2016 US Code
Title 13 - Census
Chapter 7 - Offenses and Penalties
Subchapter II - Other Persons
Sec. 222 - Giving suggestions or information with intent to cause inaccurate enumeration of population

Whoever, either directly or indirectly, offers or renders to any officer or employee of the Department of Commerce or bureau or agency thereof engaged in making an enumeration of population under subchapter II, IV, or V of chapter 5 of this title, any suggestion, advice, information or assistance of any kind, with the intent or purpose of causing an inaccurate enumeration of population to be made, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

(Aug. 31, 1954, ch. 1158, 68 Stat. 1023; Pub. L. 85–207, §16, Aug. 28, 1957, 71 Stat. 484.)

Based on title 13, U.S.C., 1952 ed., §§122, 209 (June 18, 1929, ch. 28, §9, 46 Stat. 23; June 19, 1948, ch. 502, §2, 62 Stat. 479).

Section consolidates the second paragraph of section 209 of title 13, U.S.C., 1952 ed., which was a part of chapter 4 of that title relating to censuses of population, agriculture, etc., with that part of section 122 of such title which made such section 209 applicable to the interim surveys provided for by section 121(b) of such title (see subchapter IV of chapter 5 of this revised title). For remainder of such sections 122 and 209, see Distribution Table.

Section 122 of title 13, U.S.C., 1952 ed., made section 209 of such title applicable to the quinquennial censuses of manufactures, the mineral industries, and other businesses provided for by section 121(a) thereof (subchapter I of chapter 5 of this revised title), and applicable, with certain qualifications and exceptions, to the interim surveys, which section 121(b) thereof provided for, not only with respect to those censuses but also the censuses provided for in "other Acts" (chapter 5 of this title). However, the particular provisions of such section 209 that have been carried into this revised section related only to population enumerations, and this section has accordingly been restricted to the population censuses authorized under subchapter II of chapter 5 of this title, and to the interim surveys authorized under subchapter IV of such chapter only in so far as they relate to population enumerations. The exceptions and qualifications with respect to the application of this section to such interim surveys are set out elsewhere in this subchapter.

Reference to "any officer or employee" was substituted for "any supervisor, supervisor's clerk, enumerator, interpreter, special agent, or other officer or employee", as the latter enumeration of the types of employees is unnecessary and redundant; and "Department of Commerce or bureau or agency thereof" was substituted for "Census Office", to conform with 1950 Reorganization Plan No. 5, §§1, 2, effective May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1263. See Revision Note to section 4 of this title.

Subsection (b) of section 1442 of title 42, U.S.C., 1952 ed., The Public Health and Welfare (which section has been transferred in its entirety to this revised title), made section 209 of title 13, U.S.C., 1952 ed., applicable to the censuses of housing (subchapter II of chapter 5 of this revised title). However, the particular provisions of such section 209 that have been carried into this revised section, could not, by their terms, be relevant to housing censuses, hence no reference is made in this section to such censuses.

Words in section 209 of title 13, U.S.C., 1952 ed., "either as to the number of persons resident in any district or community, or in any other respect", were omitted from the revised section as unnecessary and superfluous.

Reference to the offense described as a "misdemeanor" was omitted as covered by section 1 of title 18, U.S.C., Crimes and Criminal Procedure, classifying offenses; and words "and upon conviction thereof" were omitted as surplusage.

Changes were made in phraseology.

1957—Pub. L. 85–207 substituted "II, IV, or V" for "II or IV".