I
118THCONGRESS
2
DSESSION H. R. 6942
To prevent congressional reapportionment distortions by requiring that, in
the questionnaires used in the taking of any decennial census of popu-
lation, a checkbox or other similar option be included for respondents
to indicate citizenship status or lawful presence in the United States.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY10, 2024
Mr. R
OSENDALE(for himself, Mr. HARRIS, Ms. BOEBERT, Mr. GOODof Vir-
ginia, Mr. B
URLISON, Mr. BIGGS, Mr. GOSAR, Mr. FRY, Mr. DUNCAN,
Mr. N
ORMAN, Mr. WEBERof Texas, Mr. COLLINS, and Mr. WILSONof
South Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Oversight and Accountability
A BILL
To prevent congressional reapportionment distortions by re-
quiring that, in the questionnaires used in the taking
of any decennial census of population, a checkbox or
other similar option be included for respondents to indi-
cate citizenship status or lawful presence in the United
States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Count Only Citizens 4
Act’’. 5
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SEC. 2. CITIZENSHIP OR LAWFUL PRESENCE STATUS ON 1
CENSUS QUESTIONNAIRES. 2
In conducting the 2030 decennial census and every 3
decennial census thereafter, the Secretary of Commerce 4
shall include, in any questionnaire distributed or otherwise 5
used for the purpose of determining the total population 6
by States, a checkbox or other similar option for respond-7
ents to indicate citizenship status or lawful presence in 8
the United States. 9
SEC. 3. PREVENTION OF CONGRESSIONAL REAPPORTION-10
MENT DISTORTIONS. 11
(a) A
DJUSTMENTS TOPREVENTDISTORTIONS.— 12
Section 141 of title 13, United States Code, is amended— 13
(1) by redesignating subsection (g) as sub-14
section (h); and 15
(2) by inserting after subsection (f) the fol-16
lowing: 17
‘‘(g) The Secretary shall make such adjustments in 18
total population figures as may be necessary, using such 19
methods and procedures as the Secretary determines fea-20
sible and appropriate, in order that those who are not 21
United States citizens or are not lawfully present in the 22
United States are not counted in tabulating population 23
under subsection (b) for the purposes of apportionment 24
of Representatives in Congress among the several States. 25
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Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to supersede 1
section 195 of this title.’’. 2
(b) C
ONFORMINGAMENDMENT.—Section 22(a) of 3
the Act entitled ‘‘An Act To provide for the fifteenth and 4
subsequent decennial censuses and to provide for appor-5
tionment of Representatives in Congress’’, of June 18, 6
1929 (2 U.S.C. 2a(a)), is amended by striking ‘‘as 7
ascertained under the seventeenth and each subsequent 8
decennial census of the population’’ and inserting ‘‘as 9
ascertained and reported under section 141 of title 13, 10
United States Code, for each decennial census of popu-11
lation’’. 12
Æ
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