Notice2024-14962
Establishment of the 2030 Census Redistricting Data Program
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 9, 2024
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentCensus Bureau
Abstract
This notice announces and seeks comments on the establishment of the 2030 Census Redistricting Data program. Required by law, the program provides the States the opportunity to specify the geographic areas for which they wish to receive 2030 Census population totals for the purpose of reapportionment and redistricting.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 131 (Tuesday, July 9, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 131 (Tuesday, July 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56287-56288]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-14962]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Census Bureau
[Docket Number: 240613-0160]
X-RIN 0607-XC076
Establishment of the 2030 Census Redistricting Data Program
AGENCY: Census Bureau, Department of Commerce
ACTION: Notice of program.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces and seeks comments on the establishment
of the 2030 Census Redistricting Data program. Required by law, the
program provides the States the opportunity to specify the geographic
areas for which they wish to receive 2030 Census population totals for
the purpose of reapportionment and redistricting.
DATES: Comments on this notice are due by August 8, 2024. The program
is expected to begin with the solicitation of official liaisons from
the states in early 2025.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by either of the following
methods:
<bullet> Electronic submission: Submit electronic public comments
via the Federal eRulemaking Portal.
1. Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> and enter Docket Number USBC-2024-0016
in the search field.
2. Click the ``Comment Now!'' icon and complete the required
fields.
3. Enter or attach your comments.
<bullet> By email: Comments in electronic form may also be sent to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d0a2b4bf90b3b5bea3a5a3feb7bfa6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9ae8fef5daf9fff4e9efe9b4fdf5ec">[email protected]</span></a>.
All comments responding to this document will be a matter of public
record. Relevant comments will generally be available on the Federal
eRulemaking Portal at <a href="https://www.Regulations.gov">https://www.Regulations.gov</a>.
The Census Bureau will not accept comments accompanied by a request
that part or all of the material be treated confidentially for any
reason. Therefore, do not submit confidential business information or
otherwise sensitive, protected, or personal information, such as
account numbers, Social Security numbers, or names of other
individuals.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Whitehorne--Chief, Redistricting
and Voting Rights Data Office, c/o Census ADDC Mailbox, U.S. Census
Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill Road, Washington, DC 20233 or by email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e290868da281878c919791cc858d94"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f6849299b6959398858385d8919980">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the provisions of title 13, section
141(c) of the United States Code (U.S.C.), the Secretary of Commerce
(Secretary) is required to provide the ``officers or public bodies
having initial responsibility for the legislative apportionment or
districting of each state'' with the opportunity to specify geographic
areas (e.g., census tabulation blocks, voting districts) for which they
wish to receive decennial census population counts for the purpose of
reapportionment or redistricting. The same statute requires the
Secretary to furnish the state officials or their designees with
population counts for standard census tabulation areas (e.g., state,
congressional district, state legislative district, American Indian
area, county, city, town, census tract, census block group, and census
tabulation block) and voting districts (if provided by the state) by
April 1 of the year following the decennial census. The Secretary has
delegated these responsibilities to the Director of the Census Bureau
(Director).
In accordance with the provisions of 13 U.S.C. 141(c), via this
notice the Director announces the establishment of the 2030 Census
Redistricting Data Program (RDP). In early 2025, the Census Bureau
plans to invite the executive officer and the officers or public bodies
having initial responsibility for legislative reapportionment and
redistricting in each state to agree on and jointly identify a non-
partisan liaison(s) who will work directly with the Census Bureau on
the RDP. Once these liaisons are established, the Census Bureau will
communicate to each state through their non-partisan liaison(s) the
specific requirements of their participation.
Under 13 U.S.C. 141(c), RDP participation is voluntary. However, if
states choose not to participate, the Census Bureau cannot ensure that
the 2030 Census tabulation geography will support the redistricting
needs of those states. The Census Bureau is proposing to structure the
2030 RDP into five phases, similar to how the program was structured
for the 2020 Census.
Phase 1: Block Boundary Suggestion Project (BBSP)
In late 2025, the Census Bureau plans to formally announce the
commencement of Phase 1: Block Boundary Suggestion Project (BBSP)
through a Federal Register notice. The purpose of the BBSP is to afford
states the opportunity to identify non-standard features often used as
electoral boundaries (such as power lines, property lines, or streams)
that could be used in conjunction with more traditional features (such
as street centerlines) as census tabulation block
[[Page 56288]]
boundaries. The state liaison can identify and suggest that some of
these features be used as 2030 census tabulation block boundaries,
resulting in more meaningful tabulation block data for the state. The
liaison may work with local officials, including county election
officers and others, to ensure local geography is represented in the
2030 census tabulation block inventory. In addition, the liaison may
make suggestions for features not desirable as census tabulation block
boundaries.
Beginning in early 2026, the Census Bureau plans to provide to
states that choose to participate in Phase 1 the guidelines and
training for providing their suggestions for the 2030 census tabulation
block boundaries as well as their suggestions for exclusion of line
segments for consideration in the final 2030 census tabulation block
boundary inventory. States will also have the opportunity to review
legal boundaries such as incorporated place, American Indian area, and
county boundaries, in coordination with the annual Boundary and
Annexation Survey (BAS) program. Incorporating the opportunity for
states to review legal boundaries was successfully implemented for the
first time in the 2020 RDP and proved valuable as these legal
boundaries also become census tabulation block boundaries. The Census
Bureau plans to process all tabulation block boundary suggestions and
provide state liaisons the opportunity to verify them in early 2027.
Phase 2: Voting District Project (VTDP)
In late 2027, the Census Bureau plans to formally announce the
commencement of Phase 2: Voting District Project (VTDP) through a
Federal Register notice. The VTDP will provide the state liaisons the
opportunity to submit and verify their voting districts (a generic term
used to represent areas that administer elections such as precincts,
election districts, and wards) to the Census Bureau for inclusion in
the 2030 Census Redistricting Data (Pub. L. 94-171) products (tabulated
data and geographic products).
Beginning in early 2028, the Census Bureau plans to begin the
initial voting district update cycle, providing to states that choose
to participate guidelines and training for submitting their voting
district boundaries. The Census Bureau will process the updates and
provide states two opportunities to verify the updates were processed
correctly. The first verification cycle is planned for early 2029. The
second verification cycle, planned for early 2030, will only be
available to states that participated in the initial update cycle or
the first verification cycle. State liaisons will also continue to have
the opportunity to make census tabulation block boundary suggestions
and to review legal boundaries such as incorporated place, American
Indian area, and county boundaries in coordination with the annual BAS
during the initial update cycle and the first verification cycle.
Phase 3: Delivery of the 2030 Census Redistricting Data
In accordance with 13 U.S.C. 141(c), the Director will furnish the
Governor, state legislative leaders of both the majority and minority
parties, and any other sitting ``officers or public bodies having
initial responsibility for the legislative apportionment or districting
of each state'' with 2030 Census population counts for standard census
tabulation areas (e.g., state, congressional district, state
legislative district, American Indian area, county, city, town, census
tract, census block group, and census tabulation block) regardless of
whether or not a state participates in Phases 1 or 2. The Director will
also provide 2030 Census population counts for voting districts to any
state that participated in Phase 2. Delivery is expected to occur prior
to or alongside the public release of the 2030 Census Redistricting
Data (Pub. L. 94-171) Summary File, no later than April 1, 2031.
Phase 4: Collection of Post-2030 Census Congressional and State
Legislative District Plans
Beginning in 2031, the Census Bureau plans to solicit from each
state the newly drawn legislative and congressional district plans
based on the 2030 census results and compile population, housing and
other data for those new districts. This effort is expected to occur
every two years in advance of the 2040 Census in order to update these
district boundaries with new or changed plans. A verification phase is
planned to occur with each two-year update cycle.
Phase 5: Review of the 2030 Census Redistricting Data Program and
Recommendations for the 2040 Census Redistricting Data Program
As the final phase of the 2030 Census Redistricting Data Program,
the Census Bureau will work with the states to conduct a thorough
review of the program. The intent of this review, and the final report
that results, is to provide guidance to the Secretary and the Director
in planning the 2040 Census Redistricting Data Program.
Please address questions concerning any aspect of the 2030 RDP to
the person identified in the contact section of this notice.
Robert L. Santos, Director, Census Bureau, approved the publication
of this Notice in the Federal Register.
Dated: July 2, 2024.
Shannon Wink,
Program Analyst, Policy Coordination Office, U.S. Census Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2024-14962 Filed 7-8-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P
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