On or before July 1 of the year following each decennial census under the authority of Congress, the Board shall prepare a tentative proposal for the reapportionment of the House of Representatives. Whenever, in the tentative proposal, it appears that one town or city should be divided into two or more initial districts, or that part of one town or city should be combined with part or all of another town or city to form an initial district, the Board shall immediately notify the board of civil authority of each town and city thus affected. The boards of civil authority may, on or before August 1, recommend to the Legislative Apportionment Board the manner in which initial district lines within those towns and cities should be drawn, always having regard for the standards of apportionment set forth in section 1903 of this title. Upon request of any board of civil authority, the Legislative Apportionment Board shall designate one of its members, or a person designated in section 1908 of this title, to call and preside without vote over a joint meeting of two or more boards of civil authority for the purpose of making joint recommendations. (Added 1965, No. 97, § 5; amended 1973, No. 210 (Adj. Sess.), § 8, eff. April 3, 1974; 1981, No. 30, § 4, eff. April 16, 1981, and shall apply to the 1981-82 reapportionment; 1989, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 6c; 1991, No. 116 (Adj. Sess.), § 7, eff. Feb. 13, 1992; 1999, No. 68 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2001, No. 36, § 1.)