Freedom from Government Surveys Act
Sponsored By: Senator James Risch
Introduced
Summary
Makes the American Community Survey voluntary. This bill would amend Title 13 to make answering the ACS optional, state that refusing or skipping any question carries no penalty, and require the Census Secretary to include a clear notice on the survey that participation is voluntary. It would recast nonresponse rules into a nonpenalty framework and does not create new funding or enforcement powers in the text.
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
American Community Survey becomes voluntary
If enacted, the bill would make taking the American Community Survey voluntary. You would not face penalties under 13 U.S.C. §221 for refusing to answer ACS questions. The Census Bureau would have to include a clear statement on the survey that participation is voluntary. The change would apply to the ACS and any successor survey upon enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
James Risch
ID • R
Cosponsors
Cindy Hyde-Smith
MS • R
Sponsored 1/28/2025
Steve Daines
MT • R
Sponsored 1/28/2025
Mike Crapo
ID • R
Sponsored 1/28/2025
Cynthia Lummis
WY • R
Sponsored 1/28/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.govTake It Personal
Get Your Personalized Policy View
Start a Free Government Policy Watch to see how policy affects your household, then upgrade to PRIA Full Coverage for year-round monitoring.
Already have an account? Sign in