End Prison Gerrymandering Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 7375
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Government Operations and Politics
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-02-04: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-16T14:55:01Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The "End Prison Gerrymandering Act" (H.R. 7375) aims to reform how the U.S. Census Bureau counts incarcerated individuals for the decennial census. It seeks to attribute these individuals to their last usual place of residence before incarceration, rather than the location of the prison or detention facility. This change is intended to prevent distortions in population counts that can affect political representation, a practice often called "prison gerrymandering."
Key Provisions
- Census Attribution Rule: Starting with the 2030 decennial census and for all future censuses, the Secretary of Commerce (who oversees the Census Bureau) must count individuals incarcerated in state, federal, county, municipal correctional facilities, youth correctional facilities, or detention centers as residents of their pre-incarceration home address.
- Redistricting Requirement: States must use this pre-incarceration residence for attributing incarcerated individuals when drawing congressional districts, ensuring the census data aligns with redistricting processes.
- Scope: Applies to all incarcerated people as of the census date, regardless of the facility type.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Amends Section 141 of Title 13, United States Code (which governs census procedures), by adding a new subsection (g) to specify the residence rule for incarcerated individuals, effective from 2030 onward.
- Amends Section 2a of Title 2, United States Code (the law on census-based apportionment of House seats), by adding subsection (d) to mandate that states incorporate the new residence attribution in congressional redistricting.
- Under current law, incarcerated individuals are typically counted at their place of incarceration, which can inflate population figures in areas with prisons (often rural) and undercount urban or home communities. This bill reverses that practice for census and redistricting purposes.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: The Census Bureau will need to update data collection, processing, and reporting methods to identify and reattribute incarcerated individuals' residences, potentially requiring new administrative resources and coordination with correctional systems.
- On Citizens: Could lead to more accurate representation by shifting population counts to communities of origin, benefiting urban and minority-heavy areas that send higher proportions of residents to prison. Rural prison-hosting areas may see reduced population credits, affecting local funding and districting.
- On International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill focuses on domestic census and redistricting processes.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Incarcerated Individuals and Their Home Communities: Gain more accurate counting, potentially increasing political representation and resource allocation in their origin areas.
- States and Local Governments: Must adjust redistricting maps, which could shift congressional seats and state legislative districts; prison-hosting jurisdictions may lose influence.
- Congressional Representatives: Apportionment of House seats could change, altering power dynamics between urban/suburban and rural districts.
- Correctional Facilities and Advocacy Groups: Facilities provide data; groups focused on criminal justice reform (e.g., those addressing racial disparities in incarceration) stand to benefit from reduced gerrymandering effects.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Reinforces the Census Bureau's authority under the Constitution's Census Clause (Article I, Section 2) to define "usual residence" for counting, potentially reducing legal challenges over inconsistent state practices in redistricting.
- Constitutional: Aligns with the Equal Protection Clause (14th Amendment) by addressing how prison counts can dilute voting power in non-prison communities, promoting fairer apportionment without altering the "one person, one vote" principle.
- Political: May reduce partisan advantages in rural districts reliant on prison populations for higher counts, sparking debates on equity in representation; however, it does not affect voting rights of incarcerated individuals, who remain ineligible in most states. The bill's bipartisan referral to oversight and judiciary committees highlights its non-partisan reform intent.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2]
Cosponsors (12)
Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5], Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2], Rep. Sykes, Emilia Strong [D-OH-13], Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17], Rep. Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8], Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12], Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12], Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4], Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
Recent Actions
- 2026-02-04: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2026-02-04: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2026-02-04: Introduced in House
- 2026-02-04: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- End Prison Gerrymandering Act — issued 2026-02-04 — PDF (3 pages)