Print
House Study Bill 625 - IntroducedA Bill ForAn Act 1concerning county supervisor representation and
2districting plans.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1DIVISION I
2SELECTION OF COUNTY SUPERVISOR REPRESENTATION PLANS
3 Section 1. Section 331.206, subsection 2, paragraph a, Code
42018, is amended to read as follows:
5a. The plan used under subsection 1 shall be selected by the
6board or by a special election as provided in section 331.207.
7A plan selected by the board shall remain in effect for at
8least six years unless it is changed by a special election as
9provided in section 331.207. However, for a county that elects
10supervisors under plan “three” and has a population of one
11hundred fifty thousand or more based on the most recent federal
12decennial census, the selection of plan “three” shall not be
13changed by the board or by a special election as provided in
14section 331.207.
15DIVISION II
16COUNTY SUPERVISOR REPRESENTATION DISTRICTING PLANS
17 Sec. 2. Section 68B.32A, subsection 16, Code 2018, is
18amended to read as follows:
1916. Establish an expedited procedure for reviewing
20complaints forwarded by the state commissioner of elections
21to the board for a determination as to whether a supervisor
22district plan adopted pursuant to section 331.210A that differs
23from a supervisor district plan prepared by the legislative
24services agency was drawn for improper political reasons
25as described in section 42.4, subsection 5. The expedited
26procedure shall be substantially similar to the process used
27for other complaints filed with the board except that the
28provisions of section 68B.32D shall not apply.
29 Sec. 3. Section 331.209, subsection 4, Code 2018, is amended
30to read as follows:
314. Each temporary county redistricting commission shall
32notify the state commissioner of elections when the boundaries
33of supervisor districts are changed, shall provide a map
34delineating the new boundary lines, and shall certify to
35the state commissioner of elections the populations of the
-1-1new supervisor districts as determined under the latest
2federal decennial census. Upon failure of a temporary county
3redistricting commission to make the required changes by
4the dates specified by this section and sections 331.203
5and 331.204 as determined by the state commissioner of
6elections, the state commissioner of elections shall make or
7cause to be made the necessary changes as soon as possible,
8and shall assess to the county the expenses incurred in so
9doing. The Except for a representation plan drawn pursuant
10to section 331.210A, subsection 2, paragraph “f”, the state
11commissioner of elections may request the services of personnel
12and materials available to the legislative services agency
13to assist the state commissioner in making required changes
14in supervisor district boundaries which become the state
15commissioner’s responsibility.
16 Sec. 4. Section 331.210A, subsection 2, paragraph f,
17subparagraph (1), Code 2018, is amended to read as follows:
18(1) (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section
19 to the contrary, for For purposes of this paragraph “f”,
20“qualifying county” means a county with a population of one
21hundred fifty thousand or more based on the most recent federal
22decennial census that elects supervisors under plan “three”
23as defined in section 331.206, or a county with a population
24of one hundred eighty thousand or more that has adopted a
25charter for a city-county consolidated form of government or
26a community commonwealth form of government and which charter
27provides for representation by districts,.
28(b) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the
29contrary, for a qualifying county,the legislative services
30agency, and not the temporary county redistricting commission,
31shall draw a representation plan as provided by paragraph “a”
32pursuant to a contract executed with the county.
33(c) A county subject to the requirements of this paragraph
34“f” shall notify the state commissioner of elections that a
35representation plan to be drawn pursuant to this paragraph
-2-1“f” is required and shall submit to the state commissioner
2of elections the precinct plan to be used to draw the
3representation plan. Upon notification and submission of a
4precinct plan, the state commissioner of elections shall review
5and approve the precinct plan to be used. Following approval
6of the precinct plan to be used, the state commissioner
7of elections shall notify the legislative council which
8shall direct the legislative services agency to prepare a
9representation plan for the county.
10(d) The plan drawn by the legislative services agency
11shall be based upon the precinct plan adopted and approved
12 for use by the county and shall be drawn in accordance with
13section 42.4, to the extent applicable. After the legislative
14services agency has drawn the plan, the legislative services
15agency shall at the earliest feasible time make available to
16the public all of the information required to be made public
17by paragraph “b”.
18EXPLANATION
19The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
20the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
21This bill concerns county supervisor representation and
22districting plans.
23Division I of the bill concerns the manner of selecting
24county supervisors. Code section 331.206 specifies that the
25county supervisors may be elected pursuant to plan “one”,
26election at large; plan “two”, election at large with district
27residence requirements; or plan “three”, election from
28single-member districts.
29The bill provides that for a county that elects supervisors
30under plan “three” and has a population of 150,000 or more, the
31selection of plan “three” shall not be changed by the board of
32the county or pursuant to a special election as provided in
33Code section 331.207.
34Division II of the bill concerns the manner of adopting
35redistricting plans for certain counties. Code section
-3-1331.210A(2)(f) is amended to provide that the procedure
2for adopting a representation plan for a county that has a
3population that exceeds 180,000 or that has adopted a charter
4for a city-county consolidation form or community commonwealth
5form that provides for representation by districts shall also
6apply to a county with a population of 150,000 or more that has
7adopted a plan “three” form of representation. The procedure
8provides that the county’s initial plan for districts, and the
9county’s first plan for districts after each federal decennial
10census, shall be drawn by the legislative services agency based
11upon an approved precinct plan for the county and the standards
12applicable to congressional and legislative redistricting. If
13the plan drawn by the legislative services agency is rejected
14by the governing body, the governing body shall direct the
15legislative services agency to prepare another plan as provided
16by current law.
17Code section 68B.32, concerning complaints for improper
18political reasons relative to an adopted supervisor district
19plan, is amended to make the complaint process inapplicable
20to plans prepared by the legislative services agency. In
21addition, Code section 331.209 is amended to provide that
22the state commissioner of elections shall not be permitted
23to request assistance from the legislative services agency
24relating to a representation plan drawn pursuant to Code
25section 331.210A(2)(f).
-4-ec/rj
2districting plans.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1DIVISION I
2SELECTION OF COUNTY SUPERVISOR REPRESENTATION PLANS
3 Section 1. Section 331.206, subsection 2, paragraph a, Code
42018, is amended to read as follows:
5a. The plan used under subsection 1 shall be selected by the
6board or by a special election as provided in section 331.207.
7A plan selected by the board shall remain in effect for at
8least six years unless it is changed by a special election as
9provided in section 331.207. However, for a county that elects
10supervisors under plan “three” and has a population of one
11hundred fifty thousand or more based on the most recent federal
12decennial census, the selection of plan “three” shall not be
13changed by the board or by a special election as provided in
14section 331.207.
15DIVISION II
16COUNTY SUPERVISOR REPRESENTATION DISTRICTING PLANS
17 Sec. 2. Section 68B.32A, subsection 16, Code 2018, is
18amended to read as follows:
1916. Establish an expedited procedure for reviewing
20complaints forwarded by the state commissioner of elections
21to the board for a determination as to whether a supervisor
22district plan adopted pursuant to section 331.210A that differs
23from a supervisor district plan prepared by the legislative
24services agency was drawn for improper political reasons
25as described in section 42.4, subsection 5. The expedited
26procedure shall be substantially similar to the process used
27for other complaints filed with the board except that the
28provisions of section 68B.32D shall not apply.
29 Sec. 3. Section 331.209, subsection 4, Code 2018, is amended
30to read as follows:
314. Each temporary county redistricting commission shall
32notify the state commissioner of elections when the boundaries
33of supervisor districts are changed, shall provide a map
34delineating the new boundary lines, and shall certify to
35the state commissioner of elections the populations of the
-1-1new supervisor districts as determined under the latest
2federal decennial census. Upon failure of a temporary county
3redistricting commission to make the required changes by
4the dates specified by this section and sections 331.203
5and 331.204 as determined by the state commissioner of
6elections, the state commissioner of elections shall make or
7cause to be made the necessary changes as soon as possible,
8and shall assess to the county the expenses incurred in so
9doing. The Except for a representation plan drawn pursuant
10to section 331.210A, subsection 2, paragraph “f”, the state
11commissioner of elections may request the services of personnel
12and materials available to the legislative services agency
13to assist the state commissioner in making required changes
14in supervisor district boundaries which become the state
15commissioner’s responsibility.
16 Sec. 4. Section 331.210A, subsection 2, paragraph f,
17subparagraph (1), Code 2018, is amended to read as follows:
18(1) (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section
19 to the contrary, for For purposes of this paragraph “f”,
20“qualifying county” means a county with a population of one
21hundred fifty thousand or more based on the most recent federal
22decennial census that elects supervisors under plan “three”
23as defined in section 331.206, or a county with a population
24of one hundred eighty thousand or more that has adopted a
25charter for a city-county consolidated form of government or
26a community commonwealth form of government and which charter
27provides for representation by districts,.
28(b) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the
29contrary, for a qualifying county,the legislative services
30agency, and not the temporary county redistricting commission,
31shall draw a representation plan as provided by paragraph “a”
32pursuant to a contract executed with the county.
33(c) A county subject to the requirements of this paragraph
34“f” shall notify the state commissioner of elections that a
35representation plan to be drawn pursuant to this paragraph
-2-1“f” is required and shall submit to the state commissioner
2of elections the precinct plan to be used to draw the
3representation plan. Upon notification and submission of a
4precinct plan, the state commissioner of elections shall review
5and approve the precinct plan to be used. Following approval
6of the precinct plan to be used, the state commissioner
7of elections shall notify the legislative council which
8shall direct the legislative services agency to prepare a
9representation plan for the county.
10(d) The plan drawn by the legislative services agency
11shall be based upon the precinct plan adopted and approved
12 for use by the county and shall be drawn in accordance with
13section 42.4, to the extent applicable. After the legislative
14services agency has drawn the plan, the legislative services
15agency shall at the earliest feasible time make available to
16the public all of the information required to be made public
17by paragraph “b”.
18EXPLANATION
19The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
20the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
21This bill concerns county supervisor representation and
22districting plans.
23Division I of the bill concerns the manner of selecting
24county supervisors. Code section 331.206 specifies that the
25county supervisors may be elected pursuant to plan “one”,
26election at large; plan “two”, election at large with district
27residence requirements; or plan “three”, election from
28single-member districts.
29The bill provides that for a county that elects supervisors
30under plan “three” and has a population of 150,000 or more, the
31selection of plan “three” shall not be changed by the board of
32the county or pursuant to a special election as provided in
33Code section 331.207.
34Division II of the bill concerns the manner of adopting
35redistricting plans for certain counties. Code section
-3-1331.210A(2)(f) is amended to provide that the procedure
2for adopting a representation plan for a county that has a
3population that exceeds 180,000 or that has adopted a charter
4for a city-county consolidation form or community commonwealth
5form that provides for representation by districts shall also
6apply to a county with a population of 150,000 or more that has
7adopted a plan “three” form of representation. The procedure
8provides that the county’s initial plan for districts, and the
9county’s first plan for districts after each federal decennial
10census, shall be drawn by the legislative services agency based
11upon an approved precinct plan for the county and the standards
12applicable to congressional and legislative redistricting. If
13the plan drawn by the legislative services agency is rejected
14by the governing body, the governing body shall direct the
15legislative services agency to prepare another plan as provided
16by current law.
17Code section 68B.32, concerning complaints for improper
18political reasons relative to an adopted supervisor district
19plan, is amended to make the complaint process inapplicable
20to plans prepared by the legislative services agency. In
21addition, Code section 331.209 is amended to provide that
22the state commissioner of elections shall not be permitted
23to request assistance from the legislative services agency
24relating to a representation plan drawn pursuant to Code
25section 331.210A(2)(f).
-4-ec/rj