American Community Survey Act

Bill: 115-hr-1305
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Poe, Ted [R-TX-2]
Introduced: 2017-03-02
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Census and government statistics
Latest action: action_date: 2017-03-02
text: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-03-02
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>American Community Survey Act</strong></p> <p>This bill requires the Department of Commerce to include in instructions for completing any survey relating to the Census a statement that answering any questions other than questions that elicit the name of the respondent, contact information, the date of the response, or the number of people living or staying at the same address where the respondent resides is optional. No person may be fined or otherwise compelled to answer questions in connection with the survey commonly known as the American Community Survey (except for the questions permitted by this bill). </p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1305 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 2, 2017 Mr. Poe of Texas (for himself, Mr. Massie , Mr. Duncan of South Carolina , Mr. Luetkemeyer , Mr. Marchant , Mr. Olson , Mr. Bishop of Michigan , and Ms. Jenkins of Kansas ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform A BILL To make participation in the American Community Survey voluntary, except with respect to certain basic questions, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the American Community Survey Act . 2. Participation in American Community Survey (a) Optional questions Section 193 of title 13, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: The Secretary shall include, in the instructions for completing any survey authorized under this section, a statement indicating that answering any question other than questions that solicit the information described in section 221(c)(2)(A) is optional. . (b) Refusal To participate Section 221 of title 13, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subsection (a), by striking Whoever, being over eighteen years of age, and inserting Except as provided in subsection (c), any person older than 18 years of age who ; and (2) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows: (c) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision under this title— (A) no person may be compelled to disclose information relative to the person's religious beliefs or to membership in a religious body; and (B) except as provided in paragraph (2), no person may be fined or otherwise compelled to answer questions in connection with the survey, conducted by the Secretary of Commerce, which is commonly referred to as the American Community Survey . (2) Paragraph (1)(B)— (A) shall not apply to any question that elicits— (i) the name of the respondent; (ii) contact information for the respondent; (iii) the date of the response; or (iv) the number of people living or staying at the same address; and (B) does not waive any penalty imposed for conduct described in subsection (b). .