HR0243 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0243 LRB101 11885 MST 58885 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Every 10 years, Article 1, Section 2 of the United States Constitution mandates a count of all the people living in the United States and its territories; and

WHEREAS, Illinois has lost one congressional seat in every census cycle since 1950; Illinois could possibly lose two congressional seats based off the 2020 Census count; and

WHEREAS, The data obtained from the census count in every state will determine federal dollars that are allocated to states, accordingly; Illinois receives more than $20 billion dollars in federal funding annually, based off census data; and

WHEREAS, Illinois needs to work together as a state to ensure a fair, accurate, and coordinated census count in 2020; all Illinois General Assembly members should make a concerted effort to engage in local count committees and serve as trusted messengers in their community to educate residents on the importance of being counted; and

WHEREAS, The census self-response is going on line for the first time ever in the history of the U.S. census count; Illinois needs to ensure that residents living in areas where broadband access is not readily available have the resources available to connect and self-report; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly should also consider allocating an appropriation for community-based organizations and local governments across the State to have capacity dollars necessary to do outreach work; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois established a statewide Complete Count Commission last year to ensure 22 commission members begin reaching out to communities across the State to ensure coordination and collaboration; this commission is the first of its kind in the country created by state statute; and

WHEREAS, Every resident in Illinois should have access to information about the Census 2020 well in advance of Census Day 2020; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare April 1, 2019 as Census Awareness Day.