---
title: SR 558. Apportionment for General Assembly; changes to apportionment and districts; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sr558
cite_as: SR 558, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr558
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr558.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr558/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72160
date: 2026-01-13
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 95
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr558.md?full=1
bill_number: SR 558
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2026-01-12
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
- Elena Parent
- Nikki Merritt
- Harold Jones
- Kim Jackson
- Sonya Halpern
- RaShaun Kemp
- Nabilah Islam Parkes
- Sally Harrell
- Kenya Wicks
- Gail Davenport
- Randal Mangham
- Jaha Howard
- Sheikh Rahman
- Ed Harbison
- Derek Mallow
- Tonya Anderson
- Nan Orrock
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR558/2025
upstream_id: 2072027
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- redistricting
- apportionment
- constitutional amendment
- election rules
- congressional districts
---
# SR 558. Apportionment for General Assembly; changes to apportionment and districts; provide
## Text
Senate Resolution 558
By: Senators Parent of the 44th, Merritt of the 9th, Jones II of the 22nd, Jackson of the 41st,
Halpern of the 39th and others
A RESOLUTION
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to provide that changes to apportionment
and districts of the General Assembly and Congress shall only be made in the first
odd-numbered year subsequent to each United States decennial census; to provide that
additional changes shall only be made when necessary to comply with a court order; to
provide for related matters; to provide for the submission of this amendment for ratification
or rejection; and for other purposes.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article III, Section II of the Constitution is amended by revising Paragraph II as follows:
"Paragraph II. Apportionment of General Assembly. (a) The General Assembly shall
apportion the Senate and House districts and shall provide for Congressional districts
pursuant to federal law. Such districts shall be composed of contiguous territory.
(b) The apportionment and districts of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives,
and of Congress provided for in subparagraph (a) of this paragraph shall only be changed
by the General Assembly as necessary in the first odd-numbered year subsequent to after
each United States decennial census.
(c) Following the apportionment and redistricting provided for in subparagraph (b) of
this paragraph, any additional changes shall only be made when necessary to comply with
an order of a court of competent jurisdiction and shall be limited to those changes
necessary to correct the specific deficiencies established in such court order."
SECTION 2.
The above proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be published and submitted as
provided in Article X, Section I, Paragraph II of the Constitution. The ballot submitting the
above proposed amendment shall have written or printed thereon the following:
"( ) YES Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to provide that the
( ) NO apportionment and districts of the Senate, House of Representatives, and of
Congress be changed by the General Assembly only in the first odd-numbered
year subsequent to each United States decennial census unless otherwise
specifically required by a court order?"
All persons desiring to vote in favor of ratifying the proposed amendment shall vote "Yes."
All persons desiring to vote against ratifying the proposed amendment shall vote "No." If
such amendment shall be ratified as provided in said Paragraph of the Constitution, it shall
become a part of the Constitution of this state.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Senate resolution would amend Georgia's Constitution to limit when the General Assembly can redraw legislative and congressional districts, generally restricting redistricting to the first odd-numbered year after each U.S. Census.
### Plain-language summary
Currently, Georgia's Constitution says the General Assembly must change Senate and House district lines as necessary after each U.S. Census, without a strict timing rule limiting further changes. This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that would specify redistricting for the Senate, House of Representatives, and Georgia's congressional districts can only happen in the first odd-numbered year following each decennial census.
After that scheduled redistricting, the amendment would allow additional changes only if a court orders them, and any such court-ordered changes would be limited to fixing the specific problems the court identified. Because this is a proposed constitutional amendment, it must be submitted to Georgia voters for ratification. The resolution includes the exact ballot language voters would see, asking whether to approve these new timing restrictions on redistricting.
### What it does
- Amends Article III, Section II, Paragraph II of the Georgia Constitution to add rules about when redistricting can occur.
- Restricts changes to Senate, House, and congressional district lines to the first odd-numbered year after each U.S. decennial census.
- Adds a new provision allowing extra redistricting changes only when a court orders them, and only to fix the specific problems the court named.
- Explicitly extends the constitutional apportionment rule to cover congressional districts, not just state legislative districts.
- Requires the proposed amendment to be put before Georgia voters for a yes or no vote to decide whether it becomes part of the Constitution.
### Who it affects
Georgia voters, who would decide this amendment at the ballot box; the General Assembly, which would face new constraints on when it can redraw legislative and congressional maps; and Georgia courts, which would gain a defined role in ordering any mid-decade redistricting changes.
### Why it matters
If approved by voters, this would make it harder for the General Assembly to redraw legislative and congressional maps outside the year right after a census, limiting mid-decade redistricting unless a court specifically orders a fix, which affects how and when district lines that shape elections can be changed.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 revises Paragraph II so subparagraph (a) confirms the General Assembly apportions Senate and House districts and provides for congressional districts under federal law.
- Section 1, subparagraph (b) restricts changes to Senate, House, and congressional districts to only the first odd-numbered year after each U.S. decennial census.
- Section 1 adds subparagraph (c), allowing further changes only to comply with a court order and only to the extent needed to fix the specific deficiencies the court identified.
- Section 2 sets the ballot question voters will see and specifies that a 'Yes' vote ratifies the amendment, adding it to the Constitution.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-01-12)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2026-01-13)
- Sponsors: Elena Parent, Nikki Merritt, Harold Jones, Kim Jackson, Sonya Halpern, RaShaun Kemp, Nabilah Islam Parkes, Sally Harrell, Kenya Wicks, Gail Davenport, Randal Mangham, Jaha Howard, Sheikh Rahman, Ed Harbison, Derek Mallow, Tonya Anderson, Nan Orrock
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72160
> The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr558.md?full=1