Federal 'RESET Act' Aims to Lock Congressional Maps for 10 Years, Restricting Mid-Decade Redraws

The Restoring Electoral Stability to Enhance Trust (RESET) Act of 2025 is Congress asserting its constitutional power to set the rules for how states draw their federal election maps. Think of it as a federal time-out rule for state mapmaking: generally, once a state draws its congressional districts after the decennial census, it can’t change them again until the next census count.

This bill amends Title 2 of the U.S. Code to enforce this one-and-done rule for congressional redistricting. The core idea is to stop the practice of "mid-decade musical chairs," where states redraw maps multiple times between censuses, often to gain a partisan advantage. For the average person, this means that the congressional district you vote in today should stay the same for the next ten years, bringing a measure of stability to who represents you in Washington.

The Lock-In Effect: Stability vs. Flexibility

Under this Act, if your state completes its post-census map, that map is essentially locked in place. This is a huge win for stability. If you’re a small business owner relying on consistent federal representation, or a voter tired of having your district lines shift every few years, this consistency is valuable. The bill explicitly states this limitation applies to any redistricting following the 2020 census count, so it’s effective immediately for the current decade’s maps.

However, this rigidity comes at a cost. What if a major population shift happens mid-decade? Say a massive new industrial park brings 50,000 people into a previously rural area. State legislatures or commissions, which might want to adjust the map to reflect these real-world demographic changes, are blocked from doing so unless they meet one of the very narrow exceptions. This lack of flexibility means some districts could become significantly under- or over-populated relative to others long before the next census.

The Court-Ordered Escape Hatches

There are only three ways a state can redraw its congressional maps before the next census apportionment. The most significant exceptions involve the courts. A state must redraw its districts if a court orders it to do so to comply with the U.S. Constitution or the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA). This means if a map is found to be racially discriminatory or violates the one-person, one-vote rule, the federal judicial system can force a change, overriding the ten-year lock.

There’s a procedural twist here that could lead to serious conflict. If a court draws the new map itself, the bill gives the state legislature or a state-mandated commission a second bite at the apple. They get a chance to draw their own alternate map, provided that alternate map also complies with the Constitution and the VRA. This creates a scenario where the court and the state government could be locked in a procedural dance, potentially delaying the final map and confusing voters.

Referendums and State/Local Elections

The third exception allows a subsequent redistricting if a statewide referendum orders it to ensure compliance with the Constitution or the VRA. However, this referendum provision only applies to referenda ordered after November 3, 2026, meaning it won't affect any immediate actions.

Crucially, the Act makes it clear that it has no effect on elections for state or local offices (Sec. 3). So, while your federal congressional map might be locked down, your state legislative or city council maps can still be redrawn according to state law. This keeps the federal government out of state and local politics, focusing the new restrictions only on the elections for the U.S. House of Representatives.