,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ebgj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #ae1 
#bjbb,mr4 ,schatz introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,homeland
 ,security and ,governmental ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #ac1 ,united 
,states ,code1 to improve the operations
 of the ,bureau of the ,census1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,ensuring a    
,fair and ,accurate ,census ,act4  #b4  
,modification of certain ,bureau of the 
,census authorities  7a7 ,budget        
requests  7#a7 ,in general ,subchapter  
,i of chapter #a of title #ac1 ,united  
,states ,code1 is amended by inserting  
after section #ac the following3  #ad4  
,budget requests  7a7 ,with respect to  
the budget request of the ,bureau for   
fiscal year #bjbg and each fiscal year  
thereafter submitted to the ,president  
for inclusion in the annual budget      
submission under section #aaje7;a7 of   

title #ca1 the ,director shall include  
in such request to the ,secretary the   
estimated costs of carrying out the     
duties of the ,bureau during the        
five-year period beginning on the fiscal
 year covered by such request4  7b7 ,on 
the date that the estimate of costs is  
submitted to the ,secretary under       
subsection 7a71 the ,director shall     
submit such estimate to the ,committee  
on ,oversight and ,reform of the ,house 
of ,representatives1 the ,committee on  
,homeland ,security and ,governmental   
,affairs of the ,senate1 the ,committees
 on the ,budget of the ,house of        
,representatives and the ,senate1 and   
the ,committees on ,appropriations of   
the ,house of ,representatives and the  
,senate4  4  7#b7 ,clerical amendment   
,the table of sections for such         
subchapter is amended by inserting after
 the item relating to section #ac the   
following new item3  #ad4 ,budget       
requests4  4  7b7 ,duties ,section      
#ba7;c7 of title #ac1 ,united ,states   

,code1 is amended to read as follows3   
7c7 ,duties  7#a7 ,in general ,the      
,director shall perform such duties as  
may be imposed upon the ,director by    
law1 regulations1 or orders of the      
,secretary4 ,the ,director shall report 
directly to the ,deputy ,secretary of   
,commerce4  7#b7 ,decennial census ,any 
operational1 statistical1 or technical  
decision for any decennial census of    
population may be made only by the      
,director4  4  7c7 ,advisory committees2
 ,deputy ,director  7#a7 ,in general    
,section #ba of title #ac1 ,united      
,states ,code1 as amended by subsection 
7b71 is further amended-- 7,a7 in the   
section heading1 by striking duties and 
inserting ,deputy ,director2 advisory   
committees2 and  7,b7 by adding at the  
end the following3  7d7 ,deputy         
,director  7#a7 ,in general ,there shall
 be in the ,bureau a single ,deputy     
,director of the ,bureau1 to be         
appointed by the ,director4 ,the        
position of ,deputy ,director shall be a

 career reserved position 7as that term 
is defined in section #cacb7;a77#h7 of  
title #e74 ,the ,deputy ,director shall 
be selected from among any career       
appointee 7as that term is defined in   
section #cacb7;a77#d7 of such title7 at 
any agency4 ,the individual appointed to
 the position of ,deputy ,director shall
 be made from individuals who have a    
demonstrated ability in managing large  
organizations and experience in the     
collection1 analysis1 and use of        
statistical data4  7#b7 ,functions ,the 
,deputy ,director shall perform such    
functions as the ,director shall        
designate4 ,during any absence or       
disability of the ,director1 the ,deputy
 ,director shall act as ,director4  7#c7
 ,vacancy ,in the event of a vacancy in 
the office of ,director1 or when the    
,director is absent or unable to serve1 
the ,deputy ,director shall act as      
,director until a ,director is          
appointed4 ,if no individual is serving 
as ,deputy ,director1 the highest level 

career employee of the ,bureau shall act
 as ,director until a ,deputy ,director 
or ,director is appointed4 ,this        
paragraph shall serve as the exclusive  
means of designating an acting          
,director4  7#d7 ,census equity official
 ,the ,deputy ,director shall appoint an
 employee within the ,bureau1 who shall 
report directly to the ,deputy          
,director1 and who shall be responsible 
for optimizing racial and ethnic equity 
in the decennial census of population1  
including by-- 7,a7 enhancing outreach  
to1 and collaborating with1             
organizations and stakeholders that have
 demonstrated their influence with      
racial and ethnic communities that      
historically have had census            
participation rates that are lower than 
those of the overall population2  7,b7  
maximizing participation among racial   
and ethnic demographic cohorts that have
 historically had census participation  
rates that are lower than those of the  
overall population2  7,c7 rectifying the

 undercount of cohorts of the population
 that have been undercounted in recent  
decennial census counts2 and  7,d7 any  
other strategies1 initiatives1          
activities1 or operations that would    
optimize such equity4  7e7 ,advisory    
committees  7#a7 ,general authority ,in 
accordance with the ,federal ,advisory  
,committee ,act 7#e ,u4,s4,c4 ,app471   
and subject to paragraph 7#b71 the      
,director may establish advisory        
committees to provide advice with       
respect to the mission of the ,bureau4  
,members of any such committee1         
including a committee established under 
paragraph 7#b71 shall serve without     
compensation1 but shall be entitled to  
transportation expenses and per diem in 
lieu of subsistence in accordance with  
section #egjc of title #e4  7#b7        
,specific advisory committees  7,a7     
,bureau of the ,census advisory         
committee on statistical quality        
standards ,the ,director shall appoint a
 committee1 to be known as the ,advisory

 ,committee on ,statistical ,quality    
,standards1 composed of five members to 
review and provide recommendations on   
the statistical quality standards of the
 ,bureau that guide the production and  
release of all ,bureau decennial census 
products4  7,b7 ,national ,advisory     
,committee and ,scientific ,advisory    
,committee ,there are hereby established
 the ,bureau of the ,census ,scientific 
,advisory ,committee and the ,census    
,bureau ,national ,advisory ,committee  
on ,racial1 ,ethnic1 and ,other         
,populations1 as described in the       
charters for each such committee        
published on ,march #ae1 #bjbb1 and     
,march #bc1 #bjbb1 respectively1 or any 
subsequent charters4 ,such advisory     
committees shall operate under the terms
 and conditions set forth in the        
applicable charter4  7,c7 #bjcj ,census 
,advisory ,committee ,the ,director     
shall appoint an advisory committee1    
substantially similar to the #bjaj      
,census ,advisory ,committee1 consisting

 of up to #bj member organizations to   
address policy1 research1 and technical 
issues related to the design and        
implementation of the #bjcj decennial   
census and the ,american ,community     
,survey4  4  7#b7 ,clerical amendment   
,the table of sections for subchapter   
,,ii of chapter #a of such title is     
amended by striking the item relating to
 section #ba and inserting the          
following3  #ba4 ,director of the       
,census2 ,deputy ,director2 advisory    
committees4  4  7d7 ,position           
requirements ,section #bb of title #ac1 
,united ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7
 by striking ,all permanent and         
inserting 7a7 ,in general4--,all        
permanent2 and  7#b7 by adding at the   
end the following3  7b7 ,positions ,each
 position within the ,bureau shall be a 
career position within the civil        
service1 except for the position of the 
,director and not more than three other 
positions4  4  #c4 ,limitations and     
requirements for the decennial census   

,section #ada of title #ac1 ,united     
,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 by     
redesignating subsection 7g7 as         
subsection 7i72  7#b7 by inserting after
 subsection 7f7 the following3  7g7     
,limitations and requirements  7#a7     
,notice to ,congress of subjects1 types 
of information1 and questions ,in the   
#bjcj decennial census of population and
 each decennial census thereafter1 the  
,secretary may not include any subject1 
type of information1 or question that   
was not submitted to ,congress in       
accordance with subsection 7f74  7#b7   
,biannual reports  7,a7 ,submission to  
congress ,not later than ,april #a of   
the calendar year beginning after the   
date of enactment of the ,ensuring a    
,fair and ,accurate ,census ,act and    
biannually thereafter1 the ,secretary   
shall submit to ,congress a report      
that-- 7i7 describes each component of  
the operational plan for the subsequent 
decennial census of population2 and     
7ii7 includes a detailed statement on   

the status of all research1 testing1 and
 operations that are part of the        
,bureau's comprehensive plan for the    
decennial census1 and including a       
detailed statement on the status of any 
initiatives1 developments1 and          
operations within the purview of the    
official appointed by the ,deputy       
,director under section #ba7;d77#d74    
7,b7 ,internet publication ,on the date 
on which the ,secretary submits a report
 under subparagraph 7,a71 the ,secretary
 shall publish the report on the public 
internet website of the ,bureau4  7#c7  
,secretary certification  7,a7 ,in      
general ,the ,secretary1 upon the date  
of submission of the report required by 
subsection 7f77#b71 shall submit1 to the
 committees of ,congress having         
legislative jurisdiction over the       
census1 a certification stating that any
 question that has not appeared on the  
previous two decennial censuses has been
 researched1 studied1 and tested        
according to established statistical    

policies and procedures4  7,b7 ,,gao    
review ,not later than #f months after  
the ,secretary submits a certification  
under paragraph 7#b71 the ,comptroller  
,general of the ,united ,states shall   
review such certification and submit a  
report to ,congress on whether the      
questions to be included in the census  
have been researched1 studied1 and      
tested according to established         
statistical policies and procedures4  2 
and  7#c7 in subsection 7i71 as so      
redesignated1 by inserting              
,definition4-- before ,as used in4  #d4 
,decennial census lifecycle cost        
estimates ,section #ada of title #ac1   
,united ,states ,code1 as amended by    
section #c1 is further amended by       
inserting after subsection 7g7 the      
following3  7h7 ,lifecycle costs  7#a7  
,estimate ,not later than ,january #a1  
#bjbf1 and every ten years thereafter1  
the ,director shall transmit to the     
chairs of the committees described in   
paragraph 7#c7 a lifecycle cost estimate

 for the decennial census of population 
first occurring after the date of such  
transmittal4 ,such estimate shall       
include the following with respect to   
such lifecycle3 7,a7 ,an estimate of    
costs by each fiscal year4  7,b7        
,estimates of capital versus operating  
expenses4  7,c7 ,staffing projections   
for each year4  7,d7 ,assumptions about 
response rates1 wages1 and other        
economic variables4  7#b7 ,update ,on   
the date the ,president submits the     
annual budget under section #aaje7;a7 of
 title #ca during any calendar year a   
decennial of census of population is    
taken under this section1 and on the    
date such annual budget is submitted    
during the immediately preceding four   
calendar years1 the ,director shall     
transmit a report describing any changes
 to the applicable lifecycle estimate   
transmitted under paragraph 7#a74 ,such 
report shall include the following3 7,a7
 ,the basis for any such changes4  7,b7 
,projected impacts on response rates1   

staffing requirements1 or costs         
throughout the lifecycle4  7,c7 ,an     
explanation of any differences in       
budgetary resources between the amount  
requested in the ,president's annual    
budget request and the lifecycle cost   
estimate1 as updated by this paragraph4 
7#c7 ,committees ,the committees        
described in this paragraph are the     
,committee on ,oversight and ,reform of 
the ,house of ,representatives1 the     
,committee on ,homeland ,security and   
,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate1  
and the ,committees on ,appropriations  
of the ,house of ,representatives and   
the ,senate4  4  #e4 ,report on         
local-level data and local field        
operations ,not later than #ahj days    
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,director of the ,bureau of   
the ,census shall submit to ,congress a 
report that-- 7#a7 reviews the ,bureau's
 current processes for consulting and   
engaging with jurisdictions and local   
partners in conducting the decennial    

census1 including as it relates to      
preventing and addressing inaccuracies2 
7#b7 provides an update on the ,bureau's
 progress in implementing several of the
 ,government ,accountability ,office's  
recommendations as it relates to the    
collection and utilization of           
local-level data and coordination of    
local field operations2 and  7#c7       
outlines additional resources needed to 
support and improve the ,bureau's       
capacity to conduct an accurate count of
 the ,nation's population4