Census Bureau wants extensions related to 2020 Census

The request comes amid the coronavirus pandemic that led the Bureau to temporarily cease "field data collection activities" last month

By Alex Nitzberg

Published: April 13, 2020 5:49pm

Updated: April 13, 2020 8:08pm

Amid the coronavirus pandemic the U.S. Census Bureau wants Congress to approve additional time to complete work on the 2020 Census. The Bureau is asking for 120 days of extra time to provide apportionment counts.

"Under this plan, the Census Bureau would extend the window for field data collection and self-response to October 31, 2020, which will allow for apportionment counts to be delivered to the President by April 30, 2021, and redistricting data to be delivered to the states no later than July 31, 2021," the Bureau states.

According to the New York Times the data collection deadline was slated for August 15.

The Bureau temporarily ceased "field data collection activities" in March but Monday's press release notes that efforts are being made to restart fieldwork in June.

So far more than 48 percent of American households have responded to the 2020 Census, according to the Bureau.