September 17, 2019
Overview of FY2020 Appropriations for the Census Bureau
Introduction
the FY2019 spending plan approved and is consistent with
This In Focus presents an overview of FY2020
a proposed cut in the Survey of Income and Program
discretionary budget authority for the Census Bureau,
Participation sample size.
including the FY2020 budget request, related congressional
actions, and comparisons with FY2019 funding. As a
Periodic Censuses and Programs
Department of Commerce (DOC) agency, the bureau is
Under the FY2020 request, Periodic Censuses and
funded through the Departments of Commerce and Justice,
Programs would receive $5,885.4 million, $2,334.0 million
Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bills.
(65.7%) above the FY2019-enacted $3,551.4 million, and
95.7% of the Census Bureau’s total FY2020 request, mainly
FY2020 Budget Request
to fund the 2020 decennial census. About $3.6 million of
The Administration’s $6,149.4 million FY2020 budget
the amount for PCP would be transferred to the DOC Office
request for the Census Bureau is $2,328.0 million (60.9%)
of Inspector General (OIG) for continuing bureau oversight.
above the $3,821.4 million appropriated for FY2019. The
FY2020 request is divided between the bureau’s two major
Four major programs under PCP, plus the bureau’s critical
accounts, Current Surveys and Programs, and Periodic
information technology initiative, are discussed below.
Censuses and Programs (PCP).
2020 Decennial Census
Current Surveys and Programs
The bureau’s largest, most costly undertaking is the
The FY2020 request for Current Surveys and Programs is
decennial census. Article I, Section 2, clause 3 of the U.S.
$264.0 million, $6.0 million (2.2%) less than the $270.0
Constitution, as amended by Section 2 of the 14th
million enacted for FY2019. This account consists of
Amendment, requires a population census every 10 years,
Current Economic Statistics and Current Demographic
to serve as the basis for apportioning seats in the House of
Statistics.
Representatives. Decennial census data also are used to
redraw state congressional and legislative districts and,
Current Economic Statistics
along with census-related American Community Survey
Current Economic Statistics include business, construction,
(ACS) data and intercensal estimates, in formulas to
manufacturing, general economic, foreign trade, and
determine states’ and localities’ annual allocations of
government statistics that, as the FY2020 budget
federal funds, estimated at between $675 billion and over
justification for the Census Bureau states, “provide critical
$800 billion.
information about the structure and function of the U.S.
economy.” These statistics, notes the justification, “are
For the census in FY2020, the request is $5,297.0 million.
integral to the formation of key economic indicators, such
The budget justification states that another $1,020.0 million
as the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).”
in prior-year funds “will be available” for the census, plus
$83.3 million in information technology support through
The FY2020 request for Current Economic Statistics is
the bureau’s newly developed Census Enterprise Data
$185.3 million, $411,000 (0.2%) above the $184.9 million
Collection and Processing system (CEDCaP), totaling
approved in the bureau’s FY2019 spending plan.
$6,400.3 million in FY2020 to support the census. The total
amount, while not strictly comparable to the $3,015.1
Current Demographic Statistics
million approved in the FY2019 spending plan, exceeds this
Current Demographic Statistics include those from
figure by $3,385.1 million (112.3%) and reflects the peak
household surveys like the Current Population Survey
year for census expenses.
(CPS), which is undertaken jointly by the Census Bureau
and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is two-thirds funded
American Community Survey
by BLS, and provides monthly unemployment rates;
The ACS, which the bureau implemented nationwide in
analyses of population and housing characteristics, as in the
2005 and 2006, is the replacement for the decennial census
Current Population Reports, which are based on CPS and
long form that, from 1940 to 2000, collected detailed
other data and are the official source of U.S. income and
socioeconomic and housing data from a sample of U.S.
poverty statistics; the Housing Vacancy Survey; intercensal
residents. The yearly ACS sample totals more than 3.5
demographic and housing unit estimates for the total United
million households, covering every U.S. county and the
States and subnational geographic levels; and population
District of Columbia. The survey is sent monthly to small
projections into the future.
population samples; the results are aggregated to produce
new estimates every year for areas with at least 65,000
The $78.7 million FY2020 Current Demographic Statistics
people and every five years for areas from the most
request is $6.4 million (7.5%) less than the $85.1 million
populous to those with fewer than 20,000 people.
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Overview of FY2020 Appropriations for the Census Bureau
According to the budget justification, the bureau releases
to feature all-electronic responses and greater reliance on
more than 11 billion ACS estimates annually on more than
administrative records to reduce respondent burden.
40 “social, demographic, housing, and economic” topics.
The ACS “is the only source” of data on “many of these
The FY2020 census of governments request of $12.0
topics for rural areas and small populations.” A similar
million exceeds the $8.8 million FY2019 spending plan
survey, the Puerto Rico Community Survey, is conducted
amount by $3.2 million (36.0%).
across 78 county-equivalents there.
Census Enterprise Data Collection and Processing
The FY2020 request for the ACS is $218.0 million, $6.6
(CEDCaP) Program
million (3.1%) above the $211.4 million the FY2019
According to the budget justification, CEDCaP will provide
spending plan approved. The budget justification notes that
the “scaled and secured” data collection and processing
“an additional $5.0 million in budgetary resources” for the
systems that will “underpin” the 2020 census. The peak
ACS “will be derived from recoveries of prior year
census operations to be supported include scanning and
obligations from programs across” the PCP account.
capturing data from paper census forms, making possible
the submission of census responses online and by
Economic Census
telephone, conducting field operations, and providing
The economic census originated early in the 19th century,
“workload control.”
when, the Census Bureau has written, “Congress responded
to a rapid increase in industrial activity” by instructing 1810
For CEDCaP in FY2020, the request is $83.3 million, $4.4
census enumerators to “‘take an account of the several
million (5.6%) above the $78.8 million approved in the
manufacturing establishments and their manufactures’”
FY2019 spending plan.
within their purview. The modern economic census is
conducted every five years. The budget justification states
Congressional Action
that this census “serves as the foundation for the
measurement of U.S. businesses and their economic
House
impact.” Economic census and related statistics provided to
On June 25, 2019, the House passed H.R. 3055, an FY2020
the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) are used “in
consolidated appropriations bill that would fund the CJS
setting the baseline” for gross domestic product (GDP) and
entities (under Division A), along with several other
other principal economic indicators.
departments and agencies.
During FY2020, data from the 2017 Economic Census will
The House approved $8,450.0 million for the Census
continue to be processed and reviewed for release, and
Bureau in FY2020, $4,628.6 million (121.1%) more than
general 2022 Economic Census planning and design of
the $3,821.4 million FY2019 enacted amount and $2,300.6
systems architecture will begin. The budget justification
million (37.4%) above the $6,149.4 million FY2020
notes that “funding constraints throughout the economic
request. Current Surveys and Programs would receive
census cycle” caused the bureau “to prioritize data releases
$275.0 million, $5.0 million (1.9%) more than the $270.0
needed by” BEA to calculate GDP and other economic
million for FY2019 and $11.0 million (4.2%) over the
indicators, in addition to planning for the 2022 census.
Administration’s $264.0 million request for FY2020. The
Insofar as “resources permit, the program may release
House approved $8,175.0 million for Periodic Censuses and
limited data publicly.”
Programs, “to remain available until September 30, 2022.”
Of this amount, $675.0 million would be for “collecting,
The $127.6 million FY2020 economic census request is
compiling, analyzing, preparing, and publishing” PCP
$28.1 million (28.3%) more than the $99.5 million the
statistics “provided for by law”; approximately $3.6 million
FY2019 spending plan approved. The budget justification
of the appropriation would be transferred to the DOC OIG
notes that, for the economic census and census of
for ongoing bureau oversight. The remaining $7,500.0
governments together, “an additional $31.4 million in
million for PCP would be new budget authority for the
budgetary resources will be derived from recoveries of prior
2020 census. The $8,175.0 million PCP total is $4,623.6
year obligations from programs across” the PCP account.
million (130.2%) above the $3,551.4 million FY2019
enacted amount, and exceeds the $5,885.4 million FY2020
Census of Governments
request by $2,289.6 million (38.9%).
The census of governments, conducted since 1957, is the
bureau’s other major quinquennial census. The budget
Senate
justification calls this census “the primary source of facts
The Senate has not yet introduced its version of FY2020
about the structure and function of the public sector of the
CJS legislation or acted on H.R. 3055.
U.S. economy,” which accounts for about 12% of GDP and
15% of the civilian labor force.
Jennifer D. Williams, Specialist in American National
Government
In FY2020, the bureau will continue processing and
disseminating the finance components of the 2017 Census
IF11310
of Governments, and begin reengineering the 2022 census


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Overview of FY2020 Appropriations for the Census Bureau


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