H.R.732: 2020 Census IDEA Act
Overview
The 2020 Census IDEA Act (H.R. 732) would prevent the Department of Commerce from implementing any major design feature changes to the decennial census that has not been researched and tested for a minimum of three years. The bill would also require the Commerce Secretary to deliver to Congress a detailed report that describes each component of the operational plan for the subsequent decennial census.
S. 358 is the Senate companion bill
Talking Points
- The IDEA Act would prevent the inclusion of untested questions to the Decennial Census.
- This would prevent things like the citizenship question, which will not be asked in the 2020 Census.
- Six former Census Bureau directors publicly opposed the untested citizenship question on the grounds that, traditionally, there is a multi-year process to refine and thoroughly test all-new questions, and the inclusion of an untested question would compromise a fair and accurate count.
- The National Assembly supports the IDEA Act, as it would ensure thorough review of any question considered for a census, ensuring a more accurate count.