S 4419 — "Everyone Counts in New Jersey Act"; establishes "New Jersey Census Complete Count Commission," "New Jersey Office of Census," and "New Jersey Census Complete Count Trust Fund." *

     (1) State agency initiatives to encourage participation in the census of population;

     (2) the establishment and support of school-based outreach programs;

     (3) partnerships with non-profit, community-based organizations;

     (4) a multilingual and multicultural multi-media campaign, in accordance with the provisions of P.L.2023, c.263 (C.52:14-40 et seq.), which shall include information on the importance of completing the next census survey and may be widely disseminated throughout the State through print, audio, television, the Internet, and social media;

     (5) at least three public hearings, one in each of the northern, central, and southern regions of the State, to receive testimony from the public, elected officials, experts, and others on ways to ensure a full census count of the population in this State for the next federal decennial census;

and      (6) a plan to ensure that hard-to-count and historically undercounted populations, such as African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, Asian Americans, Middle Eastern and North African persons, non-native English speakers, persons who are indigent, persons who are homeless, college students, children under five years of age, men between the ages of 18 and 49, the elderly, persons displaced by natural disasters, persons who are incarcerated, and members of the LGBTQ+ community are counted, and that immigrant populations in this State understand the confidentiality of the census survey and the importance of completing the federal decennial census regardless of citizenship status.

     c.    The outreach strategy shall be coordinated through the Office of the Secretary of State, which shall provide administrative support to the commission and coordinate with all State agencies and constitutional officers, as well as units of local government, to identify effective methods of outreach to New Jersey’s population and to provide resources to ensure that the outreach strategy is successful and that all New Jersey residents are counted.

 All State agencies shall provide the Office of the Secretary of State with the information for that agency’s designated census coordinator, cooperate with the commission, and provide support to the commission.

 For the purposes of this subsection, “State agencies” means any executive agency or department directly responsible to the Governor.

     Other entities of government, including other constitutional officers, the offices of the legislative and judicial branches, and units of local government, shall cooperate and provide all reasonable assistance to the commission.

       6.    The commission shall submit an interim report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), within eight months of its organizational meeting containing its recommended outreach strategy developed pursuant to section 5 of P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

 Thereafter, the commission shall submit its final report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), no later than June 30 of the second year before the upcoming federal decennial census containing its recommended outreach strategy developed pursuant to section 5 of P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

       7.    a.

There is established in the Department of State the “New Jersey Office of the Census.” The Secretary of State shall appoint a director of the office to accomplish the responsibilities set forth in this section.

 The director shall receive an annual salary determined by the Secretary of State within the limit of funds appropriated to the office for such purposes and shall serve at the pleasure of the Secretary of State.

     The Secretary of State shall also appoint an official State demographer within the New Jersey Office of the Census to coordinate census preparation efforts, including those listed under paragraph (8) of subsection c.

of this section, and publish any follow-up reports for the federal decennial census, the American Community Survey, and any other relevant federal or State survey that may be necessary for demographic and census data collection.

     b.    The Secretary of State shall have the power to assign functions to the office and may appoint staff, agents, and consultants, prescribe the duties of the office, and fix their compensation within the limit of funds appropriated for such purposes.

 The Secretary of State shall endeavor to obtain the services of experts in the State with expertise and experience in census enumeration, process, education, and promotion.

     c.    The New Jersey Office of the Census shall have the power and responsibility to:

     (1) promote a government-wide effort to achieve a complete count of New Jersey residents for each federal decennial census;

     (2) coordinate with the New Jersey Complete Count Commission, as established by section 2 of P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), to complete the obligations of the commission;

     (3) assist in the administration of census outreach efforts to encourage a complete count, including providing staff and consultant assistance to the New Jersey Complete Count Commission, as established by section 2 of P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), and the administration of State-funded grant programs to support local governments and non-profit organizations that conduct census outreach efforts;

     (4) support United States Census Bureau outreach efforts to facilitate quality public data gathering;

     (5) provide information in languages accessible to accommodate New Jersey’s diverse population in accordance with the provisions of P.L.2023, c.263 (C.52:14-40 et seq.);

     (6) liaise with local governments through the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs regarding census efforts and local complete count efforts;

     (7) coordinate Census Day events throughout the State;

     (8) coordinate with the New Jersey State Data Center and the Office of Research and Information in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the Office of Information Technology, when applicable, to:

     (a) participate in the federal Local Update of Census Addresses;

     (b) develop and maintain a street address maintenance program;

     (c) support federal census operations;

     (d) complete demographic analyses;

and      (e) conduct research for the promotion of a fair and full count before the next federal decennial census;

     (9) develop partnerships with community organizations focused on a complete count, including, but not limited to, philanthropic organizations and foundations dedicated to a full and complete federal census count;

     (10) prepare annual population estimates for the State, counties, and local governments;

     (11) coordinate and oversee Statewide submissions for census programs, including the Local Update of Census Addresses, Census Question Resolution, annual Boundary and Annexation Survey, Participant Statistical Areas Program, and Building Permit Survey;

     (12) convene and maintain a working group of State agency statisticians and university researchers to conduct ongoing research on State demographic data trends and sources;

     (13) evaluate the demographic impact of policy proposals;

     (14) implement evidence-based policymaking;

     (15) for each federal decennial census, develop a timeline, to be published by January 15 of the fifth year before the upcoming census, except that the timeline for the 2030 federal decennial census shall be published by February 15, 2027, to guide the work of the office and of the New Jersey Complete Count Commission, established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), that includes, but is not limited to:

     (a)   a review of the previous decade’s census numbers and the accuracy of such numbers;

     (b)  working with localities to correct census numbers as appropriate and consistent with applicable law;

     (c) releasing demographic profiles for local governments;

     (d) promoting participation by New Jerseyans in the American Community Survey;

     (e) identifying the best practices and shortcomings from the previous decade’s census efforts;

     (f) educating local governments and stakeholders about the United States Census Bureau’s Local Update of Census Addresses, and assisting with participation in the program;

     (g) review census communications for the upcoming federal decennial census;

     (h) developing test programs to gauge residents’ awareness of the federal decennial census and conducting outreach to hard-to-count communities regarding the upcoming federal decennial census;

     (i) participating in end-to-end census test;

     (j) reviewing the United States Census Bureau’s Local Update of Census Addresses results for accuracy;

     (k) developing census messaging and grant programs to support efforts of local governments and public interest stakeholders to engage in census outreach efforts;

     (l) developing and launching state education and communication campaigns;

     (m) providing census outreach materials in multiple languages in accordance with the provisions of P.L.2023, c.263 (C.52:14-40 et seq.);

and      (n) implementing an overall comprehensive census plan to ensure a complete count of all New Jersey households;

     (16) coordinate with the New Jersey Complete Count Commission to develop and promulgate a New Jersey Census Bill of Rights and Responsibilities no later than one year after the effective date of P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), which shall affirm the rights of all New Jerseyans to:

     (a) participate in the federal decennial census and other important censuses free from threat or intimidation;

     (b) maintain confidentiality of the information provided in a census form or by verbal response;

     (c) respond to a census by means of either electronic or written responses, or by telephone;

     (d) request language assistance;

and      (e) verify the identity of a census worker;

     (17) translate the New Jersey Census Bill of Rights and Responsibilities in languages other than English, consistent with the provisions of P.L.2023, c.263 (C.52:14-40 et seq.);

     (18) make the New Jersey Census Bill of Rights and Responsibilities available on its Internet website and available to the public for uses such as inclusion on city and county census Internet websites and census questionnaire assistance center Internet websites;

and      (19) any other actions as determined by the Secretary of the State to be necessary to carry out the responsibilities of the office.

       8.    The New Jersey Office of the Census shall provide any materials and data requested, including but not limited to demographic analyses and population estimates completed in accordance with the office’s duties, to be included in a publicly accessible database maintained and administered by the Department of State.

       9.    There is established in the Department of State a “New Jersey Census Complete Count Trust Fund” into which shall be appropriated from the State General Fund the sum of $1 million annually.

 AllAll interest or other income or earnings derived from the investment or reinvestment of moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund.

 Moneys     Moneys in the fund shall be used by the Department of Sate to fund State, local, and community efforts to achieve the full count of the State’s population in each federal decennial census.

 The     Legislature 10. may Thisprescribe actby law the complete count activities that shall takebe effecteligible immediately.to receive funds in the years and months preceding the census day.

       2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

    STATEMENT        This bill creates a “Census Complete Count Trust Fund” in the Department of State for the funding efforts to achieve a full count of State’s population during each federal decennial census.

     Under the bill, the State would appropriate into the fund from the State General Fund the sum of $1 million annually.

Moneys in the fund would be invested and all interest or other income or earnings derived from such investment or reinvestment would be credited to the fund.

Moneys in the fund would be used by the department to fund State, local, and community efforts to achieve the full count of the State’s population in each federal decennial census.

The Legislature may prescribe by law the complete count activities that would be eligible to receive funds in the years and months preceding the census day.