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# FAIR MAPS Act Summary The FAIR MAPS Act requires states to use independent redistricting commissions to draw congressional districts rather than allowing legislatures to do so directly. Each commission would consist of 15 members selected through a random process from a pool of applicants representing the two major parties and unaffiliated voters, with strict rules to ensure members have no political conflicts of interest. The commissions must follow specific criteria including complying with the Constitution and Voting Rights Act, respecting communities of interest, and avoiding partisan favoritism. The bill prohibits states from redrawing districts mid-decade and bans considering politicians' residences or party voting history during map creation. The legislation establishes detailed timelines and public participation requirements, including mandatory hearings and 30-day public comment periods on preliminary maps before final adoption. If a state fails to meet deadlines or properly establish its commission, federal courts would develop the redistricting plan instead. The bill provides $150,000 per representative to each state to fund redistricting operations and creates enforcement mechanisms allowing the Attorney General and private citizens to sue in federal court for violations. The law contains special provisions allowing states with existing independent redistricting commissions meeting certain standards to maintain them, and it exempts Iowa's current system. A separate section applies modified requirements retroactively to redistricting for the 2020 census, with compressed timelines and an August 15, 2024 deadline for commission formation. The legislation becomes effective for the 2030 census and later redistricting cycles.

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