Appropriations Update
Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees were extremely active in July. Although much work remains to complete the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY 2026) appropriations process, the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) appropriations legislation, which funds the Census Bureau, made important progress before Congress adjourned for its traditional August recess.
Senate
The Senate Appropriations Committee passed its version of the CJS Appropriations legislation for FY 2026 by a 19-10 vote on July 17, 2025, having resolved the dispute that interrupted the last attempted markup on July 10.
The Senate FY 2026 CJS bill proposes $1.520 billion for the Census Bureau, less funding than requested in the President’s budget ($1.6765 billion), but includes important data quality-focused report language supported by The Census Project on the American Community Survey and the 2026 Census Test. See complete details and other report language items in this Census Project blog.
The Senate had hoped to include the CJS bill as part of a minibus appropriations package it was trying to pass before leaving town for its extended August district work period or “recess.” As of August 1, the bill had not successfully been added to the package due to objections raised by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) regarding language on the location of the Federal Bureau of Investigations’ headquarters.
House
The House CJS Appropriations Subcommittee approved its version of the FY 2026 CJS bill on July 16, 2025 by a 9-6 vote. The bill was not considered by the full House Appropriations Committee before the House adjourned on July 22.
The House CJS bill provides $1.6765 billion for the Bureau in FY 2026 — $294 million above the FY25 enacted level and the same as President Trump’s proposed budget. It provides $288.5 million for Current Surveys and Programs ($40 million below the FY25 enacted level) and $1.388 billion for Periodic Censuses and Programs ($334 million above the FY25 enacted level).
The bill included a pair of legislative provisions similar to language in the FY 2025 House bill:
- “SEC. 556. None of the funds made available by this or any other Act may be used to allow the United States Census Bureau to include aliens who are unlawfully present in the United States in rendering apportionment determinations in subsequent decennial censuses.”
- “SEC. 605. None of the funds in this Act may be used to enforce involuntary compliance, or to inquire more than twice for voluntary compliance with any survey conducted by the Bureau of the Census.”
Read more at: House CJS Subcommittee Approves FY 2026 Census Spending – The Census Project
Policy Update
First 2030 Census Operational Plan Released
On July 24, the Census Bureau released its first 2030 Census Operational Plan. A Census Project blog describes the plan as a “high level” document. The plan is essentially “ a snapshot of big-picture activities the Census Bureau will undertake to conduct the 2030 Census,” including:
- “Establish where to count. Identify all the addresses where people could live. Count the population.”
- “Encourage participation and response. Collect and process data for households and individuals in all living situations.”
- “Research census results. Understand coverage and quality of census results.”
- “Provide census results. Prepare and provide census data products.”
- “Plan and manage. Plan and design operations and follow disciplined program management practices to effectively prepare for and conduct the census.”
- “Provide solutions. Manage and execute the planning, design, development, testing, security, and operational support for IT solutions required to conduct the census.”
- “Provide infrastructure. Provide services, staffing, workspace and environment needed to develop, test, secure and conduct the census.”
Government Accountability Office Releases Report on 2030 Census
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on July 24 regarding 2030 Census preparations. Key “takeaways” in the report are:
- The Bureau is testing and refining its initial, high-level operational plan and estimating life-cycle costs. The Bureau has already completed much of its research and plans for major field tests for 2026 and 2028.
- As of early July 2025, the Bureau plans several changes for the 2030 Census, including eliminating nationwide canvassing to build its address list, expanding its use of data from other government agencies to count people who do not respond, and further reducing census field-office infrastructure. Any changes to the types of data collected will become clear when the Secretary of Commerce transmits decennial questionnaire topics and content to Congress in 2027 and 2028, respectively.
- Continued oversight of the Bureau’s planned changes is needed, considering the relevance of budgetary uncertainty; cybersecurity and privacy; managing cost, schedule, and risk; and data quality and transparency.
A member of The Census Project Advisory Committee, Meeta Anand of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, was quoted in a related Government Executive article.
Economists Urge Support for Census Bureau and Other Federal Statistical Agencies
In a July 30 blog, The Census Project shared a letter signed by over 80 individuals urging the leaders of the House and Senate CJS Appropriations Subcommittees “to safeguard the integrity of the U.S. statistical system by investing in its modernization.” With respect to the Census Bureau, the letter calls on Congress “to fully fund both current and periodic surveys to ensure that base programs get the investment they need as Decennial Census preparations proceed.”
Senator Hagerty Reintroduces Equal Representation Act
Sen. Bill Haggerty (R-TN) reintroduced the Equal Representation Act. The bill would require the Census Bureau to include a citizenship question on the decennial census and exclude noncitizens from the apportionment base.
Rep. Greene Introduces Legislation
On July 29, U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14) introduced H.R. 4798, the Making American Elections Great Again Act. The bill would, among other things, exclude noncitizens from the apportionment base, require a new census that excludes noncitizens, and compel the states to redraw congressional districts based on new citizen-only census data. The bill, which is currently co-sponsored by Representatives Warren Davidson (R-OH-8) and Mike Collins (R-GA-10), was referred to the following House committees for further consideration: Administration; Judiciary; and Oversight and Government Reform.
Requests for Public Comments
In July, The Census Project highlighted requests for public comments that may be of interest to census stakeholders, including:
- The Census Bureau seeks comment by August 26 on “the collection of basic demographic information on the Current Population Survey (CPS) beginning in November 2025,” including an “experimental collection… of Race and Ethnicity information using the new SPD15 standard.”
- On July 24, the Bureau announced that it is sponsoring a 30-day public comment period to “an electronic Decennial Census Temporary, Intermittent Applicant Information Collection to gather information from job seekers needed to fill temporary, intermittent Decennial Census Program positions, starting with the 2026 Census Test. Questions used to qualify and select applicants for positions are in the job application information section of the collection.” See the Census Project’s blog for more details.
- In a July 15 blog, The Census Project amplified the Census Bureau’s request for public comments on a proposal to extend the Special Census Program.
Census Bureau Releases
The Census Bureau released data from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey on July 31, July 17, and July 3.
On July 31, the U.S. Census Bureau released preliminary estimates from the Annual Integrated Economic Survey (AIES), which provides key measures of economic activity.
According to Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) released by the Census Bureau on July 31, the rate of individuals in the United States under the age of 65 without health insurance decreased in 194 counties and increased in 85 counties between 2022 and 2023.
Data from the 2024 Survey of Income and Program Participation was released on July 24.
The first version of the 2030 Census Operational Plan was released on July 23.
On July 17, the U.S. Census Bureau and Opportunity Insights (a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization) released new data including credit scores, delinquency rates, credit card balances, and mortgage and student loan balances by county, race and class (parental income) for children born between 1978 and 1985.
On July 15, the Census Bureau announced that it would be releasing the 2024 Income, Poverty and Health Insurance statistics from the Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) and the American Community Survey (ACS) in September.
The U.S. Census Bureau released new estimates from its National Experimental Well-Being Statistics (NEWS) project on July 14. NEWS is a research-driven project with the goal to improve how the Census Bureau measures income and poverty.
The June 2025 Business Formation Statistics were released on July 10.
On July 9, the Census Bureau released a new report that shows the demographic, social and geographic characteristics of bachelor’s degree holders by field of study. The data were drawn from the 2022 American Community Survey 1-year estimates.
News You Can Use
Below are several articles posted on The Census Project home page in July 2025. For a complete listing, go to: 2025 Media – The Census Project
DeSantis says a census redo could be in works amid state redistricting wars
Politico
July 30, 2025
What does the erosion of trust in data mean for equity in policymaking?
Brookings
July 29, 2025
Where in the US retirees are moving in 2025
Stacker
July 28, 2025
Why are data nerds racing to save US government statistics?
Associated Press
July 25, 2025
First Plan For 2030 Census Revealed
Newsweek
July 24, 2025
How Political Parties Use Gerrymandering for Their Own Gain
Bloomberg
July 22, 2025
Democratic senators raise concerns about a new Trump citizenship data system
NPR
July 17, 2025
Calls to increase funding for US census
ResearchLive
July 14, 2025
White House names new official to oversee federal statistical system
FedScoop
July 11, 2025
How Do You Self-Identify? For Many Americans, Checking a Box Won’t Do.
The New York Times
July 8, 2025
US construction spending falls again in May
Reuters
July 1, 2025
Grand Rapids successfully challenges U.S. Census Bureau population count
Spectrum News
July 1, 2025
