Overview of FY2021 Appropriations for the Census Bureau

Overview of FY2021 Appropriations for the Census Bureau

Updated January 25, 2021
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 was $6.0 million (6.8%) less than
discretionary budget authority for the Census Bureau,
the $89.3 million FY2020-enacted amount.
including the FY2021 budget request, related congressional
actions, final action, and comparisons with FY2020
Periodic Censuses and Programs
funding. As a Department of Commerce (DOC) agency, the
In the FY2021 request, Periodic Censuses and Programs
bureau is funded through the Departments of Commerce
(PCP) would have received $1,392.7 million, $5,891.6
and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS)
million (80.9%) below the FY2020-enacted $7,284.3
appropriations bills.
million, and 83.3% of the Census Bureau’s total FY2021
request. (In contrast, the FY2020 request of $5,885.4
FY2021 Budget Request
million for PCP was 95.7% of the bureau’s $6,149.4 million
The Administration’s $1,672.0 million FY2021 budget
total, mainly to fund the 2020 decennial census in its peak
request for the Census Bureau was $5,886.3 million
year of operations and expenses. The request for the census
(77.9%) below the $7,558.3 million appropriated for
typically declines steeply after the census year.) About $3.6
FY2020. The FY2021 request was divided between the
million of the FY2021 amount for PCP was to be
bureau’s two major accounts, Current Surveys and
transferred to the DOC Office of Inspector General (OIG)
Programs, and the much larger Periodic Censuses and
for continuing bureau oversight. Four major programs
Programs account.
under PCP are discussed below.
Current Surveys and Programs
2020 Decennial Census
The FY2021 request for Current Surveys and Programs was
The decennial census is the bureau’s largest, most costly
$279.3 million, $5.3 million (1.9%) above the $274.0
undertaking. Article I, Section 2, clause 3 of the U.S.
million enacted for FY2020. Under this account are Current
Constitution, as amended by Section 2 of the Fourteenth
Economic Statistics and Current Demographic Statistics.
Amendment, requires a population count every 10 years, to
apportion seats in the House of Representatives.
Current Economic Statistics
Current Economic Statistics include business, construction,
The FY2021 request for the 2020 census was $812.4
manufacturing, general economic, foreign trade, and
million, $5,883.6 million (87.9%) less than the $6,696.0
government statistics that, as the FY2021 budget
million enacted for FY2020. The decrease reflected the
justification for the Census Bureau stated, “provide critical
completion of most 2020 census activities in FY2020, when
information” about the U.S. economy and underlie “key
census expenses were greatest. The budget justification
economic indicators” like the gross domestic product
stated that the FY2020-enacted amount included “$669
(GDP).
million dedicated” to “contingency needs” that might arise
during the census, “such as major disasters or other
The request for Current Economic Statistics in FY2021 was
unforeseen risks realized, and $263 million in additional
$196.0 million, $11.3 million (6.1%) above the $184.7
sensitivity risks” if initial response rates were lower than
million enacted for FY2020.
projected. “Combined with funding provided in prior year
appropriations,” the justification continued, the bureau had
Current Demographic Statistics
“$7.9 billion available to support the 2020 decennial
Current Demographic Statistics include those from
operation.” An April 27, 2020, House Oversight and
household surveys like the Survey of Income and Program
Reform Committee press release noted an April 24
Participation (SIPP) and the Current Population Survey
committee briefing by senior bureau officials, including the
(CPS), which is undertaken jointly by the Census Bureau
bureau’s chief financial officer. He reported the amount of
and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is two-thirds funded
contingency funding as $2 billion and said, according to the
by BLS, and provides monthly unemployment rates. Other
release, that the bureau “currently” anticipated “using only
Current Demographic Statistics are analyses of population
$1.5 billion” of the $2 billion “in connection with the delay
and housing characteristics, as in the Current Population
in operations and response to the coronavirus outbreak”
Reports, which are based on CPS and other data and are the
(COVID-19; see CRS In Focus IF11486, 2020 Census
official source of U.S. income and poverty statistics; the
Fieldwork Delayed by COVID-19, by Jennifer D.
Housing Vacancy Survey; intercensal demographic and
Williams).
housing unit estimates for the total United States and
subnational geographic levels; and population projections
American Community Survey
into the future.
The ACS, which the bureau implemented nationwide in
2005 and 2006, is the replacement for the decennial census
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Overview of FY2021 Appropriations for the Census Bureau
long form that, from 1940 to 2000, collected detailed
became part of minibus legislation, H.R. 7617, which the
socioeconomic and housing data from a sample of U.S.
House passed on July 31. H.R. 7617 would have provided
residents as the census was administered. The ACS is sent
$1,681.1 million for the Census Bureau, including $288.4
monthly to small population s amples. It covers more than
million for Current Surveys and Programs, and $1,392.7
3.5 million households a year in every U.S. county and the
million for Periodic Censuses and Programs. The total
District of Columbia. The monthly data are aggregated to
amount for the bureau would have been $5,877.2 million
produce new estimates every year for areas with at least
(77.8%) less than the FY2020-enacted amount; for Current
65,000 people and every five years for areas from the most
Surveys and Programs, $14.4 million (5.3%) more; and for
populous to those with fewer than 20,000 people.
PCP, $5,891.6 million (80.9%) less.
According to the budget justification, the bureau releases
more than 11 billion ACS estimates annually on over 40
Senate
“social, demographic, housing, and economic” topics. The
On November 10, 2020, Senator Richard Shelby, chair of
ACS “is the only source” of data on “many of these topics
the Senate Committee on Appropriations, released drafts of
for rural areas and small populations.” Similarly, the Puerto
all 12 FY2021 regular appropriations bills, with draft
Rico Community Survey is conducted across 78 county-
explanatory statements. The purpose of the release was to
equivalents there.
further negotiations on appropriations between the House
and Senate. As drafted, the CJS bill would have provided
The FY2021 request for the ACS was $226.4 million, $8.4
the Census Bureau with $1,799.7 million, $5,758.6 (76.2%)
million (3.8%) above the $218.0 million enacted for
less than in FY2020. Current Surveys and Programs would
FY2020.
have received $285.0 million, an increase of $11.0 million
(4.0%), and PCP would have received $1,514.7 million,
Economic Census
$5,769.6 million (79.2%) below the FY2020-enacted level.
The economic census originated when, the Census Bureau
The Senate bill, like H.R. 7617, would have provided for a
has written, “Congress responded to a rapid increase in
transfer of about $3.6 million from PCP to the DOC OIG
industrial activity” by instructing 1810 census enumerators
for ongoing bureau oversight.
to take “‘an account of the several manufacturing
Final Action
establishments and manufactures’” under their purview.
A series of continuing appropriations resolutions (P.L. 116-
The modern economic census occurs every five years. It is,
159, P.L. 116-215, P.L. 116-225, P.L. 116-226, and P.L.
the budget justification stated, “the foundation” for
measuring “U.S. businesses and their economic impact.”
116-246) funded the federal government from October 1,
2020, until enactment of P.L. 116-260, the Consolidated
Economic census and related statistics provided to the
Appropriations Act, 2021, on December 27, 2020.
Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) are “key data” for
estimating GDP and other principal economic indicators.
P.L. 116-260, Division B, CJS appropriations, provided
$1,106.6 million for the Census Bureau, including $288.4
During FY2021, the release of 2017 Economic Census data
million for Current Surveys and Programs and $818.2
is to continue; 2022 census planning and development also
million for Periodic Censuses and Programs. The total
are to continue.
amount was $6,451.7 million (85.4%) less than enacted for
FY2020, $565.3 million (33.8%) below the FY2021
The $136.0 million FY2021 economic census request was
request, $574.5 million (34.2%) less than in the House-
$8.4 million (6.5%) more than the $127.6 million FY2020-
passed H.R. 7617, and $693.1 million (38.5%) less than in
enacted amount.
the Senate committee draft bill. Current Surveys and
Programs received $14.4 million (5.3%) more than enacted
Census of Governments
for FY2020, $9.1 million (3.3%) more than requested for
The census of governments, conducted since 1957, is the
FY2021, the same amount as in the House-passed bill, and
bureau’s other major quinquennial census. The budget
$3.4 million (1.2%) more than in the Senate committee
justification called this census “the primary source of facts
draft bill. The amount for PCP was $6,466.1 million
about the structure and function of the public sector of the
(88.8%) below the FY2020-enacted level, $574.5 million
U.S. economy,” which accounts for about 12% of GDP and
(41.2%) under the FY2021 request and the amount in H.R.
15% of the civilian labor force.
7617, and $696.5 million (46.0%) under what the Senate
committee draft bill proposed. Of the amount for PCP,
In FY2021, the bureau plans to continue reengineering the
about $3.6 million was to be transferred to the DOC OIG
2022 Census of Governments to feature all-electronic
for continuing bureau oversight. As the joint explanatory
responses and greater reliance on administrative records to
statement on H.R. 133 stated, “The agreement assumes the
reduce respondent burden.
combination of prior year funds and fiscal year 2021 direct
The $11.8 million FY2021 census of governments request
appropriations will provide the Census Bureau with
was $168,000 (1.4%) below the $12.0 million enacted for
$1,664,709,000 in available funds, of which $934,430,000
FY2020.
will directly support the 2020 Decennial Census.”
Congressional Action
Jennifer D. Williams, Specialist in American National
House
Government
On July 14, 2020, the House Committee on Appropriations
IF11538
reported its FY2021 CJS appropriations bill, H.R. 7667. It
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Overview of FY2021 Appropriations for the Census Bureau

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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11538 · VERSION 3 · UPDATED