Fair Representation Act
Latest action. Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdictionA court's legal authority to hear a case: over the subject matter, the parties, and the territory.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) of the committee concerned.
Fair Representation Act
This bill requires ranked-choice voting (a system in which voters rank candidates in order of preference) in certain federal elections and requires the use of multi-member districts in certain states. It also outlines criteria for congressional redistricting and generally prohibits mid-decade redistricting.
Specifically, the bill requires states to use ranked-choice voting in elections for Senators and Members of the House of Representatives. The Election Assistance Commission must make payments to states to implement ranked-choice voting.
The bill generally requires (1) that states entitled to six or more Representatives establish districts such that three to five Representatives are elected from each district, and (2) that states entitled to fewer than six Representatives elect all Representatives on an at-large basis.
The bill also sets forth criteria for congressional redistricting, including by (1) requiring congressional districts to comply with the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and (2) prohibiting the use of a redistricting plan that was drawn with the intent (or has the effect of) materially favoring or disfavoring any political party.
The bill creates judicial remedies if a state fails to enact a final congressional redistricting plan. In particular, if a state fails to enact such a final plan by the applicable deadline, then a three-judge district court shall have the exclusive authority to develop and publish the congressional redistricting plan for the state.
The bill also includes a provision to prevent states from redistricting more than once following an apportionment (i.e., mid-decade redistricting).
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on July 23, 2025. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on July 23, 2025: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 118th Congress (2023-24), 274 of the 16,565 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 1.7 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Donald Beyer (D-VA) introduced it on July 23, 2025, and 7 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They are 7 Democrats.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on July 23, 2025, 414 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 414 days ago, on July 23, 2025.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 119th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2027 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers