IV

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 246

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

of population.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 17, 1998

Mrs. MORELLA (for herself, Mr. SAWYER, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr.

SHAYS, Mr. HILLIARD, Mr. FILNER, Mr. BALDACCI, Mr. RAHALL, Mr.

CARDIN, Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr.

ENGEL, and Mr. DINGELL) submitted the following concurrent resolution;

which was referred to the Committee on the Government Reform and

Oversight

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the 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 Nation’s residents, has proposed to include on the long-form
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census questionnaire only those subjects that have specific Federal legislative justification;

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 each year in Federal program funds

are distributed to State and local governments on the
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basis of data collected in the census, including data available only from the long form; and

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 our Nation, 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 the Congress: Now, therefore,

be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring),

3 SECTION 1. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.

4 It is the sense of the Congress that the Secretary of

5 Commerce 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 the Congress by the Bureau of the Census on March

12 31, 1997, in accordance with section 141(f)(1) of

13 title 13, United States Code; and

14 (3) a sufficient number of households receive

15 the long-form census questionnaire to ensure the
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1 availability of reliable data for small geographic

2 areas, including rural communities.

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

4 The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall

5 transmit a copy of this concurrent resolution to the Sec6 retary of Commerce.

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