In an effort to raise awareness about the 2020 Census, Assemblywoman Gabriela Mosquera (D-Camden, Gloucester) has sponsored two resolutions that would encourage increased participation throughout the state.
On Monday, the Assembly Women and Children Committee – which Assemblywoman Mosquera chairs – received testimony from various experts regarding how the Census will impact New Jersey residents. Advocates for Children of New Jersey, the regional director of the Census Bureau and the New Jersey Secretary of State were among the guests who spoke.
The committee also advanced a resolution (AR-79) to designate March 12th – 22nd as “Get out the Count Week” and another resolution (AR-78) to urge counties and municipalities to form Complete Count Committees. These committees would be comprised of government and community leaders who would create an awareness campaign encouraging participation in the Census, based on their understanding of the community.
Upon the resolutions advancing, Assemblywoman Mosquera released the following statement:
“Many people don’t realize just how important the Census is to their community and how it will impact various aspects of their lives. We need to make our residents more aware of how the data gathered during the Census will affect their friends and family.
“The number of people recorded within a region influences federal allocation of funding for various social programs, including Medicare and SNAP. It also affects funding for school programs and infrastructure improvements, while determining the amount of Congressional delegates that will represent New Jersey.
“Business owners, non-profit organizations and lawmakers alike use the collected data to determine what daily services, products and support will be provided to communities.
“An awareness campaign with the help of county and municipal committees can help spread this information to get more residents involved in the Census.”
The resolutions will now go to the Assembly Speaker for further consideration.