Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Territories Statistics Collection Equity Act”.
Territories Statistics Collection Equity Act
A BILL
To direct the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy to develop a plan to collect and publish statistics regarding the Territories of the United States in the same manner as statistics are collected and reported by Federal agencies for the several States, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Including U.S. Territories in Federal statistical programs
Assessment— Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy shall publish a list and assessment of existing Federal statistical programs that collect and publish data for the U.S. Territories comparable to the several States. The assessment under this subsection shall include the following:
For each statistical program where a comparable program for the U.S. Territories does not exist, an explanation as to why the program does not include the U.S. Territories.
Impediments to data collection, analysis, and publishing with respect to the U.S. Territories.
A detailed description of the level of local government participation required in Federal statistical programs.
Plan— Not later than 12 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a plan to collect and publish statistics regarding the U.S. Territories in the same manner as statistics are collected and reported by Federal agencies for the several States. The plan shall include—
recommendations for including the U.S. Territories in Federal statistical programs; and
cost estimates for Federal and local governments for necessary changes to implement the recommendations under paragraph (1).
Report— Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 12 months thereafter until the plan is fully implemented, the head of the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report that includes—
a description of the plan developed under subsection (a); and
information on the implementation of such plan.
Implementation— Not later than 4 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy, in coordination with the heads of appropriate Federal agencies, shall fully implement the plan developed under subsection (a).
Sec. 3 U.S. Territories defined
For the purposes of this Act, the term U.S. Territories means American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands of the United States.