[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1715 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1715

 To provide for an interim census of Americans residing abroad, and to 
require that such individuals be included in the 2010 decennial census.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 8, 1999

Mr. Rockefeller introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
           referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for an interim census of Americans residing abroad, and to 
require that such individuals be included in the 2010 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 ``Census of Americans Abroad Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) an estimated 3,000,000 to 6,000,000 Americans live and 
        work overseas while continuing to vote and pay taxes in the 
        United States;
            (2) Americans residing 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 residing 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 residing 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 that the 
        necessary funding should be appropriated for this purpose;
            (2) the Bureau of the Census should, after completing that 
        special census, review the means by which Americans residing 
        abroad may be included in the 2010 decennial census; and
            (3) the Bureau of the Census should take appropriate 
        measures to provide for the inclusion of Americans residing 
        abroad in the 2010 decennial census and decennial censuses 
        thereafter.

SEC. 3. COUNTING OF AMERICANS RESIDING 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 special census of all Americans residing abroad as 
        of April 1, 2003 (in this Act referred to as the ``special 
        census'');
            (2) submit the final tabulations under the special census 
        to the President and Congress within 9 months after the date 
        specified in paragraph (1), broken down into all appropriate 
        categories, including--
                    (A) Americans residing abroad affiliated with the 
                Federal Government, and their dependents; and
                    (B) Americans residing abroad not affiliated with 
                the Federal Government, and their dependents;
            (3) not later than June 30, 2005, submit to the President 
        and Congress a report containing any recommendations the 
        Secretary may have with respect to the inclusion of Americans 
        residing abroad in future decennial censuses, including--
                    (A) counting methodologies;
                    (B) the purposes for which any information could or 
                should be used; and
                    (C) whether Americans residing abroad can 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; 
                and
            (4) take appropriate measures--
                    (A) to provide for the inclusion of Americans 
                residing abroad in the 2010 decennial census and 
                decennial censuses thereafter; and
                    (B) to make use of the information obtained from 
                such censuses for such purposes as, and to the maximum 
                extent that, the Secretary considers feasible and 
                appropriate.
    (b) Interim Report on Special Census.--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 the special census are proceeding;
            (2) a brief description or outline of how the tabulations 
        in the special census 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 in connection with the special 
        census.
    (c) Confidentiality of Information; Penalties.--The provisions of 
section 9 and chapter 7 of title 13, United States Code, shall apply 
with respect to the special census.
    (d) Limited Use of Data.--The data obtained from the special census 
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.
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