[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2444 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2444

  To provide for an interim census of Americans abroad, the data from 
 which shall be used in deciding whether to count such individuals in 
                       future decennial censuses.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              July 1, 1999

 Mrs. Maloney of New York (for herself, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Underwood, Mr. 
  Filner, Mr. Olver, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Rush, Mrs. Clayton, Mr. 
 Shows, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Meeks of New York, Mr. 
 Brown of California, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Bentsen, 
and Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide for an interim census of Americans abroad, the data from 
 which shall be used in deciding whether to count such individuals in 
                       future decennial censuses.

    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 ``Census of Americans Abroad Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) between 3,000,000 and 6,000,000 Americans live and work 
        overseas while continuing to vote and pay taxes in the United 
        States;
            (2) Americans living abroad help increase exports of 
        American goods because they traditionally buy American, sell 
        American, and create business opportunities for American 
        companies and workers, thereby strengthening the United States 
        economy, creating jobs in the United States, and extending 
        United States influence around the globe;
            (3) Americans abroad play a key role in advancing this 
        Nation's interests by serving as economic, political, and 
        cultural ``ambassadors'' of the United States; and
            (4) the major business, civic, and community organizations 
        representing Americans and companies of the United States 
        abroad support the counting of all Americans abroad by the 
        Bureau of the Census, and are prepared to assist the Bureau of 
        the Census in this task.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the Bureau of the Census should undertake a census of 
        all Americans residing abroad in a special census, and the 
        necessary funding should be appropriated for this purpose; and
            (2) the Bureau of the Census should, after completing a 
        special census of all Americans residing abroad, review the 
        means by which Americans residing abroad could be included in 
        the 2010 decennial census.

SEC. 3. COUNTING OF AMERICANS ABROAD.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Commerce shall--
            (1) using any authorities available to the Secretary under 
        section 182 or any other provision of title 13, United States 
        Code, take a census of all Americans residing abroad as of 
        April 1, 2003;
            (2) submit the final tabulations under this subsection to 
        the President and the Congress within 9 months after the date 
        specified in paragraph (1), broken down into all appropriate 
        categories, including--
                    (A) Americans abroad affiliated with the Federal 
                Government and their dependents; and
                    (B) Americans abroad not affiliated with the 
                Federal Government and their dependents; and
            (3) not later than June 30, 2005, submit to the President 
        and the Congress a report containing--
                    (A) the Secretary's findings as to the feasibility 
                of counting Americans abroad in future decennial 
                censuses of population; and
                    (B) any recommendations which the Secretary may 
                have regarding the counting of Americans abroad, 
                including--
                            (i) whether and how Americans abroad could 
                        be counted in the 2010 decennial census;
                            (ii) for what purposes the information 
                        could and should be used; and
                            (iii) whether Americans abroad should be 
                        included in the 2010 decennial census for 
                        purposes of the apportionment of 
                        Representatives in Congress among the several 
                        States and, if so, how that should be done.
    (b) Interim Report.--Not later than June 30, 2002, the Secretary of 
Commerce shall submit to the committees of Congress having legislative 
jurisdiction over the census a report which shall include--
            (1) a summary of how the plans and preparations for 
        carrying out this section are proceeding;
            (2) a brief description or outline of how the tabulations 
        referred to in subsection (a) are to be carried out; and
            (3) information identifying any experts, consultants, 
        interest groups, or other persons outside the Bureau of the 
        Census who were consulted under this section.
    (c) Confidentiality of Information; Penalties.--The provisions of 
section 9 and chapter 7 of title 13, United States Code, shall apply to 
the census carried out under this Act.
    (d) Limited Use of Data.--The data obtained from the census taken 
under this Act may not be used for any purpose not specifically 
provided for under this section.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act.
                                 <all>