[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 246 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 246

Expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to the collection of 
 demographic, social, and economic data as part of the 2000 decennial 
                         census of population.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 17, 1998

 Mrs. Morella  (for herself, Mr. Sawyer, Mrs. Maloney of New York, Mr. 
Shays, Mr. Hilliard, Mr. Filner, Mr. Baldacci, Mr. Rahall, Mr. Cardin, 
 Mrs. Johnson of Connecticut, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. Engel, and 
 Mr. Dingell) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
    referred to the Committee on the Government Reform and Oversight

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to the collection of 
 demographic, social, and economic data as part of the 2000 decennial 
                         census of population.

Whereas the decennial census of population is the only source of accurate, 
        reliable, and comparable information on the demographic, social, and 
        economic characteristics of the people of the United States and the 
        communities in which they live, for all geographic levels, including 
        rural areas and census tracts;
Whereas the Bureau of the Census, in response to a mandate from Congress to 
        reduce the reporting burden on the Nation's residents, has proposed to 
        include on the long-form census questionnaire only those subjects that 
        have specific Federal legislative justification;
Whereas the demographic and socioeconomic data collected in the decennial census 
        helps policymakers assess population changes, housing conditions, 
        ancestry, and other patterns of mobility and achievement for different 
        regions and governmental jurisdictions, as well as for different 
        population subgroups;
Whereas independent analysis by a panel convened by the National Academy of 
        Sciences determined that there are ``essential public needs'' for 
        information gathered by the long form and that ``the extra cost of the 
        census long form, once the census has been designed to collect limited 
        data for every resident, is relatively low'';
Whereas the National Academy of Sciences has concluded that the long form does 
        not significantly affect the overall mail response rate to the census;
Whereas independent analyses of the decennial census have found that the long 
        form does not increase the undercount in the census or the differential 
        undercount of racial, ethnic, and low-income populations to any 
        significant extent;
Whereas administering a traditional long form at a later point in time, instead 
        of as part of the 2000 decennial census of population, would 
        substantially increase the cost of collecting the data, place the 
        quality of the data at risk, and jeopardize the availability of reliable 
        and timely data for rural and small geographic areas;
Whereas the General Accounting Office has found that over $170,000,000,000 each 
        year in Federal program funds are distributed to State and local 
        governments on the basis of data collected in the census, including data 
        available only from the long form; and
Whereas the collection of demographic, socioeconomic, housing, and 
        transportation data on the long form in the 2000 decennial census of 
        population is supported by Federal, State, and local government 
        officials and agencies, service providers, researchers, and other social 
        scientists who help chart the direction of our Nation, private sector 
        decisionmakers, and many other census stakeholders, as well as by a 
        panel convened by the National Academy of Sciences at the direction of 
        the Congress: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),

SECTION 1. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of the Congress that the Secretary of Commerce 
should ensure that--
            (1) the 2000 decennial census of population include the 
        administration of a long-form census questionnaire;
            (2) the content of the long-form census questionnaire 
        include, at a minimum, the subjects sent to the Congress by the 
        Bureau of the Census on March 31, 1997, in accordance with 
        section 141(f)(1) of title 13, United States Code; and
            (3) a sufficient number of households receive the long-form 
        census questionnaire to ensure the availability of reliable 
        data for small geographic areas, including rural communities.

SEC. 2. TRANSMISSION TO THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE.

    The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall transmit a copy of 
this concurrent resolution to the Secretary of Commerce.
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