Census Bureau Plans for a Successful 2010 Census

The U.S. Census Bureau recently submitted to Congress its proposed recovery plan to create jobs, strengthen the economy and conduct a successful 2010 Census. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Census Bureau was provided $1 billion.

"The Census Bureau's proposed investments will improve our ability to conduct an accurate census and will create thousands of good-paying jobs," U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. "A successful census is critical for ensuring that communities have proper representation and the resources needed for health care, law enforcement and education."

Under the proposal, the Census Bureau will invest $250 million in partnership and outreach efforts to minority communities and hard-to-reach populations. This effort is intended to promote participation in the census, which will improve accuracy and facilitate enumeration operations in 2010. The remaining $750 million will be committed to support early 2010 Census operations that will reduce operational and programmatic risks at a critical stage of the census process.

More than $300 billion in federal funds are distributed every year based on census results. This funding supports vital local services like health care, schools, law enforcement, transportation and social services.