To make participation in the American Community Survey voluntary, except with respect to certain basic questions, and for other purposes.

Requires the Secretary of Commerce, in conducting any survey relating to the Census, to include in instructions for completing any such survey that participation in the survey is optional, except that survey respondents must provide their names, contract information, the date of response, and the number of people living or staying at the same addresses where the respondents reside. Prohibits any person participating in a survey from being fined or otherwise compelled to answer questions in connection with the survey (except for the basic questions permitted by this Act).

[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1078 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1078

   To make participation in the American Community Survey voluntary, 
except with respect to certain basic questions, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 12, 2013

    Mr. Poe of Texas (for himself, Mr. Lamborn, Mr. Duncan of South 
 Carolina, Mr. Jones, Mr. Huelskamp, Mr. Chaffetz, Mr. Sam Johnson of 
   Texas, Mr. Scalise, Mr. Walberg, Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia, Mr. 
  Gowdy, Mr. Fortenberry, Mr. Culberson, Mr. Hall, Mrs. Ellmers, Mr. 
 Latta, and Mr. Luetkemeyer) introduced the following bill; which was 
      referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To make participation in the American Community Survey voluntary, 
except with respect to certain basic questions, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PARTICIPATION IN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY.

    (a) Optional Questions.--Section 193 of title 13, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: ``The Secretary 
shall include, in the instructions for completing any survey authorized 
under this section, a statement indicating that answering any question 
other than questions that solicit the information described in section 
221(c)(2)(A) is optional.''.
    (b) Refusal To Participate.--Section 221 of title 13, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``Whoever, being over 
        eighteen years of age,'' and inserting ``Except as provided in 
        subsection (c), any person older than 18 years of age who''; 
        and
            (2) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:
    ``(c)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision under this title--
            ``(A) no person may be compelled to disclose information 
        relative to the person's religious beliefs or to membership in 
        a religious body; and
            ``(B) except as provided in paragraph (2), no person may be 
        fined or otherwise compelled to answer questions in connection 
        with the survey, conducted by the Secretary of Commerce, which 
        is commonly referred to as the `American Community Survey'.
    ``(2) Paragraph (1)(B)--
            ``(A) shall not apply to any question that elicits--
                    ``(i) the name of the respondent;
                    ``(ii) contact information for the respondent;
                    ``(iii) the date of the response; or
                    ``(iv) the number of people living or staying at 
                the same address; and
            ``(B) does not waive any penalty imposed for conduct 
        described in subsection (b).''.
                                 <all>