Constitution of Connecticut (2025 publisher edition) — Amendment XII

Publisher edition notice: The publisher identifies this compilation as revised to January 1, 2025. It preserves the annotated original 1965 text and all ratified amendments, alongside the Revisors' unofficial convenience version incorporating extant amendments. The latter does not supersede the original Constitution and amendments; later changes have not been independently verified.

Amendment XII Ratified amendment and publisher annotations.

ARTICLE XII.*
*Adopted November 24, 1976.
(Reapportionment procedure. Reapportionment Committee. Reapportion-
ment Commission.)
Section 6 of article third of the Constitution is amended to read as follows:
1
a. The assembly and senatorial districts as now established by law shall continue
until the regular session of the general assembly next after the completion of the next
census of the United States. On or before the fifteenth day of February next follow-
ing the completion of the decennial census of the United States, the general assembly
shall appoint a reapportionment committee consisting of four members of the senate,
two who shall be designated by the president pro tempore of the senate and two who
shall be designated by the minority leader of the senate, and four members of the
house of representatives, two who shall be designated by the speaker of the house of
representatives and two who shall be designated by the minority leader of the house
of representatives, provided there are members of no more than two political parties
in either the senate or the house of representatives. In the event that there are members
of more than two political parties in a house of the general assembly, all members of
that house belonging to the parties other than that of the president pro tempore of the
senate or the speaker of the house of representatives, as the case may be, shall select
one of their number, who shall designate two members of the commission in lieu of
the designation by the minority leader of that house. Such committee shall advise the
general assembly on matters of apportionment. Such general assembly shall, upon roll
call, by a yea vote of at least two-thirds of the membership of each house, enact such
plan of districting as is necessary to preserve a proper apportionment of representa-
tion in accordance with the principles recited in this article. Thereafter the general
assembly shall decennially at its next regular session following the completion of the
census of the United States, upon roll call, by a yea vote of at least two-thirds of the
membership of each house, enact such plan of districting as is necessary in accordance
with the provisions of this article.
b. If the general assembly fails to enact a plan of districting by the fifteenth day of
the May next following the completion of the decennial census of the United States,
the governor shall forthwith appoint a commission designated by the president pro
tempore of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the minority leader
of the senate and the minority leader of the house of representatives, each of whom
shall designate two members of the commission, provided that there are members of
no more than two political parties in either the senate or the house of representatives.
In the event that there are members of more than two political parties in a house of the
general assembly, all members of that house belonging to the parties other than that of
the president pro tempore of the senate or the speaker of the house of representatives,
as the case may be, shall select one of their number, who shall designate two members
of the commission in lieu of the designation by the minority leader of that house. The

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196 AMENDMENTS TO THE Art. XIV
CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT
eight members of the commission so designated shall within fifteen days select an
elector of the state as a ninth member.
c. The commission shall proceed to consider the alteration of districts in accord-
ance with the principles recited in this article and it shall submit a plan of districting to
the secretary of the state by the first day of the September next succeeding the appoint-
ment of its members. No plan shall be submitted to the secretary unless it is certified
by at least five members of the commission. Upon receiving such plan the secretary
shall publish the same forthwith, and, upon publication, such plan of districting shall
have the full force of law. If the commission shall fail to submit such a plan by the first
day of September, the secretary of the state shall forthwith so notify the chief justice
of the supreme court.
d. Original jurisdiction is vested in the supreme court to be exercised on the
petition of any registered voter whereby said court may compel the commission, by
mandamus or otherwise, to perform its duty or to correct any error made in its plan
of districting, or said court may take such other action to effectuate the purposes
of this article, including the establishing of a plan of districting if the commission
fails to file its plan of districting by the first day of September as said court may
deem appropriate. Any such petition shall be filed within forty-five days of the date
specified for any duty or within forty-five days after the filing of a plan of district-
ing. The supreme court shall render its decision not later than sixty days following
the filing of such petition or shall file its plan with the secretary of the state not later
than the fifteenth day of December next following the completion of the decennial
census of the United States. Upon receiving such plan the secretary shall publish
the same forthwith, and, upon publication, such plan of districting shall have the
full force of law.
1 Amended by Article XVI., Sec. 2, Article XXVI., and Article XXX., Sec. 2, of the Amendments to the Constitution
of the State of Connecticut.