I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5292 
To establish a task force to review new decennial census questions and 
their impact on response rates for minorities, the accuracy of the census, 
redistricting, costs and funding distribution, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 15, 2018 
Mr. SOTO (for himself, Mr. VELA, Mrs. TORRES, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. ROSEN, Ms. 
SA´NCHEZ, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. AGUILAR, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. CORREA, Mr. 
GRIJALVA, Mr. SABLAN, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. 
CA´RDENAS, Mr. CARBAJAL, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, Mr. COSTA, Ms. 
NORTON, and Ms. CLARKE of New York) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Re-
form 
A BILL 
To establish a task force to review new decennial census 
questions and their impact on response rates for minori-
ties, the accuracy of the census, redistricting, costs and 
funding distribution, 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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘2020 Census Account-
ability Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:37 Mar 27, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5292.IH
H5292
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Since the adoption of the 14th Amendment, 
the Constitution has mandated that all persons—re-
gardless of race, citizenship, or legal status—be in-
cluded in a count of the United States that is con-
ducted every 10 years. 
(2) The addition of questions to the 2020 de-
cennial census questionnaire, less than three months 
before the Bureau of the Census must submit final 
questionnaire wording to Congress, is ill-timed and 
divides resources without fair consideration. 
(3) Lack of sufficient funding and resources for 
the 2020 decennial census further hinders the high- 
tech enumeration strategy preparations. 
(4) Untested questions, whether related to citi-
zenship or any other topics, would result in millions 
of wasted taxpayer funds and depressed response 
rates thereby discrediting the accuracy of the decen-
nial census. 
SEC. 3. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to create a task force of 
census experts to— 
(1) ensure that questions added to the 2020 de-
cennial census do not negatively impact the accuracy 
or integrity of the decennial census; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:37 Mar 27, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5292.IH
H5292
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(2) to assess how changes to questions on the 
decennial census proposed by Federal operations, 
programs, policies, and initiatives affect participa-
tion in and the integrity of the decennial census be-
fore submitting such changes to Congress on March 
31, 2018. 
SEC. 4. TASK FORCE ON THE 2020 DECENNIAL CENSUS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Bu-
reau of the Census shall establish the ‘‘Task Force on the 
2020 Census’’ (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Task 
Force’’). 
(b) DUTIES.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of establishment of the Task Force, the Task Force shall 
report to Congress on— 
(1) existing and potential policies and measures 
that promote full participation in the decennial cen-
sus by all residents of the United States; 
(2) potential negative impacts on minority pop-
ulations resulting from the addition of a citizenship 
question to the decennial census, including potential 
impacts on— 
(A) congressional reapportionment; 
(B) legislative redistricting; and 
(C) distribution of Federal funds; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:37 Mar 27, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5292.IH
H5292
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(3) civil rights issues that could be affected 
with the addition of a citizenship question to the 
2020 decennial census; and 
(4) a potential decrease in participation related 
to the addition of citizenship questions. 
(c) MEMBERS.—The Task Force established under 
subsection (a) shall include representatives of— 
(1) State, local, and tribal governments or asso-
ciations; 
(2) academic and nongovernmental organiza-
tions with expertise in the decennial census; and 
(3) relevant organizations, including nonprofit 
organizations, representing effective data and re-
search related to the decennial census, minority pop-
ulations, and civil or human rights advocacy. 
SEC. 5. SUNSET PROVISION. 
The Task Force shall terminate following the decen-
nial census. 
SEC. 6. DEFINITION. 
In this Act, the term ‘‘State’’ means each of the sev-
eral States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth 
of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, 
American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:37 Mar 27, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H5292.IH
H5292
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS