[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1619 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1619

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 3, 2003

 Mrs. Maloney (for herself, Mr. Petri, and Mr. McNulty) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government 
                                 Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To provide for a test 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) with the growing threat of terrorism against Americans 
        who live around the world, the need to account for the number 
        of Americans residing in different countries is even more 
        important;
            (4) 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
            (5) 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 test census 
        of Americans residing in selected countries abroad, and that 
        the necessary funding should be appropriated for this purpose;
            (2) the Bureau of the Census should, after completing that 
        test census, review the means by which Americans residing 
        abroad may be included in the 2010 decennial census;
            (3) based on its review (described in paragraph (2)), the 
        Bureau of the Census should again test methodologies that would 
        provide for the counting of Americans residing abroad; and
            (4) 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 test census of Americans residing abroad by 
        September 30, 2004;
            (2) submit the final tabulations of the test census to the 
        President and Congress within 9 months after the date specified 
        in paragraph (1), broken down into 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;
            (4) after submitting the report required by paragraph (3), 
        but before the end of 2006, again test methodologies for 
        counting Americans residing abroad; and
            (5) 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) Confidentiality of Information; Penalties.--The provisions of 
section 9 and chapter 7 of title 13, United States Code, shall apply 
with respect to the test census.
    (c) Limited Use of Data.--The data obtained from the test census 
may not be used for any purpose not specifically provided for under 
this section.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act.
                                 <all>