Updated November 6, 2019
Overview of FY2020 Appropriations for the Census Bureau
Introduction
Periodic Censuses and Programs
This In Focus presents an overview of FY2020
Under the FY2020 request, Periodic Censuses and
discretionary budget authority for the Census Bureau,
Programs would receive $5,885.4 million, $2,334.0 million
including the FY2020 budget request, related congressional
(65.7%) above the FY2019-enacted $3,551.4 million, and
actions, and comparisons with FY2019 funding. As a
95.7% of the Census Bureau’s total FY2020 request, mainly
Department of Commerce (DOC) agency, the bureau is
to fund the 2020 decennial census. About $3.6 million of
funded through the Departments of Commerce and Justice,
the amount for PCP would be transferred to the DOC Office
Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bills.
of Inspector General (OIG) for continuing bureau oversight.
Four major programs under PCP, plus the bureau’s critical
FY2020 Budget Request
information technology initiative, are discussed below.
The Administration’s $6,149.4 million FY2020 budget
request for the Census Bureau is $2,328.0 million (60.9%)
2020 Decennial Census
above the $3,821.4 million appropriated for FY2019. The
The decennial census is the bureau’s largest, most costly
FY2020 request is divided between the bureau’s two major
undertaking. Article I, Section 2, clause 3 of the U.S.
accounts, Current Surveys and Programs, and Periodic
Constitution, as amended by Section 2 of the 14th
Censuses and Programs (PCP).
Amendment, requires a population count every 10 years, to
apportion seats in the House of Representatives. The data
Current Surveys and Programs
also are used to redraw state congressional and legislative
The FY2020 request for Current Surveys and Programs is
districts and, with census-related American Community
$264.0 million, $6.0 million (2.2%) below the $270.0
Survey (ACS) data and intercensal estimates, in formulas to
million enacted for FY2019. Under this account are Current
determine states’ and localities’ annual shares of federal
Economic Statistics and Current Demographic Statistics.
funds, estimated at $675 billion to over $800 billion.
Current Economic Statistics
The FY2020 request for the census is $5,297.0 million. The
Current Economic Statistics include business, construction,
budget justification states that another $1,020.0 million in
manufacturing, general economic, foreign trade, and
prior-year funds “will be available,” plus $83.3 million in
government statistics that, as the FY2020 budget
information technology support through the bureau’s new
justification for the Census Bureau states, “provide critical
Census Enterprise Data Collection and Processing system
information” about the U.S. economy and underlie key
(CEDCaP), totaling $6,400.3 million in FY2020 to support
economic indicators like gross domestic product (GDP).
the census. The total, while not strictly comparable to the
$3,015.1 million approved in the FY2019 spending plan,
The request for Current Economic Statistics in FY2020 is
exceeds this figure by $3,385.1 million (112.3%) and
$185.3 million, $411,000 (0.2%) above the $184.9 million
reflects the peak year for census expenses.
approved in the bureau’s FY2019 spending plan.
American Community Survey
Current Demographic Statistics
The ACS, which the bureau implemented nationwide in
Current Demographic Statistics include those from
2005 and 2006, is the replacement for the decennial census
household surveys like the Survey of Income and Program
long form that, from 1940 to 2000, collected detailed
Participation (SIPP) and the Current Population Survey
socioeconomic and housing data from a sample of U.S.
(CPS), which is undertaken jointly by the Census Bureau
residents. Sent monthly to small population samples, the
and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is two-thirds funded
ACS covers more than 3.5 million households yearly, in
by BLS, and provides monthly unemployment rates;
every U.S. county and the District of Columbia. The
analyses of population and housing characteristics, as in the
monthly data are aggregated to produce new estimates
Current Population Reports, which are based on CPS and
every year for areas with at least 65,000 people and every
other data and are the official source of U.S. income and
five years for areas from the most populous to those with
poverty statistics; the Housing Vacancy Survey; intercensal
fewer than 20,000 people. According to the budget
demographic and housing unit estimates for the total United
justification, the bureau releases more than 11 billion ACS
States and subnational geographic levels; and population
estimates annually on more than 40 “social, demographic,
projections into the future.
housing, and economic” topics. The ACS “is the only
source” of data on “many of these topics for rural areas and
The $78.7 million FY2020 Current Demographic Statistics
small populations.” Similarly, the Puerto Rico Community
request is $6.4 million (7.5%) less than the $85.1 million
Survey, is conducted across 78 county-equivalents there.
the FY2019 spending plan approved and is consistent with
a proposed cut in the SIPP sample size.
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Overview of FY2020 Appropriations for the Census Bureau
The FY2020 request for the ACS is $218.0 million, $6.6
For CEDCaP in FY2020, the request is $83.3 million, $4.4
million (3.1%) above the $211.4 million the FY2019
million (5.6%) above the $78.8 million approved in the
spending plan approved. The budget justification notes that
FY2019 spending plan.
“an additional $5.0 million in budgetary resources” for the
Congressional Action
ACS “will be derived from recoveries of prior year
obligations from programs across” the PCP account.
House
Economic Census
On June 25, 2019, the House passed H.R. 3055, an FY2020
consolidated appropriations bill. Division A would fund
The economic census originated when, the Census Bureau
has written, “Congress responded to a rapid increase in
CJS, along with several other departments and agencies.
industrial activity” by instructing 1810 census enumerato
The House approved $8,450.0 million for the Census
rs
to “‘take an account
Bureau in FY2020, $4,628.6 million (121.1%) more than
of the several manufacturing
the FY2019-enacted amount and $2,300.6 million (37.4%)
establishments and their manufactures’” under their
above the FY2020 request. Current Surveys and Programs
purview. The modern economic census occurs every five
would receive $275.0 million, $5.0 million (1.9%) more
years. It is, the budget justification states, “the foundation”
than in FY2019 and $11.0 million (4.2%) over the FY2020
for measuring “U.S. businesses and their economic impact.”
request. The House approved $8,175.0 million for Periodic
Economic census and related statistics provided to the
Censuses and Programs, “to remain available until
Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) set “the baseline” for
September 30, 2022.” Of this amount, $675.0 million would
GDP and other principal economic indicators.
be for “collecting, compiling, analyzing, preparing, and
publishing” PCP statistics “provided for by law”; about
During FY2020, 2017 Economic Census data will continue
$3.6 million of the appropriation would be transferred to the
being readied for release, and 2022 census planning will
DOC OIG for ongoing bureau oversight. (S. 2584, and H.R.
begin. The budget justification notes that “funding
3055, as amended and passed by the Senate, both discussed
constraints throughout the economic census cycle” caused
below, would require the same transfer.) The remaining
the bureau “to prioritize data” needed by” BEA to calculate
$7,500.0 million for PCP would be new 2020 census budget
GDP and other economic indicators. As “resources permit,
authority. The $8,175.0 million PCP total is $4,623.6
the program may release limited data publicly.”
million (130.2%) above the FY2019-enacted level and
$2,289.6 million (38.9%) over the FY2020 request.
The $127.6 million FY2020 economic census request is
$28.1 million (28.3%) more than the $99.5 million the
Senate
FY2019 spending plan approved. The budget justification
On September 26, 2019, the Senate Appropriations
notes that, for the economic census and census of
Committee reported S. 2584, an FY2020 CJS
governments together, “an additional $31.4 million in
appropriations bill with $7,558.3 million for the Census
budgetary resources will be derived from recoveries of prior
Bureau, $3,736.9 million (97.8%) more than for FY2019,
year obligations from programs across” the PCP account.
$1,408.9 million (22.9%) above the FY2020 request, and
Census of Governments
$891.7 million (10.6%) less than the House approved.
Current Surveys and Programs would receive $274.0
The census of governments, conducted since 1957, is the
bureau’s other major quinquennial census. The budget
million, $4.0 million (1.5%) over the FY2019-enacted
amount, $10.0 million (3.8%) above the FY2020 request,
justification calls this census “the primary source of facts
and $1.0 million (0.4%) less than the House approved. The
about the structure and function of the public sector of the
U.S. economy,” which accounts for about 12% of GDP and
$7,284.3 million the committee recommended for PCP
includes $6,696.0 million for the 2020 census. The PCP
15% of the civilian labor force.
total, “to remain available until September 30, 2021,”
exceeds the FY2019-enacted amount by $3,732.9 million
In FY2020, the bureau will continue processing and
(105.1%), exceeds the FY2020 request by $1,398.9 million
disseminating the finance components of the 2017 Census
(23.8%), and is $890.7 million (10.9%) below what the
of Governments, and begin reengineering the 2022 census
House approved. The full Senate passed H.R. 3055, as
to feature all-electronic responses and greater reliance on
amended, on October 31, 2019, approving the same
administrative records to reduce respondent burden.
amounts for the Census Bureau as reported in S. 2584.
The $12.0 million FY2020 census of governments request
Current Status
exceeds the $8.8 million FY2019 spending plan amount by
A continuing appropriations resolution, H.R. 4378, P.L.
$3.2 million (36.0%).
116-59, enacted on September 27, 2019, is funding the
federal government until November 21, 2019, generally at
Census Enterprise Data Collection and Processing
the FY2019 level. Section 122, however, provides that
(CEDCaP) Program
“Amounts made available” to Periodic Censuses and
According to the budget justification, CEDCaP will provide
Programs “may be apportioned up to the rate for operations
the “scaled and secured” data collection and processing
necessary to maintain the schedule and deliver the required
systems that will “underpin” the 2020 census. The peak
data” to meet the statutory 2020 census deadlines.
census operations to be supported include capturing data
from paper census forms, making possible the submission
Jennifer D. Williams, Specialist in American National
of census responses online and by telephone, conducting
Government
field operations, and providing “workload control.”
IF11310
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Overview of FY2020 Appropriations for the Census Bureau


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