Decennial Census of the Population of Americans; Proposed Residence Criteria and Proposed Regulations for Demographic Questions

What it does

The Census Bureau is proposing to add two new parts to the Code of Federal Regulations governing the decennial census of population and housing. First, the Census Bureau is proposing to add a part outlining the residence criteria used for identifying each person's "usual residence," as needed to determine whether and where to count them in the census of the population throughout the United States. Second, the Census Bureau is proposing to add a part establishing standards and restrictions for the inclusion of certain demographic questions on the decennial census short-form questionnaire and any other questionnaire used for the enumeration of the population. The Census Bureau is considering these two additions to better prioritize and fulfill its Constitutional mandate to count for apportionment the "whole number of persons in each State" based on the concept of "usual residence"--a process that factors in an element of allegiance but otherwise should be colorblind and should not be distorted in any way by questions about immaterial personal characteristics, such as race. Although these two parts are somewhat related and complementary, each is being proposed independently based on its own merits. These proposals are intended to ensure fidelity to the Constitution, improve and protect the core decennial census data, and promote efficiency.

The Census Bureau's summary, as published in the Federal Register.

What it would change

2 parts of Title 15 of the Code of Federal Regulations:

15 CFR 60, 15 CFR 70

Before this

No earlier Federal Register document under regulation identifier 0607-AA75 since Jan. 1, 2025.

Since then:

• Oct. 5, 2026 Proposed rule; extension of comment period. Decennial Census of the Population of Americans; Proposed Residence Criteria and Proposed Regulations for Demographic Questions; Extension of Comment Period

What happens next and when

To ensure consideration during the decision-making process, comments must be received by October 13, 2026.

The agency's dates, word for word.

Check it yourself

• The document in the Federal Register
• Docket USBC-2026-0628 on Regulations.gov
• Title 15 on eCFR

The record as published

Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register