I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5359 

To amend title 13, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Commerce 

to provide advance notice to Congress before changing any questions 

on the decennial census, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 21, 2018 

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York (for herself, Mr. SERRANO, Ms. 

MENG, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. SOTO, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of 

Texas, Mr. PASCRELL, and Mr. COURTNEY) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 

A BILL 

To amend title 13, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Commerce to provide advance notice to Congress before changing any questions on the decennial 

census, and for other purposes. 

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; FINDINGS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘2020 Census Improving Data and Enhanced Accuracy 

6 Act’’ or the ‘‘2020 Census IDEA Act’’. 

7 (b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) The decennial census was embedded in arti2 cle I of the Constitution of the United States by the 

3 founders of the United States to measure the 

4 progress of the country and help chart its future. 

5 (2) The 2020 decennial census will, for the dec6 ade to follow, shape the reapportionment of the 

7 House of Representatives and the drawing of thou8 sands of State and local political jurisdictions. 

9 (3) Nearly $700,000,000,000 in Federal assist10 ance to State and local communities every year is in11 formed by the results of the decennial census. 

12 (4) The President and Congress seek to make 

13 the 2020 decennial census the most complete, accu14 rate, and fair decennial census in the history of the 

15 United States. 

16 (5) The decennial census is the largest peace17 time mobilization undertaken by the Federal Gov18 ernment. 

19 (6) Any late, untested changes to the oper20 ational design of the decennial census will introduce 

21 great risk to the success of, the accuracy of, and 

22 public cooperation with the decennial census. 


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1 SEC. 2. LIMITATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DE2 CENNIAL CENSUS. 

3 Section 141 of title 13, United States Code, is 

4 amended— 

5 (1) in subsection (f)— 

6 (A) in paragraph (1), by adding ‘‘and’’ at 

7 the end; 

8 (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 

9 and inserting a period; and 

10 (C) by striking paragraph (3); 

11 (2) by redesignating subsection (g) as sub12 section (h); 

13 (3) by inserting after subsection (f) the fol14 lowing: 

15 ‘‘(g) LIMITATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS.— 

16 ‘‘(1) NOTICE TO CONGRESS OF OPERATIONAL

17 DESIGN, SUBJECTS, TYPES OF INFORMATION, AND

18 QUESTIONS.—In the 2020 decennial census of popu19 lation and each decennial census thereafter, the Sec20 retary may not— 

21 ‘‘(A) with respect to the census or any sur22 vey conducted in connection with the census, 

23 implement any major operational design that 

24 has not been researched, studied, and tested for 

25 a period of not less than 3 years before the date 

26 on which the applicable census occurs; or 


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1 ‘‘(B) include on the questionnaire for the 

2 census any subject, type of information, or 

3 question that was not submitted to Congress in 

4 accordance with subsection (f). 

5 ‘‘(2) BIANNUAL REPORTS.— 

6 ‘‘(A) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—Not 

7 later than 90 days after the date of enactment 

8 of this subsection and biannually thereafter, the 

9 Secretary shall submit to Congress a report 

10 that— 

11 ‘‘(i) describes each component of the 

12 operational plan for the subsequent decen13 nial census of population; and 

14 ‘‘(ii) includes a detailed statement on 

15 the status of all research, testing, and op16 erations that are part of the Bureau’s com17 prehensive plan for the decennial census. 

18 ‘‘(B) INTERNET PUBLICATION.—On the 

19 date on which the Secretary submits a report 

20 under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall 

21 publish the report on the public Internet 

22 website of the Bureau. 

23 ‘‘(C) GAO ANALYSIS.—Before the date on 

24 which a decennial census occurs, the Comp25 troller General of the United States shall certify 


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1 to Congress that the subjects, types of informa2 tion, and questions to be included in the census 

3 have been adequately researched, studied, and 

4 tested to the same degree as in previous decen5 nial censuses.’’; and 

6 (4) in subsection (h), as so redesignated, by in7 serting ‘‘DEFINITION.—’’ before ‘‘As used in’’. 

Æ 


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