Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch is partnering with the US Census Bureau to raise awareness of the 2010 Census and to help achieve a complete and accurate count of Rhode Island’s growing and changing population. Their partnership is part of a larger effort by the Census Bureau to increase national participation in the 2010 Census.

The Census directly affects how more than $400 billion per year in federal funding is distributed to states and is also used to apportion congressional seats on both a national and local level.

“Completing the Census has a direct impact on how Rhode Island will begin the next decade,” Lynch said. “Providing a complete count can protect our voice and secure our state the federal funding that we really need in our depressed economy.”

Lynch will join efforts to help educate the public about the safety of census data. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents’ answers with anyone, including other federal agencies and law enforcement entities.

“Even the President of the United States cannot access your information,” said Lynch, whose office’s Consumer Protection Unit fields thousands of calls annually concerning identity theft and other personal finance-related scams. “All Census Bureau employees take an oath of nondisclosure and are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data. The penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine of up to $250,000 or imprisonment of up to five years, or both.”

“With the help of Attorney General Lynch and our other 2010 Census partners, the Census Bureau has a far greater chance of reaching every Rhode Island resident than if we were to attempt this monumental task alone,” said Marta V. Martinez, Latino Partnership Specialist for the Census Bureau’s state effort. “Through its unique responsibilities and roles in the community, the Attorney General’s office can help to deliver the 2010 Census message to a large and diverse audience.”

Census data is used for legislative and congressional redistricting, as well as to determine funding and locations for schools, housing, child-care centers, shopping centers, roads and more. These improvements can have a significant impact on the lives of everyone in the community.

“My office is dedicated to ensuring that Rhode Islanders understand the importance of participating in the 2010 Census,” Lynch said. “I am honored to partner with the Census Bureau on this critical initiative.”

One of the shortest census forms in history, the 2010 Census form asks just 10 questions and takes about 10 minutes to complete. Census forms will be delivered or mailed to households beginning in March of 2010. If a person does not complete the form and return it, a second form and/or reminder card will be mailed. If the household still does not reply, the Census Bureau will come knocking at the door, beginning in April and continuing through July.

For more information regarding the Census, please contact Lynch’s office’s Consumer Protection Unit at (401) 274-4400. Press 1 for English or 2 for Spanish, and then press 1.

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