[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 472 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
                                H. R. 472


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 15, 1999

  Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To amend title 13, United States Code, to require the use of postcensus 
             local review as part of each decennial census.

    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 ``Local Census Quality Check Act''.

SEC 2. POSTCENSUS LOCAL REVIEW.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 13, United 
States Code, is amended by adding after section 141 the following:
``Sec. 142. Postcensus local review
    ``(a) Each decennial census taken after the date of enactment of 
this section shall include an opportunity for postcensus local review, 
similar to that afforded as part of the 1990 decennial census, so that 
local governmental units may review household counts, jurisdictional 
boundaries, and such other data as the Secretary considers appropriate 
for the purpose of identifying discrepancies or other potential 
problems before the tabulation of total population by States (as 
required for the apportionment of Representatives in Congress among the 
several States) is completed.
    ``(b) Any postcensus local review afforded under this section in 
connection with a decennial census shall be conducted in conformance 
with the following:
            ``(1) Not later than February 1st of the year in which such 
        census is taken, the Secretary shall notify local governmental 
        units as to the guidelines for, and shall furnish them with any 
        other information pertinent to, their participating in the 
        upcoming postcensus local review.
            ``(2)(A) Not later than 30 days before submitting to a 
        local governmental unit the data subject to its review under 
        this section, the Secretary shall furnish to such unit the 
        appropriate block level maps and lists of housing units.
            ``(B) Not later than August 1st of the year in which such 
        census is taken or, if earlier, the 30th day after the date on 
        which the nonresponse followup process for such census is 
        completed, the Secretary shall submit to each local 
        governmental unit the data which is subject to review by such 
        governmental unit under this section.
            ``(C) For purposes of subparagraph (B), the date on which 
        the nonresponse followup process for a census is completed 
        shall be as determined by the Secretary.
            ``(3) A local governmental unit shall have 45 days 
        (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays) to 
        review the data submitted to it under paragraph (2)(B), and to 
        submit any challenges relating to such data.
            ``(4) The Secretary shall investigate all challenges timely 
        submitted under paragraph (3), recanvass such blocks or other 
        units as the Secretary considers appropriate in connection with 
        any such challenge, and correct any miscounts identified 
        pursuant to any such challenge.
            ``(5) Not later than November 1st of the year in which such 
        census is taken, the Secretary shall, with respect to each 
        challenge timely submitted under paragraph (3)--
                    ``(A) complete the measures required under 
                paragraph (4) with respect to such challenge; and
                    ``(B) notify the local governmental unit that 
                submitted such challenge as to the measures taken in 
                response thereto.
    ``(c) As used in this section--
            ``(1) the term `decennial census' means a decennial census 
        of population conducted under section 141(a); and
            ``(2) the term `local governmental unit' means a local unit 
        of general purpose government as defined by section 184, or its 
        designee.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 5 of 
title 13, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item 
relating to section 141 the following:

``142. Postcensus local review.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives April 14, 1999.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.