Reapportionment; reallocation of populations, population data, civil commitment facilities.

This legislation changes how Virginia counts incarcerated individuals during the redistricting process. Previously, people held in state correctional facilities were often counted as residents of the localities where those prisons are located. This bill requires that these individuals be reallocated to their last known home address for the purpose of drawing legislative district boundaries. By ensuring that population counts reflect where people actually live, the law aims to prevent the artificial inflation of political representation in areas with large prison populations. Consequently, this shift will likely alter the distribution of political power across the state, ensuring that districts more accurately represent the permanent residential population. This change promotes more equitable representation for Arlington residents and other communities across the Commonwealth.