103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1645
AN ACT
To amend title 13, United States Code, to require that
the Secretary of Commerce produce and publish, at least
every 2 years, current data relating to the incidence
of poverty in the United States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Poverty Data Improve-
ment Act of 1993’’.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that—
(1) more than $20,000,000,000 is provided to
State and local governments each year, under var-
ious Federal programs, based on data relating to in-
come and poverty status;
(2) the infrequency with which such data are
collected diminishes their reliability and usefulness
for public policy purposes;
(3) the relative lack of intercensal data can pre-
vent Federal funds from reaching those populations
that are in greatest need, as reflected in the dra-
matic and often unforeseen shifts in the way Federal
funds are reallocated following each decennial cen-
sus;
(4) the more frequent collection of data relating
to income and poverty status would allow policy-
makers to target scarce program funds more effec-
tively and in a more timely fashion; and
(5) the cost of producing the data needed to
achieve the ends described in paragraph (4) would
be small compared to the amounts that are distrib-
uted based on such data.
SEC. 3. REQUIREMENT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter IV of chapter 5 of
title 13, United States Code, is amended by inserting after
section 181 the following:
‘‘§ 181a. Data relating to poverty
‘‘(a) The Secretary, to the extent feasible, shall
produce and publish for each State, county, and local unit
of general purpose government for which data are com-
piled in the most recent census of population taken under
section 141(a), and for each school district, data relating
to the incidence of poverty. Such data may be produced
by means of sampling, estimation, or any other method
that the Secretary determines will produce current, com-
prehensive, and reliable data.
‘‘(b) Data under this section—
‘‘(1) shall include—
‘‘(A) for each school district, the number
of children age 5 to 17, inclusive, in families
below the poverty level; and
‘‘(B) for each State and county referred to
in subsection (a), the number of individuals age
65 or over below the poverty level; and
‘‘(2) shall be published in 1996 and at least
every second year thereafter.
‘‘(c)(1) If reliable data could not otherwise be pro-
duced, the Secretary may, for purposes of subsection
(b)(1)(A), aggregate school districts, but only to the extent
necessary to achieve reliability.
‘‘(2) Any data produced under this subsection shall
be appropriately identified and shall be accompanied by
a detailed explanation as to how and why aggregation was
used (including the measures taken to minimize any such
aggregation).
‘‘(d) If the Secretary is unable to produce and publish
the data required under this section for any State, county,
local unit of general purpose government, or school district
in any year specified in subsection (b)(2), a report shall
be submitted by the Secretary to the President of the Sen-
ate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, not
later than 90 days before the commencement of the follow-
ing year, enumerating each government or school district
excluded and giving the reasons for the exclusion.
‘‘(e) In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall
use the same criteria relating to poverty as were used in
compiling the then most recent census of population taken
under section 141(a) (subject to such periodic adjustments
as may be necessary to compensate for inflation and other
similar factors).’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions for chapter 5 of title 13, United States Code, is
amended by inserting after the item relating to section
181 the following:
‘‘181a. Data relating to poverty.’’.
Passed the House of Representatives November 21,
1993.
Attest:
Clerk.