SB 114: General Assembly; certain procedures for redistricting of the General Assembly and congressional districts in this state; provide

When the Georgia General Assembly redraws state legislative and congressional district boundaries, a process called redistricting, current law does not spell out detailed public participation requirements. This bill adds a new section to Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 28-1-17) that would require at least two public hearings in each of the state's judicial districts, held in the largest and second largest cities in each district, attended by lawmakers from both parties. The bill also requires hearings to be livestreamed and archived online, proposed maps to be posted publicly within 48 hours of committee assignment with enough detail to see district lines down to individual residences, and all committee meetings on redistricting to be open to the public with seven days notice. It bars withholding mapmaking data as a trade secret, requires release of communications among officials involved in redistricting, and prohibits those officials from communicating with outside parties not involved in the official process.

• Requires a minimum of two public hearings per judicial district, one before draft maps are created and one after a plan is introduced but before the final vote.
• Requires hearings in the highest and second highest population municipalities of each judicial district, attended by at least two legislators from each chamber representing both parties.
• Requires proposed district maps to be posted online within 48 hours of committee assignment, with enough detail to see boundaries down to individual residences.
• Requires public disclosure of the data, software, formulas, and processes used to draw maps, overriding trade secret or confidentiality claims.
• Bars committee votes on a redistricting plan unless it has been publicly posted for at least two weeks beforehand.
• Requires release of all communications to or from officials involved in redistricting and prohibits those officials from communicating with outside parties not part of the official process.

Members of the General Assembly involved in drawing state legislative and congressional district maps, legislative staff and any contractors or software vendors who help create redistricting plans, county governments that publish legal notices, and Georgia voters and members of the public who would gain new access to hearings, maps, and records.

If enacted, Georgians would have more advance notice of proposed district maps, more opportunities to comment before lines are finalized, and more access to the data and communications behind how maps are drawn, changing how the next round of redistricting after the 2030 census would be handled.

• Adds new Code section O.C.G.A. § 28-1-17 to Chapter 1 of Title 28, setting mandatory redistricting procedures.
• Paragraph (1) requires at least two public hearings per judicial district, one before and one after a plan is introduced, with the second held no later than one week before the final vote.
• Paragraph (2) requires hearings in the two most populous municipalities of each judicial district with bipartisan legislative attendance from relevant redistricting committees.
• Paragraph (3) requires hearings to be recorded, livestreamed, archived online, and publicly noticed at least seven days in advance in each county's legal organ.
• Paragraph (4) requires proposed maps and the underlying data, software, and methodology to be posted online within 48 hours of committee assignment, and bars trade secret claims from blocking disclosure.
• Paragraph (5) requires all redistricting meetings, discussions, and deliberations after committee assignment to be conducted publicly with seven days notice.
• Paragraph (6) bars a committee vote on a plan unless it has been posted online with full detail for at least two weeks.
• Paragraphs (7) and (8) require release of officials' communications about redistricting and prohibit those officials from communicating about it with outside parties not part of the official process.

1. 2025-02-06Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2025-02-05Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Elena Parent (D, SD-044)Primary sponsor
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
• Sonya Halpern (D, SD-039)
• Sally Harrell (D, SD-040)
• Randal Mangham (D, SD-055)
• Donzella James (D, SD-028)
• Freddie Sims (D, SD-012)
• Nabilah Islam Parkes (D, SD-007)
• Sheikh Rahman (D, SD-005)
• Nikki Merritt (D, SD-009)
• Tonya Anderson (D, SD-043)
• Gail Davenport (D, SD-017)
• Nan Orrock (D, SD-036)
• Derek Mallow (D, SD-002)
• Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)
• Michael Rhett (D, SD-033)
• David Lucas (D, SD-026)
• RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-038)
• Ed Harbison (D, SD-015)
• Josh McLaurin (D, SD-014)
• Jason Esteves (D, SD-035)
• Kenya Wicks (D, SD-034)

• redistricting
• election rules
• open government
• legislative transparency
• voting districts