I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1619
To provide for a test census of Americans residing abroad, and to require 
that such individuals be included in the 2010 decennial census. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 3, 2003
Mrs. MALONEY (for herself, Mr. PETRI, and Mr. MCNULTY) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform 
A BILL 
To provide for a test census of Americans residing abroad, 
and to require that such individuals be included in the 
2010 decennial census.
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 ‘‘Census of Americans 
Abroad Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—
(1) an estimated 3,000,000 to 6,000,000 Amer-
icans live and work overseas while continuing to vote 
and pay taxes in the United States;
(2) Americans residing abroad help increase ex-
ports of American goods because they traditionally 
buy American, sell American, and create business 
opportunities for American companies and workers, 
thereby strengthening the United States economy, 
creating jobs in the United States, and extending 
United States influence around the globe; 
(3) with the growing threat of terrorism against 
Americans who live around the world, the need to 
account for the number of Americans residing in dif-
ferent countries is even more important; 
(4) Americans residing abroad play a key role 
in advancing this Nation’s interests by serving as 
economic, political, and cultural ‘‘ambassadors’’ of 
the United States; and 
(5) the major business, civic, and community 
organizations representing Americans and companies 
of the United States abroad support the counting of 
all Americans residing abroad by the Bureau of the 
Census, and are prepared to assist the Bureau of 
the Census in this task. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that—
(1) the Bureau of the Census should undertake 
a test census of Americans residing in selected coun-
tries abroad, and that the necessary funding should 
be appropriated for this purpose; 
(2) the Bureau of the Census should, after com-
pleting that test census, review the means by which 
Americans residing abroad may be included in the 
2010 decennial census; 
(3) based on its review (described in paragraph 
(2)), the Bureau of the Census should again test 
methodologies that would provide for the counting of 
Americans residing abroad; and 
(4) the Bureau of the Census should take ap-
propriate measures to provide for the inclusion of 
Americans residing abroad in the 2010 decennial 
census and decennial censuses thereafter. 
SEC. 3. COUNTING OF AMERICANS RESIDING ABROAD. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce 
shall—
(1) using any authorities available to the Sec-
retary under section 182 or any other provision of 
title 13, United States Code, take a test census of 
Americans residing abroad by September 30, 2004; 
(2) submit the final tabulations of the test cen-
sus to the President and Congress within 9 months 
after the date specified in paragraph (1), broken 
down into appropriate categories, including—