[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5517 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5517

      To amend title 13, United States Code, to require that the 
questionnaire used in a decennial census of population shall include an 
 inquiry regarding an individual's status as a veteran, a spouse of a 
     veteran, or a dependent of a veteran, and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 10, 2010

 Mr. Stearns introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the 
    Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To amend title 13, United States Code, to require that the 
questionnaire used in a decennial census of population shall include an 
 inquiry regarding an individual's status as a veteran, a spouse of a 
     veteran, or a dependent of a veteran, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Every Veteran Counts Act''.

SEC. 2. CENSUS QUESTION REGARDING STATUS AS VETERAN, SPOUSE OF A 
              VETERAN, OR DEPENDENT OF A VETERAN.

    (a) In General.--Section 141 of title 13, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (h); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (f) the following:
    ``(g)(1) In conducting a decennial census under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall, on each questionnaire used in such census, include a 
question regarding whether an individual is a veteran, a spouse of a 
veteran, or the dependent of a veteran. Such question shall be in a 
checkoff format.
    ``(2) In conducting any survey during the interval between each 
census of population required under subsection (a), the Secretary may, 
on each questionnaire or form used in such survey, include a question 
regarding whether an individual is a veteran, a spouse of a veteran, or 
the dependent of a veteran.
    ``(3) For purposes of this subsection--
            ``(A) the term `veteran' has the meaning given such term in 
        section 101 of title 38; and
            ``(B) the term `dependent' has the meaning given such term 
        in section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to the 2020 decennial census of population and each 
decennial census thereafter.

SEC. 3. REPORTS TO CONGRESS REGARDING USE OF POPULATION AND OTHER 
              CENSUS-RELATED DATA BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS.

    Not later than 21 months after the date of a decennial census, the 
Department of Veterans Affairs shall transmit to Congress a report 
identifying the laws or programs administered by such Department, 
including the specific purposes under each such law or program, for 
which population data or any other information obtained from any 
census, survey, or other means under title 13, United States Code--
            (1) were used by such Department during the year most 
        recently ended; and
            (2) are being or will be used by such Department during the 
        period following the close of the year most recently ended and 
        preceding the date as of which data from the next decennial 
        census are obtained.
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