(a) The commission shall establish single-member supervisorial districts for the board pursuant to a mapping process using the following criteria as set forth in the following order of priority:

(1) (A) Districts shall comply with the United States Constitution and each district shall have a reasonably equal population with other districts for the board, except where deviation is required to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. § 10101 et seq.) or allowable by law.

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(B) Population equality shall be based on the total population of residents of the county as determined by the most recent federal decennial census for which the redistricting data described in Public Law 94-171 are available.

(C) Notwithstanding subparagraph (B), an incarcerated person, as that term is used in Section 21003, shall not be counted towards the county’s population, except for an incarcerated person whose last known place of residence may be assigned to a census block in the county, if information about the last known place of residence for incarcerated persons is included in the computerized database for redistricting that is developed in accordance with subdivision (b) of § 8253 of the Government Code, and that database is made publicly available.

(2) Districts shall comply with the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. § 10101 et seq.).

(3) Districts shall be geographically contiguous.

(4) The geographic integrity of any city, local neighborhood, or local community of interest shall be respected in a manner that minimizes its division to the extent possible without violating the requirements of paragraphs (1) to (3), inclusive. A community of interest is a contiguous population that shares common social and economic interests that should be included within a single district for purposes of its effective and fair representation. Communities of interest shall not include relationships with political parties, incumbents, or political candidates.

(5) To the extent practicable, and where this does not conflict with paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive, districts shall be drawn to encourage geographical compactness such that nearby areas of population are not bypassed for more distant areas of population.

(b) The place of residence of any incumbent or political candidate shall not be considered in the creation of a map. Districts shall not be drawn for purposes of favoring or discriminating against an incumbent, political candidate, or political party.

(c) (1) The commission shall comply with the Ralph M. Brown Act (Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code).

(2) (A) Before the commission draws a map, the commission shall conduct at least seven public hearings, to take place over a period of no fewer than 30 days, with at least one public hearing held in each supervisorial district.

(B) In the event a state or local health order prohibits large gatherings, the commission may modify the location of the hearings, including through the use of virtual hearings that use technology to permit remote viewing and participation, to the extent required to comply with public health requirements. If the commission modifies the location of a hearing, it shall provide opportunities to view and listen to proceedings by video, to listen to proceedings by phone, and to provide public comment by phone and in writing with no limitation on the number of commenters. The commission shall, to the greatest extent practicable, provide an opportunity for in-person participation for at least one hearing in each supervisorial district. Methods for providing in-person participation may include, but are not limited to, setting up multiple rooms with audiovisual connections to the hearing, allowing community members to make appointments to make public comment, providing personal protective equipment, or holding hearings in outdoor spaces.

(3) After the commission draws a draft map, the commission shall do both of the following:

(A) Post the map for public comment on the internet website of the County of Kern.

(B) Conduct at least two public hearings to take place over a period of no fewer than 30 days.

(4) (A) The commission shall establish and make available to the public a calendar of all public hearings described in paragraphs (2) and (3). Hearings shall be scheduled at various times and days of the week to accommodate a variety of work schedules and to reach as large an audience as possible.

(B) Notwithstanding § 54954.2 of the Government Code, the commission shall post the agenda for the public hearings described in paragraphs (2) and (3) at least seven days before the hearings. The agenda for a meeting required by paragraph (3) shall include a copy of the draft map.

(5) (A) The commission shall arrange for the live translation of a hearing held pursuant to this chapter in an applicable language if a request for translation is made at least 24 hours before the hearing.

(B) For purposes of this paragraph, an “applicable language” means a language for which the number of residents of the County of Kern who are members of a language minority is greater than or equal to 3 percent of the total voting age residents of the county.

(6) The commission shall take steps to encourage county residents to participate in the redistricting public review process. These steps may include:

(A) Providing information through media, social media, and public service announcements.

(B) Coordinating with community organizations.

(C) Posting information on the internet website of the County of Kern that explains the redistricting process and includes a notice of each public hearing and the procedures for testifying during a hearing or submitting written testimony directly to the commission.

(7) The board shall take all steps necessary to ensure that a complete and accurate computerized database is available for redistricting, and that procedures are in place to provide to the public ready access to redistricting data and computer software equivalent to what is available to the commission members.

(8) The board shall provide reasonable funding and staffing for the commission.

(9) All records of the commission relating to redistricting, and all data considered by the commission in drawing a draft map or the final map, are public records.

(d) (1) The commission shall adopt a redistricting plan adjusting the boundaries of the supervisorial districts and shall file the plan with the county elections official by the map adoption deadline set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 21140. The commission shall not release a draft map before the date set forth in paragraph (3) of subdivision (f) of Section 21160.

(2) The plan shall be subject to referendum in the same manner as ordinances.

(3) The commission shall issue, with the final map, a report that explains the basis on which the commission made its decisions in achieving compliance with the criteria described in subdivisions (a) and (b).

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 343, Sec. 28. (AB 764) Effective January 1, 2024.)