I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 472

To amend title 13, United States Code, to require the use of postcensus

local review as part of each decennial census.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 2, 1999

Mr. MILLER of Florida (for himself and Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. DAVIS

of Virginia, Mr. GREENWOOD, Mr. HAYWORTH, Mr. MICA, Mr. PETRI,

and Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform

A BILL

To amend title 13, United States Code, to require the use

of postcensus local review as part of each decennial census.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Local Census Quality

5 Check Act’’.

6 SEC 2. POSTCENSUS LOCAL REVIEW.

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 5 of title

8 13, United States Code, is amended by adding after sec9 tion 142 the following:
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1 ‘‘§ 143. Postcensus local review

2 ‘‘(a) Each decennial census taken after the date of

3 enactment of this section shall include an opportunity for

4 postcensus local review, similar to that afforded as part

5 of the 1990 decennial census, so that local governmental

6 units may review household counts, jurisdictional bound7 aries, and such other data as the Secretary considers ap8 propriate for the purpose of identifying discrepancies or

9 other potential problems before the tabulation of total pop10 ulation by States (as required for the apportionment of

11 Representatives in Congress among the several States) is

12 completed.

13 ‘‘(b) Any postcensus local review afforded under this

14 section in connection with a decennial census shall be con15 ducted in conformance with the following:

16 ‘‘(1) Not later than February 1st of the year in

17 which such census is taken, the Secretary shall no18 tify local governmental units as to the guidelines for,

19 and shall furnish them with any other information

20 pertinent to, their participating in the upcoming

21 postcensus local review.

22 ‘‘(2)(A) Not later than 30 days before submit23 ting to a local governmental unit the data subject to

24 its review under this section, the Secretary shall fur25 nish to such unit the appropriate block level maps

26 and lists of housing units.
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1 ‘‘(B) Not later than August 1st of the year in

2 which such census is taken or, if earlier, the 30th

3 day after the date on which the nonresponse follow4 up process for such census is completed, the Sec5 retary shall submit to each local governmental unit

6 the data which is subject to review by such govern7 mental unit under this section.

8 ‘‘(C) For purposes of subparagraph (B), the

9 date on which the nonresponse followup process for

10 a census is completed shall be as determined by the

11 Secretary.

12 ‘‘(3) A local governmental unit shall have 45

13 days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal pub14 lic holidays) to review the data submitted to it under

15 paragraph (2)(B), and to submit any challenges re16 lating to such data.

17 ‘‘(4) The Secretary shall investigate all chal18 lenges timely submitted under paragraph (3), recan19 vass such blocks or other units as the Secretary con20 siders appropriate in connection with any such chal21 lenge, and correct any miscounts identified pursuant

22 to any such challenge.

23 ‘‘(5) Not later than November 1st of the year

24 in which such census is taken, the Secretary shall,
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1 with respect to each challenge timely submitted

2 under paragraph (3)—

3 ‘‘(A) complete the measures required under

4 paragraph (4) with respect to such challenge;

5 and

6 ‘‘(B) notify the local governmental unit

7 that submitted such challenge as to the meas8 ures taken in response thereto.

9 ‘‘(c) As used in this section—

10 ‘‘(1) the term ‘decennial census’ means a decen11 nial census of population conducted under section

12 141(a); and

13 ‘‘(2) the term ‘local governmental unit’ means

14 a local unit of general purpose government as de15 fined by section 184, or its designee.’’.

16 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of sec17 tions for chapter 5 of title 13, United States Code, is

18 amended by inserting after the item relating to section

19 142 the following:

‘‘143. Postcensus local review.’’.

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