Resumption of the Population Estimates Challenge Program

The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is resuming the Population Estimates Challenge Program to provide eligible governmental units the opportunity to file requests for the review of population estimates for 2011 and subsequent years. The Census Bureau is amending its regulations to: Update references to the method by which population estimates are officially released; clarify when a challenge of a population estimate can be requested; specify who may file a request for a population estimate challenge; remove all references to the per capita income estimates program and the Office of General Revenue Sharing; change the regulation title of a current program from "Procedure for Challenging Certain Population and Income Estimates" to "Procedure for Challenging Population Estimates" to reflect the removal of the per capita income estimates program; revise the requirements of the challenge process; and remove all references to a formal challenge process. The changes to the procedure for the Population Estimates Challenge Program clarify and streamline the procedures for local units of general-purpose government. The Census Bureau is removing the references for the per capita income estimates changes because the Census Bureau no longer produces per capita income estimates. The program that used those estimates, the General Revenue Sharing program, was eliminated for the States in 1980 and was not reauthorized for local governments after fiscal year 2000.