---
title: HR 12. Congressional, legislative, and other state-wide apportionment or district plans; provide for certain minimum standards - CA
collection: bills
id: 2026-special/hr12
cite_as: HR 12, 2026 Special Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr12
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr12.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr12/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74834
date: 2026-06-20
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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next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr13.md
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr12.md?full=1
bill_number: HR 12
session: 2026 Special Session
session_slug: 2026-special
chamber: House
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2026-06-17
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Carolyn Hugley
- Samuel Park
- Tanya Miller
- Saira Draper
- Park Cannon
- Anne Westbrook
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR12/2026/X1
upstream_id: 2154007
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- redistricting
- gerrymandering
- voting rights
- constitutional amendment
- election maps
---
# HR 12. Congressional, legislative, and other state-wide apportionment or district plans; provide for certain minimum standards - CA
## Text
House Resolution 12EX
By: Representatives Hugley of the 141st, Park of the 107th, Miller of the 62nd, Draper of the
90th, Cannon of the 58th, and others
A RESOLUTION
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Georgia so as to provide for
certain minimum standards for congressional, legislative, and other state-wide apportionment
or district plans; to provide for an exception; to provide that such plans shall not be drawn
so as to favor or disfavor any political party or political organization, incumbent, or political
candidate; to prohibit the denial or abridgement of the equal opportunity of racial minorities
to participate in the political process or to elect state officeholders; to provide standing and
venue for actions to challenge such amendments; 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. Such districts shall be composed of contiguous
territory. The apportionment of the Senate and of the House of Representatives shall be
changed by the General Assembly as necessary after each United States decennial census.
(b)(1) This subparagraph shall apply to the apportionment of and districts for the
United States Congress, the Senate, the House of Representatives, and any other plan
H. R. 12EX
through which the entire state is divided into districts for the election of state officers by
the electors of the state, but shall not apply to any judicial circuit provided for in
Article VI.
(2)(A) Districts shall be composed of contiguous territory. Districts that connect on
only a single point shall not be contiguous.
(B) Each congressional district shall be drawn with a total population deviation of
plus or minus one person from the ideal district size. Each Senate or House of
Representatives district shall be drawn with a total population deviation of plus or
minus fifty persons from the ideal district size.
(C) In drawing an apportionment plan or drawing an individual district, the following
factors shall be considered and, whenever possible, all reasonable attempts shall be
made to avoid separating the following into separate districts:
(i) County boundaries;
(ii) Municipal boundaries;
(iii) Local school system boundaries;
(iv) Voting precinct boundaries; and
(v) Communities of interest, which shall include, but shall not be limited to,
populations that share cultural or historical characteristics or economic interests;
provided, however, that communities of interest shall not include relationships with
political parties or organizations, incumbents, or political candidates.
(D) No apportionment plan or individual district shall be drawn with the intent to
favor or disfavor or to have the result of favoring or disfavoring a political party or
organization or an incumbent, nor shall partisan considerations be used when
determining or establishing district criteria or guidelines.
(E) Districts shall not be drawn with the intent or result of denying or abridging the
equal opportunity of racial minorities to participate in the political process or to
diminish their ability to elect state officeholders of their choice.
H. R. 12EX
(3) Any registered elector of this state shall have standing to challenge the
constitutionality of any apportionment plan or individual district. The venue for any such
challenge shall be in the superior court of the county in which such challenger resides."
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 to prohibit the drawing of
( ) NO congressional and legislative districts for the purpose of favoring or
disfavoring a political party or incumbent?"
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.
H. R. 12EX
## 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 Georgia House resolution would ask voters to amend the state constitution to set new rules for drawing congressional and legislative districts, banning maps drawn to favor a political party, organization, incumbent, or candidate.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia's constitution currently lets the General Assembly redraw legislative districts after each census, requiring only that districts be made of contiguous territory. This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment adding detailed standards for how congressional, state Senate, state House, and other statewide district plans must be drawn.
The amendment would require districts to have very tight population balance (within one person for congressional districts, within fifty for legislative districts), require mapmakers to try to keep counties, cities, school systems, voting precincts, and communities of interest whole, and flatly prohibit drawing maps to help or hurt any political party, organization, incumbent, or candidate. It also bars maps that deny racial minorities an equal opportunity to participate in politics or elect their chosen candidates. Any registered voter could sue in the superior court of their home county to challenge a map. If approved by the General Assembly, the change would go before Georgia voters for ratification in a statewide referendum.
### What it does
- Adds new constitutional standards requiring congressional and legislative districts to stay within one person (congressional) or fifty persons (legislative) of the ideal population size.
- Prohibits drawing any statewide district plan with the intent or effect of favoring or disfavoring a political party, organization, incumbent, or candidate.
- Prohibits districts drawn to deny or reduce racial minorities' equal opportunity to participate in politics or elect their preferred candidates.
- Directs mapmakers to try to avoid splitting counties, municipalities, school systems, voting precincts, and communities of interest across districts.
- Gives any registered Georgia voter standing to challenge a district map in the superior court of the county where they live.
- Removes the current single sentence requiring only contiguous territory and replaces it with a more detailed contiguity definition excluding single-point connections.
### Who it affects
Georgia voters statewide, who would decide the amendment in a referendum; the General Assembly, which draws congressional and legislative maps; political parties, incumbents, and candidates affected by redistricting; and racial minority communities whose voting power the amendment addresses.
### Why it matters
If ratified, the amendment would give Georgians and courts a specific constitutional standard to challenge maps seen as drawn for partisan advantage, change how tightly districts must match in population, and require closer attention to county, city, and community boundaries when new maps are drawn after each census.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 revises Article III, Section II, Paragraph II of the Georgia Constitution to add detailed apportionment standards for Congress, the state Senate, and the state House.
- Sets population deviation limits: plus or minus one person for congressional districts and plus or minus fifty persons for state legislative districts.
- Lists factors mapmakers must try to preserve: county lines, municipal lines, school system lines, precinct lines, and communities of interest (excluding relationships tied to parties or candidates).
- Bars any plan or district drawn with intent or effect of favoring or disfavoring a political party, organization, or incumbent.
- Bars districts drawn to deny or diminish racial minorities' equal opportunity to participate in politics or elect their chosen officeholders.
- Gives any registered elector standing to sue over a plan's constitutionality, with venue in the superior court of the challenger's home county.
- Section 2 sets the ballot question asking voters whether to prohibit drawing districts to favor or disfavor a party or incumbent.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-06-17)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-06-20)
- Sponsors: Carolyn Hugley, Samuel Park, Tanya Miller, Saira Draper, Park Cannon, Anne Westbrook
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74834
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr12.md?full=1