Bill > HR5156

This bill, known as the "Citizen Only Updated National Tally Act" or "COUNT Act", directs the Department of Commerce and federal agencies to collect comprehensive data on citizenship status in the United States. The bill requires federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, State Department, Social Security Administration, and Health and Human Services, to provide administrative records and assistance to help determine the number of citizens, non-citizens, and undocumented immigrants in the country. The legislation establishes an interagency working group chaired by the Census Bureau Director to coordinate efforts to maximize administrative record access with the goal of establishing citizenship status for 100% of the population. Additionally, the bill mandates the inclusion of a citizenship question on the 2030 decennial census and requires the Secretary of Commerce to expand the American Community Survey to gather more robust citizenship data. The bill also requires the Department of Commerce to report annually to Congress on efforts to access state administrative records and terminates the use of differential privacy processes by the Census Bureau after six months, with the Director required to provide public guidance on maintaining individual response privacy. The underlying policy rationale is to develop accurate immigration data to help policymakers understand immigration's effects and inform potential policy responses to illegal immigration.

Government Affairs

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5156/all-info