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119-hr-10380119th Congress

Problem Solvers Independent Commissions Act

Sponsored By: Representative Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]

Introduced

Summary

Independent state redistricting commissions would run congressional mapmaking in every state, with a state high court plan stepping in only if a commission fails to enact a map. This bill sets who serves on commissions, how maps get drawn, and strict transparency and public-participation rules.

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  • Voters and communities would see maps drawn to meet clear criteria: equal population, contiguity, compactness, respect for political subdivisions, and avoidance of plans meant to favor parties or incumbents. The process requires public meetings, live online access, and a 30-day public comment window on preliminary maps.
  • State officials and appointees would follow a fixed commission design. Commissions must be tripartite (largest-seat party, second-largest-seat party, and nonaffiliated members). States would have 60 days after apportionment notice to form a commission and legislative leaders could remove up to 20% of applicants during selection.
  • Courts and backup planners would get clearer roles. If no final plan exists 30 days before candidate filing, existing districts can remain briefly and the state’s highest court may appoint two special masters to issue a compliant map. The bill bans private communications between commissioners and partisan actors and requires wide post-enactment disclosure of maps, data, software, consultant reports, communications, and an algorithmic fairness illustration.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Commission membership and staff rules

The bill would require each State commission to have three equal groups of members: the largest-party group, the second-largest-party group, and unaffiliated members. Members must be U.S. citizens who meet multi-year voting or registration rules and cannot have been recent officeholders, candidates, or paid party operatives. Applicants would be drawn by random mailing and selection, with legislative leaders allowed to strike up to 20% of partisan pools, and final members picked randomly. Commissioners must complete training before drawing maps, can only be removed for limited grounds by a two-thirds vote, vacancies are filled from the original pool, and staff hired by the commission must answer to the commission, not the State legislature.

Court fallback and removal rules

If a commission has no final plan 30 days before candidate filing, existing districts would stay in place for up to 8 weeks. If the commission still fails to act, the State's highest court could appoint two special masters to publish a final plan that meets the Act's rules, and the State legislature could not decide that plan. The highest State court could hear claims that a final plan violates this Act or State law. The bill would also let parties move covered state‑court redistricting suits to federal district court by filing a Rule 11 signed removal notice without the other side's consent, and federal courts must sever and send back any claims they cannot hear.

Rules for mapmaking and transparency

The bill would require maps to have equal population, be contiguous, be reasonably compact, and preserve political subdivisions when practicable. Commissions would have to publish a preliminary plan and take public comments for at least 30 days, hold public hearings (including livestreaming), and then adopt a final plan only with two-thirds support plus at least two-fifths from each member group. Members would be barred from private communications with elected officials, parties, lobbyists, or outside advocacy groups. After enactment, commissions would have to publish maps, data, software and methods, consultant reports, communications, public submissions, recordings, and an algorithmic bell curve showing fair‑redistricting outcomes.

When commissions must be set up

This bill would apply only to congressional redistricting after the 2030 decennial census. It would require each State to establish an independent redistricting commission no later than 60 days after the State receives the House apportionment notice. The State commission would terminate the day after the first regularly scheduled general federal election following that notice. The bill would also amend the federal apportionment law to point to this Act for how states redraw districts after apportionment.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]

PA • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6]

    MI • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Hurd, Jeff [R-CO-3]

    CO • R

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]

    NY • R

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1]

    HI • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3]

    NY • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Mackenzie, Ryan [R-PA-7]

    PA • R

    Sponsored 9/21/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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