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B-289852 1 (2002-04-04)

handle is hein.gao/gaocrptaodw0001 and id is 1 raw text is: GAO ,Accountability * Integrity * Reliability United States General Accounting Office Washington, DC 20548 B-289852 April 4, 2002 The Honorable Bob Barr Vice Chairman Committee on Government Reform House of Representatives Subject: Legal Authority for American Community Survey Dear Mr. Vice Chairman: This responds to your letter regarding the legal authority of the U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau) to conduct the American Community Survey (ACS), a monthly survey of a sample of households that, beginning in 2003, is intended to replace the long form questionnaire for the decennial census in 2010. You asked us to provide (1) the legal authority under which the Bureau is conducting the ACS, including any legislative history concerning the development and implementation of ACS, (2) the Bureau's legal authority to require recipients to respond to the ACS, and (3) information on any other federal government questionnaires or surveys that require similar specific, detailed personal information be provided to the government. In order to respond to your questions, we examined various legislative materials such as public laws, committee reports and hearings, and the Congressional Record for references to the ACS, requested and received comments from the Department of Commerce (Commerce), and met informally with Commerce and Bureau officials to discuss these issues. We also searched an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) database for surveys that require specific detailed personal information. As discussed in detail below, we find that the Bureau has the authority under 13 U.S.C. §§ 141 and 193 to conduct the ACS. Although there is little legislative action tracking this Bureau initiative, the Bureau clearly has authority to require responses from the public to this survey. See 13 U.S.C. § 221. The Bureau must still receive clearance for the ACS through the Paperwork Reduction Act process. Finally, we found no other government surveys that respondents are required to respond to that ask specific, detailed personal information similar to that required by the ACS.

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