hold on there's just too much going on in Congress lmao...
Bans citizenship, nationality, immigration questions from decennial census.
Ms. Norton (D-DC) introduced; now under committee review.
In committee, no House vote yet.
This bill proposes to amend federal law to prohibit the U.S. Census Bureau from including questions about citizenship, nationality, or immigration status on the decennial census questionnaires. Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat representing Washington D.C., introduced the bill. It has been referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for consideration before any floor vote.
Introduced Mar 24, 2026
H.R. 8062 was introduced in the House of Representatives on March 24, 2026, and immediately referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. For the bill to become law, it must pass out of this committee, be approved by a majority vote in the full House, then pass the Senate, and finally be signed by the President.
If this bill becomes law, when you fill out your next decennial census form, there will be no questions about your citizenship, nationality, or immigration status. This aims to keep the census focused solely on counting residents. However, it's important to note that this prohibition does not apply to the American Community Survey, which is a separate, ongoing survey conducted by the Census Bureau that may still ask these types of questions.
Supporters Say
Prohibiting citizenship questions helps ensure a more accurate and complete census count by encouraging participation.
Critics Say
Opponents argue that collecting citizenship data is vital for policymaking and effective resource allocation.
Supporters of such measures often argue that including citizenship questions could deter some individuals, particularly immigrant communities, from participating in the census, leading to an undercount of the population. This could impact federal funding and political representation. Critics, however, contend that comprehensive citizenship data is necessary for government planning, including allocating resources for various services and understanding demographic shifts for electoral purposes.