IB
Union Calendar No. 225
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1645
[Report No. 103–401]
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
NOVEMBER 20, 1993
Additional sponsors: Mr. BECERRA, Mr. BEILENSON, Mr. BERMAN, Mr.
BROWN of California, Mr. DIXON, Mr. DOOLEY, Mr. DORNAN, Mr. ED-
WARDS of California, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. FAZIO, Mr. FILNER, Mr. LANTOS,
Mr. LEHMAN, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. MILLER of California, Ms. PELOSI,
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. STARK, Mr. TORRES, Mr. TUCKER, Ms.
WATERS, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. MCKEON, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Mr.
ROHRABACHER, Mr. MCCANDLESS, Mr. FROST, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE
JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr.
HUGHES, Mr. FOGLIETTA, Mr. VENTO, Mrs. CLAYTON, Mr. PARKER, Ms.
KAPTUR, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. COLEMAN, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr.
ROMERO-BARCELO´, Mr. BRYANT, Mr. OWENS, Mr. SWETT, Mr. TEJEDA,
Mr. HAMBURG, Mr. WYNN, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. DARDEN, Mr. JOHNSTON
of Florida, Mr. DELLUMS, Mr. UNDERWOOD, Mr. FARR of California,
Mrs. MORELLA, Mr. HOCHBRUECKNER, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. FINGERHUT,
Ms. ENGLISH of Arizona, Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin, and Mr. FISH
NOVEMBER 20, 1993
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 2, 1993]
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 various
Federal programs, based on data relating to income
and poverty status;
(2) the infrequency with which such data are 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 dramatic
and often unforeseen shifts in the way Federal funds
are reallocated following each decennial census;
(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 distributed
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 sec-
tion 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 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, estimation, or any other method that the Sec-
retary determines will produce current, comprehensive, 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 de-
tailed 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 Senate
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, not later
than 90 days before the commencement of the following
year, enumerating each government or school district ex-
cluded 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 sections
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.’’.