Title: 2020 Census IDEA Act
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
2020 Census Improving Data and Enhanced Accuracy Act or the 2020 Census IDEA Act
This bill prohibits the Department of Commerce, in the 2020 decennial census and each decennial census thereafter, from: (1) implementing any major operational design that has not been researched, studied, and tested for at least three years before the date on which the applicable census occurs; or (2) including on the questionnaire for the census any subject, type of information, or question that was not submitted to Congress.
The Government Accountability Office must certify to Congress that the subjects, types of information, and questions to be included in a decennial census have been adequately researched, studied, and tested to the same degree as in previous decennial censuses.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5359 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5359

  To amend title 13, United States Code, to require the Secretary of 
  Commerce to provide advance notice to Congress before changing any 
       questions on the decennial census, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 21, 2018

  Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York (for herself, Mr. Serrano, Ms. 
Meng, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Soto, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. 
 Pascrell, and Mr. Courtney) introduced the following bill; which was 
      referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 13, United States Code, to require the Secretary of 
  Commerce to provide advance notice to Congress before changing any 
       questions on the decennial census, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``2020 Census 
Improving Data and Enhanced Accuracy Act'' or the ``2020 Census IDEA 
Act''.
    (b) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The decennial census was embedded in article I of the 
        Constitution of the United States by the founders of the United 
        States to measure the progress of the country and help chart 
        its future.
            (2) The 2020 decennial census will, for the decade to 
        follow, shape the reapportionment of the House of 
        Representatives and the drawing of thousands of State and local 
        political jurisdictions.
            (3) Nearly $700,000,000,000 in Federal assistance to State 
        and local communities every year is informed by the results of 
        the decennial census.
            (4) The President and Congress seek to make the 2020 
        decennial census the most complete, accurate, and fair 
        decennial census in the history of the United States.
            (5) The decennial census is the largest peacetime 
        mobilization undertaken by the Federal Government.
            (6) Any late, untested changes to the operational design of 
        the decennial census will introduce great risk to the success 
        of, the accuracy of, and public cooperation with the decennial 
        census.

SEC. 2. LIMITATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DECENNIAL CENSUS.

    Section 141 of title 13, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (f)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by adding ``and'' at the end;
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``; and'' and 
                inserting a period; and
                    (C) by striking paragraph (3);
            (2) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (h);
            (3) by inserting after subsection (f) the following:
    ``(g) Limitations and Requirements.--
            ``(1) Notice to congress of operational design, subjects, 
        types of information, and questions.--In the 2020 decennial 
        census of population and each decennial census thereafter, the 
        Secretary may not--
                    ``(A) with respect to the census or any survey 
                conducted in connection with the census, implement any 
                major operational design that has not been researched, 
                studied, and tested for a period of not less than 3 
                years before the date on which the applicable census 
                occurs; or
                    ``(B) include on the questionnaire for the census 
                any subject, type of information, or question that was 
                not submitted to Congress in accordance with subsection 
                (f).
            ``(2) Biannual reports.--
                    ``(A) Submission to congress.--Not later than 90 
                days after the date of enactment of this subsection and 
                biannually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to 
                Congress a report that--
                            ``(i) describes each component of the 
                        operational plan for the subsequent decennial 
                        census of population; and
                            ``(ii) includes a detailed statement on the 
                        status of all research, testing, and operations 
                        that are part of the Bureau's comprehensive 
                        plan for the decennial census.
                    ``(B) Internet publication.--On the date on which 
                the Secretary submits a report under subparagraph (A), 
                the Secretary shall publish the report on the public 
                Internet website of the Bureau.
                    ``(C) GAO analysis.--Before the date on which a 
                decennial census occurs, the Comptroller General of the 
                United States shall certify to Congress that the 
                subjects, types of information, and questions to be 
                included in the census have been adequately researched, 
                studied, and tested to the same degree as in previous 
                decennial censuses.''; and
            (4) in subsection (h), as so redesignated, by inserting 
        ``Definition.--'' before ``As used in''.
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