Feds announce 2020 Census changes
Census Bureau leaders have announced changes, pauses, and revised dates to the census.
To no one’s surprise, Census Bureau leaders have announced changes, pauses, and revised dates to the census, the once-adecade national headcount of all people living in the United States, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, profoundly changing American life, and people are urged to respond online.
Director Steven Dillingham on Wednesday said all bureau field operations were suspended until April 1 (the current end date).
Among other major changes he cited were that census-taker (enumerator) visits would begin in late May. In an online media briefing Friday, census leaders said Update Leave, which provides paper questionnaires for households in remote and rural areas, is suspended through March 29. College students will be counted through their schools, as Dillingham previously announced.
Additionally, Mobile Questionnaire Assistance, a program designed for public places and events to help people respond to the census, is suspended until further notice; the Early Nonresponse Follow-up program is delayed until May 13 and extended through Aug. 14; and the regular Nonresponse program, a much larger operation, is delayed until May 13 and also extended to Aug. 14.
The last day to respond to the census has been changed from July 31 to Aug. 14. All responses are kept confidential, as required by law.
Bureau leaders have long pointed out that the decennial census, mandated by the Constitution and first conducted in 1790, is an important key to the quality of life for an estimated 330,000,000 Americans, because federal officials determine annual spending of more than $670 billion — for hospitals, schools, emergency services, infrastructure, roads and highways and more — based on census data from all 50 states, tribal governments, and five U.S. territories. However, the primary purpose of the census is to apportion seats in the House of Representatives.
Josh Green, an East Baybased media specialist for the Census Bureau, noted on Friday additional information not in Dillingham’s last prepared statement.