[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 42 (Thursday, April 6, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E503-E504]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        SUPPORT THE COMMON SENSE CENSUS ENFORCEMENT ACT OF 2000

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MAC COLLINS

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 5, 2000

  Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the many 
Georgians who have contacted me to complain that this year's census 
questionnaire is too intrusive. Today, I am introducing legislation 
that will address these serious concerns--The Common Sense Census 
Enforcement Act of 2000.
  As every Member of the House of Representatives is acutely aware, the 
census is constitutionally mandated for the purpose of apportioning 
federal legislative districts, and the population information gathered 
is also used in drawing state legislative district lines. The 
Constitution requires the federal government to conduct the census, and 
federal law (13 U.S.C. Sec. 221) also requires that residents answer 
the census completely and truthfully. Failure to answer any questions 
can result in fines of up to $100. Furthermore, if one intentionally 
provides inaccurate information in response to the census, the law 
provides for fines up to $500. These penalties are understandable with 
regard to questions directly related to apportionment, in light of its 
central importance to our constitutional system. I do, however, 
question the appropriateness of imposing such penalties for refusal to 
answer questions unrelated to apportionment, and I am introducing 
legislation to remedy this situation.
  Today, I am introducing The Common Sense Census Enforcement Act of 
2000, which would eliminate the fine for failure to answer Census 2000 
questions unrelated to apportionment. By taking this action, Congress 
can limit the intrusive nature of the census while still providing the 
government with the basic information necessary to administer our 
republic.
  This legislation reflects the concerns many of my constituents have 
expressed with regard to the length and the content of this year's 
census. Most of the questions on the long form of the census clearly 
are not asked for purposes of apportionment, but rather to collect 
information necessary for the administration of any number of federal 
programs. Information gathered in the census is currently used for 
federal and state planning and funding of education and health care 
programs, transportation projects, etc. While it is true that federal 
law requires much of this information for program administration, the 
law does not require that this information be collected via the census 
or under any penalty at law. A great deal of information that was once 
collected through the census is already being gathered through surveys 
that do not bear the census' strict legal requirements.
  In closing, I share the belief of many Georgians who find it 
inappropriate for the federal government to coerce citizens to provide 
personal information by packaging non-apportionment-related questions 
with the constitutionally required and legally enforceable 
apportionment census questions. In the future, either the information 
should be collected separately, or it should be made clear that no 
penalty will be applied to those who refuse to answer questions 
unrelated to apportionment. I urge my colleagues to join me in support 
of The Common Sense Census Enforcement Act of 2000.

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