Bill would count only citizens for dividing up House seats
Placed on the calendarH.R. 151Latest action
Sponsor: Chuck Edwards · Representative · NC
AIDecoded by AI · checked against the recordRead the official text
Official title: Equal Representation Act of 2025
119th Congress
Topics: Government & democracy
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govIn plain words
The plain-language version comes first. The official text is always the reference.
The Equal Representation Act would base congressional seats only on citizen population starting with the 2030 census.
40-second read · 4 questions answered below
What does this do?
This bill would add a citizenship question to the 2030 census and future censuses, requiring people to identify as citizens, nationals, legal immigrants, or immigrants without legal status. The Census Bureau would release state-by-state breakdowns within 120 days. It would also change so only citizens count toward each state's number of House seats and electoral votes, starting in 2030.
Who does it affect?
States with large non-citizen populations, such as California, Texas, New York, and Florida, could lose House seats and electoral votes; other states could gain relative influence.
Why does it matter?
Excluding non-citizens from apportionment counts would shift political representation and Electoral College weight among states. The bill also states that if courts strike down any part of it, the rest would remain in effect.
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Read the official bill on Congress.govMake the call
Where does it stand?
- IntroducedJan 3, 2025
- House committee
- House voteYou are here · Apr 21, 2026
- Senate
- The president's desk
Right now: it was placed on the , and the official record shows no floor action on it since. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the president.
Latest action: — Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 536.