Updated November 24, 2020
Overview of FY2021 Appropriations for the Census Bureau
Introduction
The $83.3 million FY2021 request for Current
This In Focus presents an overview of FY2021
Demographic Statistics is $6.0 million (6.8%) less than the
discretionary budget authority for the Census Bureau,
$89.3 million FY2020-enacted amount.
including the FY2021 budget request, related congressional
actions, and comparisons with FY2020 funding. As a
Periodic Censuses and Programs
Department of Commerce (DOC) agency, the bureau is
In the FY2021 request, Periodic Censuses and Programs
funded through the Departments of Commerce and Justice,
(PCP) would receive $1,392.7 million, $5,891.6 million
Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bills.
(80.9%) below the FY2020-enacted $7,284.3 million, and
83.3% of the Census Bureau’s total FY2021 request. (In
FY2021 Budget Request
contrast, the FY2020 request of $5,885.4 million for PCP
The Administration’s $1,672.0 million FY2021 budget
was 95.7% of the bureau’s $6,149.4 million total, mainly to
request for the Census Bureau is $5,886.3 million (77.9%)
fund the 2020 decennial census in its peak year of
below the $7,558.3 million appropriated for FY2020. The
operations and expenses. The request for the census
FY2021 request is divided between the bureau’s two major
typically declines steeply after the census year.) About $3.6
accounts, Current Surveys and Programs, and the much
million of the FY2021 amount for PCP is to be transferred
larger Periodic Censuses and Programs account.
to the DOC Office of Inspector General (OIG) for
continuing bureau oversight. Four major programs under
Current Surveys and Programs
PCP are discussed below.
The FY2021 request for Current Surveys and Programs is
$279.3 million, $5.3 million (1.9%) above the $274.0
2020 Decennial Census
million enacted for FY2020. Under this account are Current
The decennial census is the bureau’s largest, most costly
Economic Statistics and Current Demographic Statistics.
undertaking. Article I, Section 2, clause 3 of the U.S.
Constitution, as amended by Section 2 of the Fourteenth
Current Economic Statistics
Amendment, requires a population count every 10 years, to
Current Economic Statistics include business, construction,
apportion seats in the House of Representatives.
manufacturing, general economic, foreign trade, and
government statistics that, as the FY2021 budget
The FY2021 request for the 2020 census is $812.4 million,
justification for the Census Bureau states, “provide critical
$5,883.6 million (87.9%) less than the $6,696.0 million
information” about the U.S. economy and underlie “key
enacted for FY2020. The decrease reflects the completion
economic indicators” like the gross domestic product
of most 2020 census activities in FY2020, when census
(GDP).
expenses were greatest. The budget justification states that
the FY2020-enacted amount includes $669 million for
The request for Current Economic Statistics in FY2021 is
“contingency needs that may arise” during the census,
$196.0 million, $11.3 million (6.1%) above the $184.7
“such as major disasters or other unforeseen risks realized,
million enacted for FY2020.
and $263 million in additional sensitivity risks” if initial
response rates are lower than projected. “Combined with
Current Demographic Statistics
funding provided in prior year appropriations,” the
Current Demographic Statistics include those from
justification continues, the “bureau has $7.9 billion
household surveys like the Survey of Income and Program
available to support the 2020 decennial operation.” An
Participation (SIPP) and the Current Population Survey
April 27, 2020, House Oversight and Reform Committee
(CPS), which is undertaken jointly by the Census Bureau
press release noted an April 24 committee briefing by
and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is two-thirds funded
senior bureau officials, including the bureau’s chief
by BLS, and provides monthly unemployment rates. Other
financial officer. He reported the amount of contingency
Current Demographic Statistics are analyses of population
funding as $2 billion and said, according to the release, that
and housing characteristics, as in the Current Population
the bureau “currently anticipates using only $1.5 billion” of
Reports, which are based on CPS and other data and are the
the $2 billion “in connection with the delay in operations
official source of U.S. income and poverty statistics; the
and response to the coronavirus outbreak” (COVID-19; see
Housing Vacancy Survey; intercensal demographic and
CRS In Focus IF11486, 2020 Census Fieldwork Delayed by
housing unit estimates for the total United States and
COVID-19, by Jennifer D. Williams).
subnational geographic levels; and population projections
into the future.
American Community Survey
The ACS, which the bureau implemented nationwide in
2005 and 2006, is the replacement for the decennial census
long form that, from 1940 to 2000, collected detailed
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Overview of FY2021 Appropriations for the Census Bureau
socioeconomic and housing data from a sample of U.S.
Congressional Action
residents as the census was administered. The ACS is sent
monthly to small population samples. It covers more than
House
3.5 million households a year in every U.S. county and the
On July 14, 2020, the House Committee on Appropriations
District of Columbia. The monthly data are aggregated to
reported its FY2021 CJS appropriations bill, H.R. 7667. It
produce new estimates every year for areas with at least
became part of minibus legislation, H.R. 7617, which the
65,000 people and every five years for areas from the most
House passed on July 31. H.R. 7617 would provide
populous to those with fewer than 20,000 people.
$1,681.1 million for the Census Bureau, including $288.4
According to the budget justification, the bureau releases
million for Current Surveys and Programs, and $1,392.7
more than 11 billion ACS estimates annually on more than
million for Periodic Censuses and Programs. The total
40 “social, demographic, housing, and economic” topics.
amount for the bureau would be $5,877.2 million (77.8%)
The ACS “is the only source” of data on “many of these
less than the FY2020-enacted amount; for Current Surveys
topics for rural areas and small populations.” Similarly, the
and Programs, $14.4 million (5.3%) more; and for PCP,
Puerto Rico Community Survey is conducted across 78
$5,891.6 million (80.9%) less.
county-equivalents there.
Senate
The FY2021 request for the ACS is $226.4 million, $8.4
On November 10, 2020, Senator Richard Shelby, chair of
million (3.8%) above the $218.0 million enacted for
the Senate Committee on Appropriations, released drafts of
FY2020.
all 12 FY2021 regular appropriations bills, with draft
explanatory statements. The purpose of the release was to
Economic Census
further negotiations on appropriations between the House
The economic census originated when, the Census Bureau
and Senate. As drafted, the CJS bill would provide the
has written, “Congress responded to a rapid increase in
Census Bureau with $1,799.7 million, $5,758.6 (76.2%)
industrial activity” by instructing 1810 census enumerators
less than in FY2020. Current Surveys and Programs would
to take “‘an account of the several manufacturing
receive $285.0 million, an increase of $11.0 million (4.0%),
establishments and manufactures’” under their purview.
and PCP would receive $1,514.7 million, $5,769.6 million
The modern economic census occurs every five years. It is,
(79.2%) below the FY2020-enacted level. The Senate bill,
the budget justification states, “the foundation” for
like H.R. 7617, would provide for a transfer of about $3.6
measuring “U.S. businesses and their economic impact.”
million from PCP to the DOC OIG for ongoing bureau
Economic census and related statistics provided to the
oversight.
Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) are “key data” for
estimating GDP and other principal economic indicators.
Current Status
P.L. 116-159, Division A, the Continuing Appropriations
During FY2021, the release of 2017 Economic Census data
Act, 2021, funds the Census Bureau until December 11,
is to continue; 2022 census planning and development also
2020, at $1,788.7 million, $5,769.6 million (76.3%) below
are to continue.
the $7,558.3 million enacted for FY2020. According to
Section 101(2) of the law, the bureau’s funding continues at
The $136.0 million FY2021 economic census request is
the rate specified in the FY2020 Consolidated
$8.4 million (6.5%) more than the $127.6 million FY2020-
Appropriations Act, P.L. 116-93, except that the $2.5
enacted amount.
billion in emergency funding provided for Periodic
Censuses and Programs by P.L. 116-93 is no longer
Census of Governments
considered an emergency appropriation under Section
The census of governments, conducted since 1957, is the
251(b)(2)(G) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency
bureau’s other major quinquennial census. The budget
Deficit Control Act of 1985. Section 124 of P.L. 116-159
justification calls this census “the primary source of facts
states that the amount for PCP “may be apportioned up to
about the structure and function of the public sector of the
the rate for operations necessary to conduct the 2020
U.S. economy,” which accounts for about 12% of GDP and
Decennial Census Program.” Current Surveys and
15% of the civilian labor force.
Programs is funded at the FY2020 level of $274.0 million.
PCP is receiving $1,514.7 million, $5,769.6 million
In FY2021, the bureau plans to continue reengineering the
(79.2%) below the $7,284.3 million FY2020-enacted
2022 Census of Governments to feature all-electronic
amount.
responses and greater reliance on administrative records to
reduce respondent burden.
Jennifer D. Williams, Specialist in American National
Government
The $11.8 million FY2021 census of governments request
is $168,000 (1.4%) below the $12.0 million enacted for
IF11538
FY2020.


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Overview of FY2021 Appropriations for the Census Bureau


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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11538 · VERSION 2 · UPDATED

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