To provide funds for the planning of a special census of Americans residing abroad.

July 27, 2001

Mr. ROCKEFELLER introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs

To provide funds for the planning of a special census of Americans residing abroad.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

(a) FINDINGS- Congress finds that--

(1) an estimated 3,000,000 to 6,000,000 Americans live and work overseas while continuing to vote and pay taxes in the United States;

(2) Americans residing abroad help increase exports of American goods because they traditionally buy American, sell American, and create business opportunities for American companies and workers, thereby strengthening the United States economy, creating jobs in the United States, and extending United States influence around the globe;

(3) Americans residing abroad play a key role in advancing this Nation's interests by serving as economic, political, and cultural `ambassadors' of the United States; and

(4) the major business, civic, and community organizations representing Americans and companies of the United States abroad support the counting of all Americans residing abroad by the Bureau of the Census, and are prepared to assist the Bureau of the Census in this task.

(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS- It is the sense of Congress that--

(1) the Bureau of the Census should carry out a special census of all Americans residing abroad in 2004;

(2) the Bureau should, after completing that special census, review the means by which Americans residing abroad may be included in the 2010 decennial census;

(3) the Bureau should take appropriate measures to provide for the inclusion of Americans residing abroad in the 2010 decennial census and decennial censuses thereafter; and

(4) in order to ensure that the measures specified in the preceding provisions of this subsection can be completed in timely fashion, the Bureau should begin planning as soon as possible for the special census described in paragraph (1).

SEC. 2. FUNDING TO BEGIN PLANNING FOR A SPECIAL CENSUS OF AMERICANS RESIDING ABROAD.

For necessary expenses in connection with the planning of a special census of Americans residing abroad (as described in section 1(b)(1)), there is appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, to remain available until expended.

END