The Senate has passed legislation to address management challenges that arose during the 2010 census count, partly by making the director of the Census Bureau a five-year term appointment to ensure leadership continuity through changing Presidential administrations.
Sponsored by Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., the Census Oversight and Management Act of 2010, is designed to increase congressional oversight of the Census as well as split the decennial census cycle in to a five-year planning phase and another five-year operational phase.
The bill also would allow the director to report directly to the secretary of Commerce, and requires the bureau to develop an online response option for the 2010 census.
