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 Re-
form 
A BILL 
To amend title 13, United States Code, to require the Sec-
retary of Commerce to provide advance notice to Con-
gress before changing any questions on the decennial 
census, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘2020 Census Improving Data and Enhanced Accuracy 
Act’’ or the ‘‘2020 Census IDEA Act’’. 
(b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
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(1) The decennial census was embedded in arti-
cle I of the Constitution of the United States by the 
founders of the United States to measure the 
progress of the country and help chart its future. 
(2) The 2020 decennial census will, for the dec-
ade to follow, shape the reapportionment of the 
House of Representatives and the drawing of thou-
sands of State and local political jurisdictions. 
(3) Nearly $700,000,000,000 in Federal assist-
ance to State and local communities every year is in-
formed by the results of the decennial census. 
(4) The President and Congress seek to make 
the 2020 decennial census the most complete, accu-
rate, and fair decennial census in the history of the 
United States. 
(5) The decennial census is the largest peace-
time mobilization undertaken by the Federal Gov-
ernment. 
(6) Any late, untested changes to the oper-
ational design of the decennial census will introduce 
great risk to the success of, the accuracy of, and 
public cooperation with the decennial census. 
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SEC. 2. LIMITATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DE-
CENNIAL CENSUS. 
Section 141 of title 13, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (f)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by adding ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 
and inserting a period; and 
(C) by striking paragraph (3); 
(2) by redesignating subsection (g) as sub-
section (h); 
(3) by inserting after subsection (f) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(g) LIMITATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) NOTICE TO CONGRESS OF OPERATIONAL 
DESIGN, SUBJECTS, TYPES OF INFORMATION, AND 
QUESTIONS.—In the 2020 decennial census of popu-
lation and each decennial census thereafter, the Sec-
retary may not— 
‘‘(A) with respect to the census or any sur-
vey conducted in connection with the census, 
implement any major operational design that 
has not been researched, studied, and tested for 
a period of not less than 3 years before the date 
on which the applicable census occurs; or 
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‘‘(B) include on the questionnaire for the 
census any subject, type of information, or 
question that was not submitted to Congress in 
accordance with subsection (f). 
‘‘(2) BIANNUAL REPORTS.— 
‘‘(A) SUBMISSION
TO
CONGRESS.—Not 
later than 90 days after the date of enactment 
of this subsection and biannually thereafter, the 
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report 
that— 
‘‘(i) describes each component of the 
operational plan for the subsequent decen-
nial census of population; and 
‘‘(ii) includes a detailed statement on 
the status of all research, testing, and op-
erations that are part of the Bureau’s com-
prehensive plan for the decennial census. 
‘‘(B) INTERNET
PUBLICATION.—On the 
date on which the Secretary submits a report 
under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall 
publish the report on the public Internet 
website of the Bureau. 
‘‘(C) GAO ANALYSIS.—Before the date on 
which a decennial census occurs, the Comp-
troller General of the United States shall certify 
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to Congress that the subjects, types of informa-
tion, and questions to be included in the census 
have been adequately researched, studied, and 
tested to the same degree as in previous decen-
nial censuses.’’; and 
(4) in subsection (h), as so redesignated, by in-
serting ‘‘DEFINITION.—’’ before ‘‘As used in’’. 
Æ 
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