H.R. 151 · On the floor · Government Operations and Politics

Equal Representation Act of 2025

What it does

Exclude noncitizens from the population count sent by the President to Congress after the decennial census, which is used to reapportion U.S. House seats among states.
Require the decennial census questionnaire to include a checkbox allowing respondents to indicate citizenship status in four categories: U.S. citizen, U.S. national but not a citizen, non-U.S. national lawfully residing
Direct the Department of Commerce to publicly release the number of persons in each state disaggregated by each of the four citizenship categories.

Official summary

Equal Representation Act This bill requires that the statement sent by the President to Congress after the decennial census indicating the number of persons in each state exclude noncitizens. (This statement is the basis for reapportionment of U.S. Representatives.) The bill also requires any questionnaire used in the decennial census to include a checkbox or other similar option for respondents to indicate whether the respondent and each household member is (1) a U.S. citizen, (2) a U.S. national but not a citizen, (3) a non-U.S. national ( alien under federal law) lawfully residing in the United States, or (4) a non-U.S. national unlawfully residing in the United States. The Department of Commerce must make public the number of persons in each state, disaggregated by each of these four categories.

Latest action

Apr 21, 2026: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 536.

Committee: House Oversight and Government Reform