Title: Honest Census Communications Act
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Honest Census Communications Act
This bill prohibits certain deceptive practices in relation to a census.
Specifically, the bill prohibits communicating information known to be materially false and with the intent to impede or prevent another person from participating in any census.
Such information is any information regarding (1) the time, place, or manner of holding any such census; or (2) the qualifications for, or restrictions on, participation in any such census.
The bill sets forth criminal and civil penalties for violations.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6215 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6215

 To amend title 13, United States Code, to prohibit certain deceptive 
       practices in relation to a census, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 12, 2020

    Ms. Eshoo (for herself and Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                          Oversight and Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 13, United States Code, to prohibit certain deceptive 
       practices in relation to a 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.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Honest Census Communications Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON DECEPTIVE PRACTICES RELATING TO CENSUS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 7 of title 13, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

                  ``SUBCHAPTER IV--DECEPTIVE PRACTICES

``Sec. 251. Prohibition on deceptive practices
    ``(a) No person, whether acting under color of law or otherwise, 
shall by any means, including by means of written, electronic or 
digital (including through a website, app, online forum, social media 
platform, streaming service, or any other means of communications using 
the internet or a similar communications network), or telephonic 
communications (including any phone call, text message, or any other 
communications sent, received, or transmitted using a wireless or 
wireline phone or a cellular or other phone network), communicate or 
cause to be communicated information described in subsection (b), or 
produce information described in such subsection with the intent that 
such information be communicated, if such person--
            ``(1) knows such information to be materially false; and
            ``(2) has the intent to impede or prevent another person 
        from participating in any census under this title, including 
        the decennial census of population.
    ``(b) Information described in this subsection is any information 
regarding--
            ``(1) the time, place, or manner of holding any such 
        census; or
            ``(2) the qualifications for, or restrictions on, 
        participation in any such census.
    ``(c) Any individual who violates subsection (a) shall be fined an 
amount equal to the maximum penalty provided under subsection (d), 
imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both.
    ``(d) A civil penalty of not more than $11,181 may be assessed 
against any individual who violates subsection (a).''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for such chapter is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

                  ``subchapter iv--deceptive practices

``251. Prohibition on deceptive practices.''.
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