#aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,s4   
#aida  ,,an ,,act  ,to direct the       
,director of the ,office of ,management 
and ,budget to standardize the use of   
core-based statistical area designations
 across ,federal programs1 to allow     
between #abj and #ahj days for public   
comment on any proposed change to such  
designations1 and to report on the      
scientific basis and estimated impact to
 ,federal programs for any proposed     
change to such designations1 and for    
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,metropolitan  
,areas ,protection and ,standardization 
,act of #bjba or the ,,maps ,act of     
#bjba4  #b4 ,findings ,congress finds   
the following3 7#a7 ,federal programs   
use core-based statistical area         
delineations to determine the delivery  
of ,federal services1 benefits1 and     
funding to people in the ,united        
,states1 such as in criteria for        
eligibility or distribution4  7#b7      
,core-based statistical area            

delineations provide a nationally       
consistent set of standards for         
collecting1 tabulating1 and publishing  
,federal statistics for geographic      
areas1 and they are not intended for any
 public or private sector               
non-statistical uses such as program    
administration or service delivery4     
7#c7 ,updates to core-based statistical 
area delineations may cause widespread  
disruption to the delivery of ,federal  
services1 benefits1 and funding to      
people in the ,united ,states based on  
the reliance of ,federal programs on    
these delineations4  7#d7 ,there does   
not exist any comprehensive list of     
,federal programs that rely on          
core-based statistical area             
delineations4 ,such a list is valuable  
for the study of how ,federal services1 
benefits1 and funding are distributed to
 people in the ,united ,states4  7#e7   
,increased transparency on the impacts  
of any update to core-based statistical 
area delineations may be overly         

burdensome due to the anticipated       
variety of ,federal programs that rely  
on these delineations4 ,any requirement 
for complete disclosure of these impacts
 prior to implementation of new         
delineations may unintentionally cause  
the existing delineations to ossify4    
7#f7 ,in order to prevent any disruption
 to service delivery of ,federal        
programs based on updates to core-based 
statistical area delineations1 and      
ensure the independence of ,federal     
statistical policymaking1 ,congress must
 sever the link between future updates  
to core-based statistical area          
delineations and any automatic impact on
 ,federal programs that rely on these   
delineations4  #c4 ,purpose ,this       
purpose of this ,act is to ensure-- 7#a7
 transparency in how core-based         
statistical area delineations are used  
in domestic assistance programs2 and    
7#b7 independence of the ,office of     
,management and ,budget in establishing 
and updating core-based statistical area

 delineations4  #d4 ,definitions ,in    
this ,act3 7#a7 ,agency ,the term agency
 has the meaning given the term in      
section #eea of title #e1 ,united       
,states ,code4  7#b7 ,comptroller       
general ,the term ,comptroller ,general 
means the ,comptroller ,general of the  
,united ,states4  7#c7 ,core-based      
statistical area ,the term core-based   
statistical area has the meaning given  
the term by the ,office of ,management  
and ,budget in the ,notice of ,decision 
entitled #bjbj ,standards for           
,delineating ,core-,based ,statistical  
,areas1 published in the ,federal       
,register on ,july #af1 #bjba 7#hf ,fed4
 ,reg4 #cgggj71 or any successor to that
 ,notice4  7#d7 ,director ,the term     
,director means the ,director of the    
,office of ,management and ,budget4     
7#e7 ,domestic assistance program ,the  
term domestic assistance program has the
 meaning given the term in section #faja
 of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code4   
7#f7 ,open government data asset ,the   

term open ,government data asset has the
 meaning given the term in section #cejb
 of title #dd1 ,united ,states ,code4   
#e4 ,non-propagation of core-based      
statistical area delineations  7a7      
,amendment ,chapter #fc of title #ca1   
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following3  #fcji4
 ,non-propagation of core-based         
statistical area delineations  7a7 ,in  
general ,beginning on the date of       
enactment of the ,,maps ,act of #bjba1  
and notwithstanding any other provision 
of law1 any change to the standards of  
core-based statistical area delineations
 pursuant to section #cejd7;e7 of title 
#dd-- 7#a7 shall not propagate          
automatically for any non-statistical   
use by any domestic assistance program1 
including any such use as required      
through-- 7,a7 statutory reference to   
any core-based statistical area         
delineation2 or  7,b7 administrative or 
regulatory reference to any core-based  
statistical area delineation2 and  7#b7 

shall propagate for any non-statistical 
use by any domestic assistance program  
only-- 7,a7 if a relevant agency        
determines that such a propagation-- 7i7
 supports the purposes of the program2  
and  7ii7 is in the public interest2 and
  7,b7 through affirmative adoption     
through notice-and-comment rulemaking   
pursuant to section #eec of title #e4   
7b7 ,definitions ,the definitions in    
section #d of the ,,maps ,act of #bjba  
shall apply to this section4  4  7b7    
,technical and conforming amendment ,the
 table of sections for chapter #fc of   
title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 is    
amended by inserting after the item     
relating to section #fcjh the following3
  #fcji4 ,non-propagation of core-based 
statistical area delineations4  4  #f4  
,transparency of non-statistical uses of
 core-based statistical area            
delineations  7a7 ,in general ,section  
#fajb7;a77#b7 of title #ca1 ,united     
,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 by     
redesignating subparagraph 7,g7 as      

subparagraph 7,h72  7#b7 in subparagraph
 7,f71 by striking and at the end2 and  
7#c7 by inserting after subparagraph    
7,f7 the following3  7,g7 uses of       
core-based statistical area 7as defined 
in section #d of the ,,maps ,act of     
#bjba7 delineations 7as chosen from     
standardized categories of uses         
determined by the ,director71 for       
purposes including prime recipient and  
subrecipient eligibility for1 and       
distribution of1 any ,federal service1  
benefit1 or funding2 and  4  7b7        
,content requirements ,in collecting and
 reviewing the information required     
under section #fajb7;a77#b77;,g7 of     
title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 as    
amended by subsection 7a7 of this       
section1 the ,director shall include as 
standardized categories-- 7#a7 whether  
the most current core-based statistical 
area delineation has been affirmatively 
adopted pursuant to section #fcji of    
title #ca1 ,united ,states ,coded1 as   
added by this ,act2  7#b7 which         

historical core-based statistical area  
delineation was maintained1 in cases    
where an updated delineation has not    
been affirmatively adopted pursuant to  
section #fcji of title #ca1 ,united     
,states ,coded1 as added by this ,act2  
7#c7 what purpose the core-based        
statistical area delineation serves1    
including-- 7,a7 to determine           
eligibility for any ,federal service1   
benefit1 or funding2  7,b7 to determine 
distribution of any ,federal service1   
benefit1 or funding2 and  7,c7 any other
 standardized category of purpose       
determined by the ,director2  7#d7      
whether the use of core-based           
statistical area delineation directly   
concerns any-- 7,a7 prime recipient of  
any ,federal service1 benefit1 or       
funding2 and  7,b7 subrecipient of any  
,federal service1 benefit1 or funding2  
and  7#e7 the date when the information 
collected in this subsection was last   
updated4  7c7 ,accessibility            
requirements ,the ,director shall ensure

 that the information collected and     
reviewed under section                  
#fajb7;a77#b77;,g7 of title #ca1 ,united
 ,states ,code1 as amended by subsection
 7a7 of this section1 shall be-- 7#a7   
publicly accessible as an open          
,government data asset2  7#b7 presented 
in a user-friendly visual format with   
search and download capabilities2  7#c7 
easily discoverable by the public on    
relevant government websites2 and  7#d7 
updated not less frequently than once   
every year4  7d7 ,implementation        
timeline ,the requirements of this      
section shall be fully implemented not  
later than #b years after the date of   
enactment of this ,act4  #g4            
,independence1 integrity1 and           
accountability of core-based statistical
 area delineations ,section #cejd7;e7 of
 title #dd1 ,united ,states ,code1 is   
amended by-- 7#a7 in paragraph          
7#h77;,b77ii71 by striking and at the   
end2  7#b7 in paragraph 7#i77;,b71 by   
striking the period at the end and      

inserting 2 and2 and  7#c7 by adding at 
the end the following3  7#aj7 ensure    
that any change to the standards of     
core-based statistical area 7as defined 
in section #d of the ,,maps ,act of     
#bjba7 delineations pursuant to this    
subsection shall-- 7,a7 be accompanied  
by a public report that explains-- 7i7  
the scientific basis1 criteria1 and     
methodology for such change to existing 
standards1 including clear quantitative 
thresholds for determining any future   
statistical re-delineations2 and  7ii7  
the opinions of domestic and            
international experts in statistics and 
demographics1 including government      
experts at the ,bureau of the ,census   
and other relevant agencies1 who were   
consulted regarding such change to      
existing standards2  7,b7 not be        
influenced by any non-statistical       
considerations such as impact on program
 administration or service delivery2 and
  7,c7 not propagate automatically for  
any non-statistical use by any domestic 

assistance program 7as defined in       
section #d of the ,,maps ,act of #bjba74
  4  #h4 ,comptroller general report    
,not later than #c years after the date 
of enactment of this ,act1 the          
,comptroller ,general shall submit to   
the ,committee on ,homeland ,security   
and ,governmental ,affairs of the       
,senate and the ,committee on ,oversight
 and ,reform of the ,house of           
,representatives a report that-- 7#a7   
assesses the completeness1 timeliness1  
quality1 accuracy1 accessibility1 and   
usefulness of the information reported  
pursuant to section #f and the amendment
 made by section #f2 and  7#b7          
identifies any ,federal programs1       
including any domestic assistance       
programs or other programs1 that-- 7,a7 
use core-based statistical area         
delineations for any non-statistical    
purpose2 and  7,b7 as of the date of the
 report1 are not reported pursuant to   
section #f and the amendment made by    
section #f2 and  7#c7 if appropriate1   

includes any recommendations for        
,federal agencies or ,congress based on 
the findings described in paragraphs    
7#a7 and 7#b74  ,passed the ,senate ,may
 #bf1 #bjbb4,secretary