Int 0457-1998

Be it enacted by the Council as follows: Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. The Council finds that recent studies provided by the National Committee for an Effective Congress determined that New York City suffered the largest undercount of its residents in the 1990 census nationwide. The New York Times reported on September 18, 1998, that the three worst nationwide undercounts performed by the United States Census Bureau occurred in congressional districts in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx. According to the recent report, the total undercount for New York City is estimated to have been approximately 245,000 people. The excessive amount of people that went uncounted may have resulted in the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal and state aid that is tied to population to those particular districts. Moreover, the new data confirmed the long held belief that undercounting in general is more likely to occur in low-income communities populated mainly by minorities and recent immigrants. Nationwide, the twenty-five congressional districts where the largest amount of undercounting took place during the 1990 census were concentrated within only a few states; they included New York, Arizona, California, Florida, New Jersey and Texas. Coincidentally, these states also account for the largest concentration of immigrants in the United States. The New York City Task Force on Census 2000 would bring together key city government agencies to work closely with the federal government, in particular the United States Census Bureau, in designing and implementing a plan and strategy in order to maximize the participation of all New Yorkers in Census 2000. The task force would also monitor the effectiveness of this plan and make recommendations for improvements when needed. �2. Chapter 2-A of the New York City Charter is hereby amended by adding a new section 53 to read as follows: �53. Temporary Task Force on Census 2000. a) There shall be a temporary task force on Census 2000 established by the Mayor which shall consist of representatives from city agencies that he so designates. Members of such task force shall be appointed as follows: five members appointed by the speaker of the council and six, including the chairperson of the task force, by the mayor. Additionally, the Comptroller and the Public Advocate shall each designate one representative to serve on such task force. The members of the task force, including the chairperson, shall serve without compensation. b) Not later than six months, and every six months thereafter, from the effective date of this local law, the temporary task force on Census 2000 shall submit a report to the mayor and to the speaker of the council. Such report shall include, but shall not be limited to: (1) identification of current areas in the city of New York that have been the subject of undercounting in prior censuses; (2) recommendations to improve and assist the United States Census Bureau in drastically reducing the amount of undercounting in both low-income districts and immigrant communities; (3) recommendations to reduce or eliminate double-counting in the tabulation of the census; (4) analysis of the use and allocation of public funds provided to ensure that minorities and immigrants are properly being counted in Census 2000. c) In order to assist in its findings, the task force may invite as it deems necessary the participation of not-for-profit organizations and other entities. Additionally, the task force shall hold a minimum of one public hearing in each of the five boroughs to be concluded no later than six months after the effective date of this law. d) The work of the task force on Census 2000 will expire on December 31, 2000 when the apportionment counts are delivered to the President of the United States, or may be extended by an act of the council. �3. This local law shall take effect immediately. LS # 966 Afn 10/16/1998 1 - 2 -