Census Bureau Wants to Question Citizens About Mental Health, Psychosocial Disabilities in Mandatory Survey

WASHINGTON, DC — The Rutherford Institute is once again pushing back against the U.S. Census Bureau’s efforts to amass sensitive private information about individual citizens and their property through its mandatory American Community Survey (ACS).

In addition to the already extensive and invasive list of personal questions included on the ACS, the Census Bureau issued a notice of proposed information collection seeking to add questions about each household member’s level of certain disabilities, including mental disabilities, and whether they have psychosocial, cognitive, or speech disabilities. The Bureau also seeks to ask about possession of electric vehicles, use of solar panels, type of sewage disposal, and other matters.

Previously, the Bureau sought to ask about each person’s sexual orientation and gender identity. Institute attorneys submitted formal public comments in opposition to the Bureau mandating that people answer the ACS and these additional questions, arguing that the Bureau’s threats and intimidation tactics to force people to respond to the ACS seeks to compel speech in violation of the First Amendment and violates the right to privacy from government intrusion under the Fourth Amendment.