HARRISBURG — A key state House committee has honed in on a proposed map of Pennsylvania’s new U.S. congressional districts, and could vote to advance it as early as next week.

State Rep. Seth Grove of York County said Wednesday the proposal was selected among 19 submitted by the public. Grove said the map was chosen by the State Government Committee because he deemed it to be drawn without political influence, meet constitutional standards, limit splits of townships and other municipalities and offer districts that are compact and contiguous.

It was drawn by Amanda Holt, a piano teacher and graphic artist from the Lehigh Valley whose alternative General Assembly redistricting plan helped persuade the state Supreme Court in 2012 to order the Legislative Reapportionment Commission to revise its proposal for new districts after the 2010 Census.

This year, Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation is dropping from 18 to 17 because its population of about 13 million grew by 2.4% over the past decade, more slowly than many other states.

The House committee vote would be the first step in a process that is likely to result in changes to Holt’s proposal, perhaps drastic changes, before a final decision is made. The new districts have to be approved by majorities in both houses of the General Assembly and get the governor’s signature before taking effect.

Senate Democratic caucus spokesperson Brittany Crampsie said Wednesday that two senators, a Democrat from Philadelphia and Republican from central Pennsylvania, plan to introduce a jointly sponsored congressional map next week, expecting votes in committee and on the Senate floor in January.

Any final product could be the subject of a court challenge, as occurred when the Democratic majority state Supreme Court in 2018 threw out what was a Republican-drawn congressional map.

Grove said his committee will meet to discuss the proposal Thursday evening in the state Capitol and is expected to vote on it early Monday.