Rep. Soto Introduces 2020 Census Accountability Act

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Darren Soto introduced H.R.5292, The 2020 Census Accountability Act, legislation that would ensure a review process of the decennial census questions and their impact on response rates for minorities, accuracy, redistricting, costs and funding distribution. Following a request from the Department of Justice to include an untested citizenship question to the 2020 Census, this bill would establish a task force to review all new census questions and report to Congress potential decrease in participation and negative impact on census outcome.

"It is imperative to get an accurate count of all persons in the United States, regardless of race, citizenship, or legal status. A decrease in participation from immigrant communities due to fear would discredit the accuracy of the census," stated Rep. Darren Soto. "The current administration's discriminatory immigration policies continue to instill fear among immigrant communities – they are less likely to report crimes or enroll their eligible U.S. citizen children in government health and nutrition programs. We must ensure this trend does not repeat during the critical census count."

The task force created by the legislation shall include representatives from state, local, and tribal governments; academic and non-governmental organizations; and relevant organizations including nonprofits who specialize in census work. Click here for the full text of the bill.

Members from the Congressional Tri-Caucus – which is composed of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, co-introduced the bill, including Representatives: Filemon Vela (TX-34), Norma Torres (CA-35), Donald M. Payne Jr. (NJ-10), Jacky Rosen (NV-03), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Pete Aguilar (CA-31), Juan Vargas (CA-51), Lou Correa (CA-46), Raul M. Grijalva (AZ-03), Kilili Sablan (MP), Al Lawson (FL-05), Grace Napolitano (CA-32), Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Judy Chu (CA-27), Jim Costa (CA-16), Elanor Holmes Norton (D.C.), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09)

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Congressman Darren Soto represents Florida's 9th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, which includes Osceola County, as well as parts of Orange and Polk counties. Rep. Soto is the Chair of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Task Force in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.