In addition to establishing a citizenship question, HB151 intends to exclude individuals who are not U.S. citizens from the population counts used to determine the apportionment of Representatives in Congress. The changes outlined in the bill will affect how the population is calculated for representation purposes in federal contexts, particularly for the 2030 Census and beyond. This exclusion raises concerns about potential underrepresentation of communities with large non-citizen populations, which could impact funding and political representation.
House Bill 151, titled the 'Equal Representation Act', seeks to amend the process of conducting the decennial census by introducing a citizenship question. This bill mandates that the census questionnaires include options for respondents to classify themselves and their household members based on their citizenship status. The proposed categories are 'citizen of the United States', 'national of the United States but not a citizen', 'alien lawfully residing in the United States', and 'alien unlawfully residing in the United States'. This shift is significant as it aims to gather more specific demographic information pertaining solely to U.S. citizens.
The bill has sparked debate, particularly regarding its implications for representation and fairness. Supporters argue that counting only citizens in apportionment improves the integrity of representation, ensuring it accurately reflects the voting population. However, critics contend that this measure undermines the principle of equal representation by neglecting the contributions of non-citizens and potentially skews political power in favor of regions with higher citizenship rates. Moreover, there are concerns about how this information would be used and the consequences it may have on immigrant communities.
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