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California uses a nonpartisan Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC) to draw the boundaries for its congressional, state legislative (Senate and Assembly), and Board of Equalization districts.

Here's how the system works:

Establishment and Authority:
The CRC was established by California voters through two ballot measures: the Voters First Act (Proposition 11) in 2008 for state legislative and Board of Equalization districts, and the Congressional Voters First Act (Proposition 20) in 2010 which extended the commission's authority to include Congressional districts.
These acts transferred the power to draw district lines from the state Legislature to this independent, nonpartisan commission.

Commission Structure and Selection:
The CRC consists of 14 members: five Democrats, five Republicans, and four members not affiliated with either of those two parties.
The commissioners are selected through a rigorous process designed to ensure their independence, starting with an application process handled by the California State Auditor.
Candidates are vetted, narrowed down, and eventually, the initial eight commissioners are randomly selected. These eight then select the remaining six, according to CalMatters.

Redistricting Process and Criteria:
Every ten years, after the federal census, the CRC redraws the district lines to reflect changes in population.
The commission's process emphasizes transparency and public input, involving extensive public hearings and the collection of comments from citizens across the state.
The districts must be drawn in accordance with strict, nonpartisan criteria outlined in the state constitution, including ensuring equal population, complying with the Voting Rights Act, maintaining geographic contiguity and compactness, preserving communities of interest, and keeping city and county lines intact.
Importantly, the CRC is forbidden from drawing districts to benefit a party or candidate, or considering the addresses of incumbents or candidates.