Legislation: Census Reform for the 2020 Census

In March 2010, I introduced along with Reps. Charles Dent (R-PA), Ed Towns (D-NY), and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), H.R. 4945, the Census Oversight, Efficiency and Management Reform Act. Sens. Carper and Coburn have introduced a companion bill in the Senate.

H.R. 4945, the Census Oversight, Efficiency and Management Reform Act would:

Give the Director the independence to report directly to the Secretary without being required to report through any other official at the Commerce Department.
Increase the independence of the Director by allowing the Director to submit his or her own opinion in testimony to Congress even if it differs from the administration.
Make the Director of the Census Bureau a Presidential term appointment of five years, with the 10 year decennial cycle split into two, five-year phases - planning and operational, creating continuity across administrations.
Give the Director authority over all personnel and activities in the exercise of all powers and duties of the Bureau.
Give the Director the authority to establish advisory committees to provide advice with respect to any function of the Director.
Require that the Census Director provide budget information to Congress, at the time the Director submits a budget request to the Commerce Secretary to be included in the President’s budget request, prior to the Commerce Department’s budget request submission to OMB, increasing transparency and oversight.
Require the Director to submit to Congress a comprehensive annual report on the next decennial census, with a description of the Bureau’s performance standards and a risk-assessment of each significant decennial operation.

Full text of S. 3167(as passed 12/8/10)