HB 4780 Summary

• Reduces Michigan's congressional districts from 15 to 14, effective for terms beginning January 1, 2013, pursuant to the 2010 decennial census apportionment ratio set by Congress.

• Establishes 14 new single-member congressional districts with specific geographic boundaries defined by counties, townships, cities, and census tracts/blocks throughout Michigan.

• Requires the Secretary of State to prepare detailed maps and legal descriptions of each district using political subdivisions, man-made features (streets, roads, highways), and natural features (waterways) as boundaries.

• Appropriates $30,000 to the Department of State for fiscal year ending September 30, 2012 to cover costs of redistricting implementation and map preparation.

• Specifies that the redistricting plan complies with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Equal Protection requirements while maintaining traditional neutral redistricting principles, including preservation of county and municipal boundaries.