III

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 92

Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the collection of demographic, social, and economic data as part of the 2000 decennial census

of population.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

APRIL 29, 1998

Mr. TORRICELLI (for himself and Mr. D’AMATO) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Governmental

Affairs

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the collection of demographic, social, and economic data as part

of the 2000 decennial census of population.

Whereas the decennial census of population is the only source

of accurate, reliable, and comparable information on the

demographic, social, and economic characteristics of the

people of the United States and the communities in

which they live, for all geographic levels, including rural

areas and census tracts;

Whereas the Bureau of the Census, in response to a mandate

from Congress to reduce the reporting burden on the

residents of the United States, has proposed to include

on the long-form census questionnaire only those subjects

that have specific Federal legislative justification;
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•SCON 92 IS

Whereas the demographic and socioeconomic data collected in

the decennial census helps policymakers assess population

changes, housing conditions, ancestry, and other patterns

of mobility and achievement for different regions and

governmental jurisdictions, as well as for different population subgroups;

Whereas independent analysis by a panel convened by the

National Academy of Sciences determined that there are

essential public needs for information gathered by the

long form and that the extra cost of the census long

form, once the census has been designed to collect limited

data for every resident, is relatively low;

Whereas the National Academy of Sciences has concluded

that the long form does not significantly affect the overall

mail response rate to the census;

Whereas independent analyses of the decennial census have

found that the long form does not increase the

undercount in the census or the differential undercount

of racial, ethnic, and low-income populations to any significant extent;

Whereas administering a traditional long form at a later

point in time, instead of as part of the 2000 decennial

census of population, would substantially increase the

cost of collecting the data, place the quality of the data

at risk, and jeopardize the availability of reliable and

timely data for rural and small geographic areas;

Whereas the General Accounting Office has found that over

$170,000,000,000 in Federal program funds are distributed each year to State and local governments on the

basis of data collected in the census, including data available only from the long form; and
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•SCON 92 IS

Whereas the collection of demographic, socioeconomic, housing, and transportation data on the long form in the

2000 decennial census of population is supported by Federal, State, and local government officials and agencies,

service providers, researchers, and other social scientists

who help chart the direction of the United States, private

sector decisionmakers, and many other census stakeholders, as well as by a panel convened by the National Academy of Sciences at the direction of Congress: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives

2 concurring),

3 SECTION 1. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

4 It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Com5 merce should ensure that—

6 (1) the 2000 decennial census of population in7 clude the administration of a long-form census ques8 tionnaire;

9 (2) the content of the long-form census ques10 tionnaire include, at a minimum, the subjects sent to

11 Congress by the Bureau of the Census on March 31,

12 1997, in accordance with section 141(f)(1) of title

13 13, United States Code; and

14 (3) a sufficient number of households received

15 the long-form census questionnaire to ensure the

16 availability of reliable data for small geographic

17 areas, including rural communities.
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•SCON 92 IS

1 SEC. 2. TRANSMISSION TO THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE.

2 The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy

3 of this concurrent resolution to the Secretary of Com4 merce.

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