Overview of FY2019 Appropriations for the Census Bureau
Updated February 27, 2019
Overview of FY2019 Appropriations for the Census Bureau
Introduction
States and subnational geographic levels; and population
This In Focus presents an overview of FY2019
projections into the future.
discretionary budget authority for the Census Bureau,
including the FY2019 budget request, related congressional
The request for Current Demographic Statistics in FY2019
actions, and comparisons with FY2018 amounts. As a
was $75.1 million, $10.0 million (11.7%) less than the
Department of Commerce agency, the bureau is funded
$85.1 million approved in the FY2018 spend plan.
through Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science,
and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bills.
Periodic Censuses and Programs (PCP)
The Periodic Censuses and Programs account would have
FY2019 Budget Request
received $3,551.4 million, $1,007.4 million (39.6%) more
The Administration’s FY2019 budget request for the
than the $2,544.0 million enacted for FY2018, $1,006.0
Census Bureau was $3,800.5 million, $986.5 million
million (39.5%) above the $2,545.4 million provided in the
(35.1%) above the $2,814.0 million appropriation in
FY2018 spend plan, and 93.4% of the bureau’s total
FY2018. The bureau’s FY2018 spend plan approved
FY2019 request. Four major programs under PCP, plus the
$2,811.4 million—the enacted amount, minus a transfer of
bureau’s critical information technology initiative, are
$2.6 million to the Commerce Department’s Office of
discussed below.
Inspector General (DOC OIG) for bureau oversight. The
FY2019 request was divided between the bureau’s two
2020 Decennial Census
major accounts, Current Surveys and Programs, and
The largest, most expensive bureau undertaking is the
Periodic Censuses and Programs (PCP).
decennial census. Article I, Section 2, clause 3 of the U.S.
Constitution, as modified by Section 2 of the 14th
Current Surveys and Programs
Amendment, requires a population census every 10 years,
The Current Surveys and Programs account would have
to serve as the basis for apportioning seats in the House of
received $249.1 million in FY2019, $20.9 million (7.7%)
Representatives. Decennial census data also are used for
below the $270.0 million appropriated for FY2018, $16.9
within-state redistricting and, along with census-related
million (6.3%) less than the $266.0 million approved in the
American Community Survey (ACS) data and intercensal
FY2018 spend plan, and 6.6% of the FY2019 total request
estimates, in certain formulas that partly or entirely
for the bureau. This account consists of Current Economic
determine the annual allocation of over $675 billion in
Statistics and Current Demographic Statistics.
federal funds to states and localities.
Current Economic Statistics
The $3,015.1 million FY2019 request for the 2020 census
Current Economic Statistics include business, construction,
was $920.3 million (43.9%) above the $2,094.9 million the
manufacturing, general economic, foreign trade, and
spend plan approved for FY2018. The steep increase
government statistics that, as stated in the FY2019 budget
reflects the fact that the census is little more than a year
justification for the Census Bureau, “provide critical
away, and, after several years of “ramping up,” census
information about the structure and function of the U.S.
operations are nearing their peak.
economy.” These statistics, the justification noted, “are
integral to the formation of key economic indicators, such
American Community Survey
as the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).”
The ACS, which the bureau implemented nationwide in
2005 and 2006, is the replacement for the decennial census
The FY2019 request for Current Economic Statistics was
long form that, from 1940 to 2000, collected detailed
$174.0 million, $6.9 million (3.8%) below the $180.9
socioeconomic and housing data from a sample of U.S.
million that the bureau’s spend plan approved for FY2018.
residents. The ACS yearly sample totals about 3.5 million
households, covering every U.S. county, the District of
Current Demographic Statistics
Columbia, and all Puerto Rican municipios. The survey is
Current Demographic Statistics include those from
sent monthly to small population samples; the results are
household surveys like the Current Population Survey
aggregated to produce data every year for areas with at least
(CPS), a collaborative venture between the Census Bureau
65,000 people and every five years for areas from the most
and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), for which BLS
populous to those with fewer than 20,000 people.
assumes about two-thirds of the cost; analyses of population
According to the budget justification, the bureau releases
and housing characteristics, such as the Current Population
more than 11 billion ACS estimates annually on more than
Reports, based on CPS and other data and providing the
40 “social, demographic, housing, and economic” topics.
official estimates of income and poverty; intercensal
The ACS “is the only source” of data on “many of these
demographic and housing unit estimates for the total United
topics for rural areas and small populations.”
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Overview of FY2019 Appropriations for the Census Bureau
The FY2019 request for the ACS was $211.4 million, $2.2
2020 program increase,” including resolving “technical
million (1.0%) below the $213.6 million approved in the
defects found during the 2018 End-to-End Census Test.”
FY2018 spend plan. The budget justification noted that “an
additional $5.0 million in budgetary resources” for the ACS
House Appropriations Committee
would “be derived from recoveries of prior year obligations
Action
from programs across” the PCP account. The document
The House Committee on Appropriations reported H.R.
also stated that the bureau would save money by
5952, the House FY2019 CJS appropriations bill, on May
discontinuing its “less effective” use of the telephone to
24, 2018, recommending $4,799.7 million for the Census
contact people who do not respond to the ACS, and would
Bureau, with $270.0 million for Current Surveys and
increase its “more effective” personal visits for nonresponse
Programs and $4,529.7 million for PCP. The bureau would
follow-up.
have received $1,985.7 million (70.6%) more than the
2017 Economic Census
$2,814.0 million FY2018-enacted amount and $999.2
million (26.3%) over the $3,800.5 million request. The
The economic census originated early in the 19th century,
amount for Current Surveys and Programs was the same as
when, the Census Bureau has written, “Congress responded
to a rapid increase in industrial activity” by instructing 1810
enacted for FY2018, $4.0 million (1.5%) more than the
census enumerators to “‘take an
$266.0 million approved in the FY2018 spend plan, and
account of the several
$20.9 million (8.4%) above the $249.1 million request. The
manufactures’” within their purview. The modern economic
recommendation for PCP exceeded the FY2018-enacted
census is conducted every five years. The budget
$2,544.0 million by $1,985.7 million (78.1%), the FY2018
justification stated that economic census products “are the
spend-plan amount of $2,545.4 million by $1,984.3 million
foundation” for “key measures of economic performance,”
(78.0%), and the FY2019 request of $3,551.4 million by
including the gross domestic product (GDP) and the
$978.3 million (27.5%).
national income and product accounts. Almost all major
federal “economic statistical series” depend “directly or
Senate Appropriations Committee
indirectly” on this census. The FY2019 request for the 2017
Action
Economic Census was $99.5 million, $5.6 million (5.4%)
The Senate Committee on Appropriations reported S. 3072,
below the $105.1 million approved in the FY2018 spend
the Senate FY2019 CJS appropriations bill, on June 14,
plan. The budget justification noted that “an additional
2018, with a recommendation of $3,821.4 million for the
$28.5 million in budgetary resources” for this census was to
Census Bureau, including $270.0 million for Current
“be derived from recoveries of prior year obligations from
Surveys and Programs and $3,551.4 million for PCP. The
programs across” the PCP account.
recommendation for the bureau exceeded the FY2018-
enacted amount by $1,007.4 million (35.8%), exceeded the
In FY2019, the bureau expects to finish 2017 Economic
request by $20.9 million (0.5%), and was $978.3 million
Census data collection, now based entirely on internet
(20.4%) below the House committee’s recommendation.
reporting, and begin data processing and dissemination.
Current Surveys and Programs was to receive $270.0
2017 Census of Governments
million, the same as enacted for FY2018 and recommended
The census of governments, conducted since 1957, is the
by the House committee for FY2019, $4.0 million (1.5%)
bureau’s other major quinquennial census. The budget
more than the spend plan approved for FY2018, and $20.9
justification called this census “the primary source of facts
million (8.4%) above the FY2019 request. PCP would have
about the structure and function of the public sector of the
received the amount requested, $1,007.4 million (39.6%)
U.S. economy,” which accounts for about 12% of GDP and
more than enacted for FY2018, $1,006.0 million (39.5%)
15% of the civilian labor force.
above the FY2018 spend-plan amount, and $978.3 million
(21.6%) less than the House committee recommended. The
The FY2019 request for the 2017 Census of Governments
Senate, like the House, appropriators called for transferring
was $8.8 million, $382,000 (4.5%) more than the $8.4
$3.6 million from PCP to the Commerce Department’s OIG
million that the FY2018 spend plan approved. According to
for continued bureau oversight.
the budget justification, “an additional $2.9 million in
budgetary resources” for this census was to “be derived
Final Action on CJS FY2019 Funding
from recoveries of prior year obligations from programs
FY2018 ended without final action on CJS FY2019
across” the PCP account.
appropriations. H.J.Res. 31, P.L. 116-6, the Consolidated
In this fiscal year, the 2017 census will focus on data
Appropriations Act, 2019, became law on February 15,
collection, which is to be 100% electronic, and processing.
2019. Division C funded CJS; of the $3,821.4 million
provided for the Census Bureau, $270.0 million was for
Census Enterprise Data Collection and Processing
Current Surveys and Programs (as both appropriations
System (CEDCaP)
committees recommended), and $3.551.4 million was for
FY2019 is the fifth year for CEDCaP, funded under PCP.
PCP (the same as requested and as recommended by Senate
The budget justification stated that CEDCaP “creates an
appropriators), with a transfer of $3.6 million from PCP to
integrated and standardized enterprise suite of systems that
the DOC OIG for ongoing bureau oversight.
offers shared data collection and processing services.”
The FY2019 request for CEDCaP was $78.8 million, $71.2
Jennifer D. Williams, Specialist in American National
million (934.9%) above the $7.6 million approved in the
Government
FY2018 spend plan. The request reflected, as the budget
justification stated, “CEDCaP’s work in concert with the
IF11076
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Overview of FY2019 Appropriations for the Census Bureau
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