,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bcib  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #bi1 #bjai,mr4
 ,smith of ,nebraska introduced the     
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,oversight and ,reform
  ,a ,,bill  ,to make participation in  
the ,american ,community ,survey        
voluntary1 except with respect to       
certain basic questions1 and for other  
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,american ,community
 ,survey ,act4  #b4 ,participation in   
,american ,community ,survey  7a7       
,optional questions ,section #aic of    
title #ac1 ,united ,states ,code1 is    
amended by adding at the end the        
following3 ,the ,secretary shall        
include1 in the instructions for        
completing any survey authorized under  
this section1 a statement indicating    
that answering any question other than  
questions that solicit the information  
described in section #bba7;c77#b77;,a7  
is optional44  7b7 ,refusal ,to         

participate ,section #bba of title #ac1 
,united ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7
 in subsection 7a71 by striking         
,whoever1 being over eighteen years of  
age1 and inserting ,except as provided  
in subsection 7c71 any person older than
 #ah years of age who2 and  7#b7 by     
amending subsection 7c7 to read as      
follows3  7c7 7#a7 ,notwithstanding any 
other provision under this title--  7,a7
 no person may be compelled to disclose 
information relative to the person's    
religious beliefs or to membership in a 
religious body2 and  7,b7 except as     
provided in paragraph 7#b71 no person   
may be fined or otherwise compelled to  
answer questions in connection with the 
survey1 conducted by the ,secretary of  
,commerce1 which is commonly referred to
 as the ,american ,community ,survey4   
7#b7 ,paragraph 7#a77;,b7-- 7,a7 shall  
not apply to any question that elicits--
  7i7 the name of the respondent2  7ii7 
contact information for the respondent2 
7iii7 the date of the response2 or  7iv7

 the number of people living or staying 
at the same address2 and  7,b7 does not 
waive any penalty imposed for conduct   
described in subsection 7b74  4