2006-8

Inclusion of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the other U.S. territories in all the Surveys Performed in the Fifty States by the U.S. Census Bureau

Sponsored by: Assemblyman Felix W. Ortiz (NY), NHCSL President

Adopted by the Caucus on November 18, 2006

WHEREAS, all media outlets reported that the U.S. Census Bureau expected the population of the United States to reach 300 million people on October 17, 2006;

WHEREAS, the residents of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the other U.S. territories are not counted as part of those 300 million residents of the United States;

WHEREAS, Puerto Rico's exclusion from national population totals leads the Census Bureau to erroneously miscalculate the national Hispanic population total by close to 4 million, thereby minimizing the importance of Hispanics nationwide;

WHEREAS, the U.S. Census Bureau performs the decennial census in the Fifty States of the United States and its territories;

WHEREAS, data obtained from the decennial census performed in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the other U.S. territories is not subject to the same detailed analyses as the data obtained from the Fifty States and the District of Columbia;

WHEREAS, the U.S. Census Bureau performs additional intermediate surveys to provide current data on the total population of the fifty States and the District of Columbia, as authorized by Federal Law, (See 13 U.S.C. §181);

WHEREAS, Federal Law excludes Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the other U.S. territories from the intermediate surveys, (See 13 U.S.C. § 184);

WHEREAS, the amount of benefits Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the other U.S. territories obtain under federal laws which consider population characteristics for their grant is based only on -probably outdated- data from the decennial census;

WHEREAS, consideration of outdated data could under estimate -or over estimate- the need of federal government assistance;

WHEREAS, private enterprises rely on the data and analyses provided by the U.S. Census Bureau to make business decisions regarding Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the other U.S. territories;

WHEREAS, private enterprises interested in doing business in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the other U.S. territories lack of reliable current population data, such as the data the Census Bureau obtains in the intermediate surveys, makes them have to incur in high expenses to commission a private surveyor to obtain said data;

WHEREAS, the need of private enterprises to expend a significant amount of money to commission a private surveyor, before even setting a foot in the territory, acts as a deterrent for private enterprises to even consider investing or establishing themselves in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands or the other U.S. territories.

WHEREAS, the described facts act in detriment of the economy of the territories and may trigger the need of additional federal government assistance;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators urges the U.S. Census Bureau to include Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the other U.S. territories in the diverse analyses the Census Bureau conducts based on data from the decennial census, which result in the publication of official reports;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, urges the United States Congress and the President of the United States to amend Title 13, Section 184, of the U.S. Code to include Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the other U.S. territories in its definition of State for the performance of intermediate surveys. This inclusion will greatly help the federal government and the private sector to have a much more accurate picture of the population data concerning all U.S. Territories;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the President of the United States, the chairs and ranking members of the appropriate Senate and House committees with jurisdiction over the operations and appropriations relating to the Census Bureau, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and the Director of the U.S. Census Bureau; and

This resolution was adopted this November 18, 2006, at the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators Executive Committee & BBA Annual Meeting held in San Juan, Puerto Rico.