AUTHORITY
TO
ESTABLISH
RULES
AND 
REGULATIONS.—The Co-Chairs, in consultation with 
the other members of the Commission, shall estab-
lish rules and regulations for the conduct of Com-
mission business, if such rules and regulations are 
not inconsistent with this section or other applicable 
law. 
(2) QUORUM.—Not fewer than 9 members of 
the Commission shall constitute a quorum for pur-
poses of voting, meeting, and holding hearings. 
(3) MEETINGS.— 
(A) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 30 
days after all of the Commission’s members 
have been appointed, the Commission shall hold 
its first meeting. 
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(B) SUBSEQUENT
MEETINGS.—After the 
first meeting, the Commission shall meet upon 
the call of the Co-Chairs. 
SEC. 104. TRANSPARENCY. 
(a) OPEN MEETINGS AND HEARINGS.—Each meet-
ing and hearing held by the Commission shall be open to 
the public, and a notice of the date, time, and location 
of the meeting and hearing shall be posted on the Internet 
site established and operated under subsection (c). 
(b) DEVELOPMENT
AND
APPROVAL
OF
PLANS 
THROUGH PARTICIPATION OF PUBLIC.— 
(1) OUTREACH TO PUBLIC.—The Commission 
shall establish a public outreach program to notify 
members of the public of the work about the Com-
mission and to encourage to the greatest extent 
practicable the participation of the public in the de-
velopment and review of redistricting plans. Under 
such program, the Commission shall solicit com-
ments from the public for each proposed redis-
tricting plan for a State it develops, and shall take 
such comments into consideration prior to devel-
oping any subsequent plan. 
(2) FINAL
PLAN.—The Commission may not 
vote on a final redistricting plan for a State until 
the expiration of the 14-day period which begins on 
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the date the Commission first makes the plan avail-
able for public comment. 
(c) INTERNET.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 30 days 
after all of the Commission’s members have been ap-
pointed, the Commission shall establish and operate 
an Internet site through which members of the pub-
lic may obtain the information described in para-
graph (2) and may submit comments to the Com-
mission regarding any of the information posted on 
the site. 
(2) CONTENTS.—On the Internet site estab-
lished under paragraph (1), the Commission shall 
post and continuously updated the following infor-
mation: 
(A) A complete and current schedule of 
Commission events (including all meetings, 
hearings, and forums) and dates relevant to the 
development and adoption of redistricting plans 
(including periods for members of the public to 
submit comments on plans). 
(B) Each redistricting plan proposed by 
the Commission, including a map of each Con-
gressional district under the plan and a State-
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wide map showing each Congressional district 
in a State under the plan. 
(C) The most recent available information 
from the Bureau of the Census on voting-age 
population, voter registration, and voting re-
sults in the State, including precinct-level and 
census tract-level data with respect to such in-
formation, as well as detailed maps reflecting 
such information. 
(D) The records of the Commission which 
pertain to the development and adoption of re-
districting plans, including recorded votes taken 
on the approval of a plan and any minority or 
dissenting opinions written with respect to the 
approval or rejection of a plan. 
(E) Not later than 14 days prior to the 
date of any meeting or hearing of the Commis-
sion, a notice of the date, time, and location of 
the meeting or hearing. 
(F) Not later than 7 days prior to the date 
of any meeting of the Commission, the agenda 
for the meeting. 
(G) Not later than 7 days after the conclu-
sion of any hearing conducted by the Commis-
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sion, a transcription and video recording of the 
hearing. 
(H) Such other information as the Com-
mission is required to make publicly available 
under applicable law, and any other information 
the Commission may choose to make publicly 
available subject to applicable law. 
SEC. 105. STAFF OF COMMISSION. 
(a) APPOINTMENT OF STAFF.— 
(1) SHARED STAFF.—The Co-Chairs shall joint-
ly appoint an individual to serve as staff director of 
the Commission, and may also jointly appoint such 
other personnel as may be necessary to enable the 
Commission to carry out its functions. 
(2) ADDITIONAL STAFF FOR COMMISSION MEM-
BERS.—Each member of the Commission may ap-
point up to 5 additional staff for the Commission. 
(3) COVERAGE
UNDER
CONGRESSIONAL
AC-
COUNTABILITY
ACT
OF
1995.—Any individual ap-
pointed to the staff of the Commission under this 
subsection shall be considered a covered employee, 
and the Commission shall be considered an employ-
ing office, for purposes of the Congressional Ac-
countability Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1301 et seq.). 
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(b) INAPPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE 
LAWS.—The staff director and other personnel of the 
Commission may be appointed without regard to the provi-
sions of title 5, United States Code, governing appoint-
ments in the competitive service, and may be paid without 
regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III 
of chapter 53 of that title relating to classification and 
General Schedule pay rates, except that no individual ap-
pointed under the authority of this section may receive pay 
in excess of the annual rate of basic pay for GS–15 of 
the General Schedule. 
(c) STAFF OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Upon the re-
quest of the Co-Chairs of the Commission, the head of 
any Federal department or agency may detail, without re-
imbursement, any of the personnel of that department or 
agency to the Commission to assist in carrying out its du-
ties under this title. 
SEC. 106. POWERS OF COMMISSION. 
(a) HEARINGS
AND SESSIONS.—The Commission 
may, for the purpose of carrying out this Act, hold hear-
ings, sit and act at times and places, take testimony, and 
receive evidence as the Commission considers appropriate. 
(b) POWERS OF MEMBERS AND AGENTS.—Any mem-
ber or agent of the Commission may, if authorized by the 
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Commission, take any action which the Commission is au-
thorized to take by this section. 
(c) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—The Commission 
may secure directly from any agency of the United States 
information necessary to enable it to carry out this Act. 
Upon the request of the Chair of the Commission, the 
head of that department or agency shall furnish that infor-
mation to the Commission. 
(d) MAILS.—The Commission may use the United 
States mails in the same manner and under the same con-
ditions as other departments and agencies of the United 
States. 
(e) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.—Upon 
the request of the Commission, the Administrator of Gen-
eral Services shall provide to the Commission, on a reim-
bursable basis, the administrative support services nec-
essary for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities 
under this Act. 
SEC. 107. COMPLIANCE WITH ETHICS GUIDELINES. 
(a) COMPLIANCE WITH CODE
OF CONDUCT
OF 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.—Each member and staff 
of the Commission shall certify in writing to each of the 
individuals referred to in section 103(a)(1), under penalty 
of perjury, that the member or staff agrees to follow rule 
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XXIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives 
(known as the ‘‘Code of Conduct’’). 
(b) REPORTS UNDER ETHICS IN GOVERNMENT ACT 
OF 1978.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
for purposes of title I of the Ethics in Government Act 
of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.), each member and staff of the 
Commission— 
(1) shall be deemed to be an officer or employee 
of the Congress (as defined in section 109(13) of 
such title); and 
(2) shall file any report required to be filed by 
such member or such staff (including by virtue of 
the application of paragraph (1)) under title I of the 
Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) 
with the Clerk of the House of Representatives. 
SEC. 108. TERMINATION. 
The Commission shall terminate 90 days after the 
date of enactment of the Commission plan. 
SEC. 109. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as may be necessary to carry out this title. 
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TITLE II—REQUIREMENTS FOR 
CONGRESSIONAL 
REDIS-
TRICTING 
SEC. 201. REQUIRING REDISTRICTING TO BE CONDUCTED 
THROUGH APPROVED STATE PLANS OF COM-
MISSION. 
(a) ENACTMENT OF LEGISLATION BY CONGRESS.— 
After the Commission has approved a redistricting plan 
under title I for all States, the Commission shall prepare 
and submit to Congress and the President a bill (hereafter 
in this title referred to as the ‘‘Commission bill’’), the mat-
ter following the enacting clause of which consists of only 
the following: ‘‘That notwithstanding any other provision 
of law, each State shall carry out any congressional redis-
tricting required after the regular decennial census con-
ducted in lll only in accordance with the redistricting 
plan which was approved for the State with respect to that 
census by the National Commission for Independent Re-
districting.’’, with the blank filled in with the year in which 
the decennial census was conducted. 
(b) EXISTING DISTRICTS UNCHANGED UNTIL EN-
ACTMENT OF COMMISSION BILL.—Until the Commission 
bill is enacted, the congressional districts in each State 
shall remain in effect. 
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