The Constitution requires a count of the U.S. population every 10 years. Based on the census, the number of seats in the House of Representatives is reapportioned among the states. Thus, at least every 10 years, in response to changes in the number of Representatives apportioned to it or to shifts in its population, each state is required to draw new boundaries for its congressional districts. Although each state has its own process for redistricting, congressional districts must conform to a number of constitutional and federal statutory standards, including the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965. The VRA was enacted under Congress's authority to enforce the 15 th Amendment, which provides that the right of citizens to vote shall not be denied or abridged on account of race, color, or previous servitude. The report also provides an overview of selected legislation in the 113 th and 114 th Congresses that would establish additional requirements and standards for congressional redistricting, and amend the VRA to, among other things, reinstitute a coverage formula for Section 5 preclearance. Specifically, Section 2 prohibits any voting qualification or practice—including the drawing of congressional redistricting plans—applied or imposed by any state or political subdivision that results in the denial or abridgement of the right to vote based on race, color, or membership in a language minority. The statute further provides that a violation is established if: 
based on the totality of circumstances, it is shown that the political processes leading to nomination or election in the State or political subdivision are not equally open to participation by [members of a racial or language minority group] in that its members have less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate in the political processes and to elect representatives of their choice. Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act—Invalidated by U.S. Supreme Court in Shelby County v. Holder

In Shelby County v. Holder the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated Section 4(b) of the VRA. Section 4(b) contained a formula prescribing which states and jurisdictions with a history of discrimination were required to obtain federal approval or "preclearance" under Section 5 before changing any voting law, including redistricting plans. As a result of the Court's decision, the nine states, and jurisdictions within six states, that were previously covered under the formula are no longer subject to the VRA's preclearance requirement. Specifically, a covered jurisdiction had to demonstrate, in an action for declaratory judgment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, that during the previous 10 years and during the pendency of the action:
(A) "no ... test or device has been used within such State or political subdivision for the purpose or with the effect of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race or color";
(B) "no final judgment of any court of the United States, other than the denial of declaratory judgment under this section, has determined that denials or abridgements of the rights to vote on account of race or color have occurred anywhere in the territory of such State or political subdivision";
(C) "no Federal examiners or observers under this Act have been assigned to such State or political subdivision";
(D) "such State or political subdivision and all governmental units within its territory have complied with section 5 of this Act, including compliance with the requirement that no change covered by section 5 has been enforced without preclearance under section 5, and have repealed all changes covered by section 5 to which the Attorney General has successfully objected or as to which the United States District Court for the District of Columbia has denied a declaratory judgment";
(E) "the Attorney General has not interposed any objection (that has not been overturned by a final judgment of a court) and no declaratory judgment has been denied under section 5, with respect to any submission by or on behalf of the plaintiff or any governmental unit within its territory under section 5, and no such submissions or declaratory judgment actions are pending; and
(F) "such State or political subdivision and all governmental units within its territory—(i) have eliminated voting procedures and methods of election which inhibit or dilute equal access to the electoral process; (ii) have engaged in constructive efforts to eliminate intimidation and harassment of persons exercising rights protected under this Act; and (iii) have engaged in other constructive efforts, such as expanded opportunity for convenient registration and voting for every person of voting age and the appointment of minority persons as election officials throughout the jurisdiction and at all stages of the election and registration process." Although the Court invalidated only the coverage formula in Section 4, by extension, Section 5 has been rendered currently inoperable. In order to be granted preclearance, the covered jurisdiction had the burden of proving that the proposed voting change "neither has the purpose nor will have the effect of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race or color," or membership in a language minority group. 219 and H.R. H.R. H.R. H.R. H.R. 114th Congress

H.R. 113th Congress

H.R. 3899 and S. 1945 , the "Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014," were identical to the bill introduced in the 114 th Congress, discussed above.
The Constitution requires a count of the U.S. population every 10 years. Based on the census, the number of seats in the House of Representatives is reapportioned among the states. Thus, at least every 10 years, in response to changes in the number of Representatives apportioned to it or to shifts in its population, each state is required to draw new boundaries for its congressional districts. Although each state has its own process for redistricting, congressional districts must conform to a number of constitutional and federal statutory standards, including the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965.
The VRA was enacted under Congress's authority to enforce the 15th Amendment, which provides that the right of citizens to vote shall not be denied or abridged on account of race, color, or previous servitude. Section 2 of the VRA prohibits the use of any voting qualification or practice—including the drawing of congressional redistricting plans—that results in the denial or abridgement of the right to vote based on race, color, or membership in a language minority. The statute further provides that a violation is established if, based on the totality of circumstances, it is shown that political processes are not equally open to members of a racial or language minority group in that its members have less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate and to elect representatives of choice. In decisions including Thornburg v. Gingles and Bartlett v. Strickland, the Supreme Court further interpreted the requirements of Section 2.
In its 2013 decision, Shelby County v. Holder, the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated Section 4(b) of the VRA. Section 4(b) contained a formula prescribing which states and jurisdictions with a history of discrimination were required to obtain prior approval or "preclearance" under Section 5 before changing any voting law, including congressional redistricting plans. Section 5 required those "covered" jurisdictions to preclear their redistricting plans with either the Department of Justice or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before implementation. In order to be granted preclearance, the covered jurisdiction had the burden of proving that the proposed voting change neither had the purpose, nor would it have the effect, of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race or color, or membership in a language minority group. Although the Court invalidated only the coverage formula in Section 4, by extension, Section 5 has been rendered currently inoperable. As a result, the nine states and jurisdictions in six other states previously covered under the formula are no longer subject to the VRA's preclearance requirement. Section 2 of the VRA, which applies in all jurisdictions, was not at issue in this case.
In the 114th Congress, H.R. 885, the "Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2015," has been introduced. This bill is identical to companion bills H.R. 3899 and S. 1945, the "Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014," which were introduced in the 113th Congress. Among other things, the legislation would amend the VRA to reinstitute a coverage formula for Section 5 preclearance.
Bills have also been introduced that would establish certain standards and requirements for congressional redistricting, including H.R. 75, the "Coretta Scott King Mid-Decade Redistricting Prohibition Act of 2015"; identical bills, H.R. 219 and H.R. 1347, the "John Tanner Fairness and Independence in Redistricting Act"; H.R. 934, the "Redistricting and Voter Protection Act of 2015"; and H.R. 1346, the "Redistricting Transparency Act of 2015."