I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1645
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.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 2, 1993
Mr. SAWYER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Post Office and Civil Service
A BILL
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 is col-
lected 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 shall produce and publish for each
State, county, and local unit of general purpose govern-
ment for which data is compiled 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 or any
other method that the Secretary determines will produce
current, comprehensive, and reliable data.
‘‘(b) Data under this section—
‘‘(1) shall include, for each State, county, local
unit of general purpose government, and school dis-
trict referred to in subsection (a), the number of
children aged 5 to 17, inclusive, in families below the
poverty level; and
‘‘(2) shall be published in 1995 and at least
every second year thereafter.
‘‘(c) 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.
‘‘(d) 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.’’.
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