{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/s1980-116/featured_lgbtq-data-inclusion-act-1564588635.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/s1980-116/featured_large_lgbtq-data-inclusion-act-1564588635.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/s1980-116.png"},"introduced_on":"2019-06-26","title_override":"Should Federal Surveys Include Voluntary Data Collection on Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity?","summary_override":"

This bill — the LGBTQ Data Inclusion Act — would require federal surveys to include voluntary data collection on sexual orientation and gender identity.

To implement this requirement, this bill would require federal agencies that collect information through surveys that include demographic data to establish data standards that require:

A determination of which existing data sets exclude information about sexual orientation and gender identity;
An identification, and a use, of appropriate methods to include questions on sexual orientation and gender identity in surveys that facilitate categorization and voluntary participation and that preserve privacy and confidentiality; and
A routine assessment of needed changes in survey methods related to asking such questions.

This bill would also require agencies that publish reports relying on survey demographic data to include information on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Under this bill, individuals would not be required to disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity to an agency or subject to fines or penalties for refusing to answer, or providing a false answer to, any survey question regarding gender identity or sexual orientation.

This bill wouldn’t permit the use of sexual orientation and gender identity information in a manner that would adversely affect individuals.

","official_title":"A bill to improve Federal population surveys by requiring the collection of voluntary, self-disclosed information on sexual orientation and gender identity in certain surveys, and for other purposes.","short_title":"LGBTQ Data Inclusion Act","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable. ","impact":"Respondents to federal surveys that collect demographic information; LGBTQ Americans; and federal agencies that collect information through surveys that include demographic data.","argument_for":"Accurate federal counts of LGBTQ individuals plays an important role in distributing federal funds to meet this community’s needs, crafting federal policies that respond to its concerns and ensuring that federal agencies are equipped to provide the support that’s needed for these individuals. Without an accurate understanding of LGBTQ Americans’ geographic location, it’s much harder to craft federal policies that address their needs. ","argument_against":"The decision not to include sexual orientation and gender identity questions in the upcoming 2020 Census and American Community Survey (ACS) has already been made for a good reason — specifically that such questions’ inclusion needs to be carefully considered and done cautiously. It’s questionable whether this information can be safely collected without risking LGBTQ individuals’ safety and employment.","bill_type":"s","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"s1980-116","bill_id":"s1980-116","formal_id":"S. 1980","chamber":"senate","congress":116,"last_action_at":"2019-06-26T00:00:00.000Z","active":false,"enacted":false,"enacted_at":null,"vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":null,"debated_on":null,"congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1980","plain_text_url":null,"shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/s1980-116.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1980/text","is_current_congress":true,"last_version_on":null,"related_bill_ids":null,"progress":"Introduced","house_passage_result":false,"senate_passage_result":false,"position_count":430,"committees":[{"name":"Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs","chamber":"senate","committee_id":"SSGA","subcommittee":false}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=s1980-116","details":"/api/bills/s1980-116/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/s1980-116","positionsFor":"/api/bills/s1980-116/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/s1980-116/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":18,"slug":"s1980-116-lgbtq-data-inclusion-act","latest_chamber_votes_id":null,"official_url":null,"target_video":true,"following":false,"vote_count":1831,"yea_vote_count":651,"nay_vote_count":1177,"passed_house":false,"passed_senate":false,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["government"],"issue_ids":["federal-agencies","government","lgbtq"],"sponsor_id":556}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"federal-agencies","name":"Federal Agencies","slug":"federal-agencies","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Federal Agencies. 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Should Federal Surveys Include Voluntary Data Collection on Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity?