Legislative Services

The Census Bureau has published a proposed rule to add two new parts to the Code of Federal Regulations governing the decennial census: Decennial Census of the Population of Americans; Proposed Residence Criteria and Proposed Regulations for Demographic Questions.

1. Residence criteria. The proposal would define “usual residence” for determining who is counted and where. It would include lawful permanent residents in the apportionment base while excluding people without lawful status and those whose status is less durable than permanent residency. These changes could affect congressional representation and federal funding formulas.

2. Demographic questions. The proposal would set standards for which demographic questions may appear on the enumeration questionnaire. It would exclude questions about race and ethnicity for enumeration purposes, potentially affecting data used in areas such as public health monitoring, school planning, economic development and workforce analysis.

County officials may wish to review the notice and consider how the proposed changes could affect enumeration and the work of their communities.