Sponsor
Eleanor Holmes Norton
Representative · D-DC
Representative · D-DC
The bill trades more complete decennial census participation and fairer apportionment/funding outcomes for reduced availability of directly comparable citizenship data on the decennial census, which creates enforcement, research, and cost implications.
Immigrants and their communities, plus state and local governments: excluding citizenship questions from the decennial census reduces fear of responding and likely raises response rates, producing more complete population counts.
State and local governments: more accurate total population counts improve the fairness of congressional apportionment and distribution of federal funds to states and localities.
State and local governments: limiting citizenship data on the decennial census reduces directly comparable official data for enforcing voting- and representation-related policies that rely on citizenship counts.
Researchers, some federal programs, and governments: confining citizenship/immigration questions to the American Community Survey may increase costs and delay access to citizenship data compared with having it on the decennial census.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Bars citizenship, nationality, or immigration-status questions on any questionnaire or survey used to carry out the decennial population census, while exempting the ACS.
Official title: To amend title 13, United States Code, to prohibit the use of questions on citizenship, nationality, or immigration status in any decennial census, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 24, 2026 by Eleanor Holmes Norton · Last progress March 24, 2026
Prohibits asking about citizenship, nationality, or immigration status on any questionnaire or survey used to carry out the decennial population census, while explicitly exempting the American Community Survey. It changes the U.S. Code to make that prohibition part of the census statute and provides a short title for the law.