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 feature 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 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 732 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 732

  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

                            January 23, 2019

  Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York (for herself, Mr. Serrano, Ms. 
 Meng, Mr. Soto, Mr. Clay, Ms. Tlaib, Mrs. Kirkpatrick, Ms. Wild, Ms. 
   Schakowsky, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Sires, Mr. Vela, Mr. Espaillat, Ms. 
  Norton, Mr. Cooper, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Pascrell, and Ms. Judy Chu of 
 California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                   Committee on Oversight and 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 for the purpose of apportionment of seats among the 
        States in the U.S. House of Representatives.
            (2) The founders believed that a census was essential in 
        measuring the progress of the country and helping to chart its 
        future.
            (3) 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 districts.
            (4) Over $800,000,000,000 in Federal assistance to State 
        and local communities every year is informed by the results of 
        the decennial census.
            (5) Congress seeks to make the 2020 decennial census the 
        most complete, accurate, and fair decennial census in the 
        history of the United States.
            (6) The decennial census is the largest peacetime 
        mobilization undertaken by the Federal Government.
            (7) Any late, untested changes to the operational design of 
        the decennial census will jeopardize public cooperation with 
        the census and, therefore, the success and accuracy of 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 feature 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) Reports.--
                    ``(A) Submission to congress.--Not later than 90 
                days after the date of enactment of this subsection, 
                and not later than the date that is 4 years before the 
                date of a decennial census (beginning with the 
                decennial census for 2030), 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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