# Special laws for census workers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 27, 2010, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-laws-for-census-workers/537522 "2010-04-27T14:27:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-laws-for-census-workers/537522/1 "2010-04-27T14:27:40Z")
My son has been hired as a census worker and is going through training this week. One thing he told me has me scratching my head. Apparently there is a law/policy that anything a census worker sees or hears as part of his work is confidential and may not be disclosed to anyone other than another census employee. Alright, on the surface this seems fine, and I have no problem with it. However, according to the person doing the training, this is an absolute restriction. Here is the example that he gave. If a census worker is driving in his car on the way to an interview and witnesses a murder taking place, he is obligated to a) not report it to the police, and b) if questioned by the police to refuse to give any information, since it is protected by law from disclosure to anyone but a census employee. My BS meter is completely pegged on this one. Any census workers/federal employees/lawyers out there who know what the **actual** law/policy is and what it requires? ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-laws-for-census-workers/537522/2 "2010-04-27T14:35:13Z")
I was a census worker and there is a confidentiality to everything we collect and see during the interview, but nothing as extreme as ignoring a murder even it happens during the interview. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-laws-for-census-workers/537522/3 "2010-04-27T14:54:04Z")
Yeah, that sounds like simple over-simplification in training to me. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-laws-for-census-workers/537522/4 "2010-04-27T15:04:34Z")
A quick and simple search of the 210 Census web site reveals: > [@](#): > > When hired to work for the Census Bureau, employees must sign a Sworn Affidavit of Nondisclosure. This obligates those hired to accept the responsibility of keeping all Title 13 data confidential. This constitutes a lifetime obligation, continuing even if you are no longer affiliated with the Census Bureau. “I will not disclose any information contained in the schedules, lists, or statements obtained for or prepared by the Census Bureau to any person or persons either during or after employment.” Under federal law, the penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine of not more than $250,000 or imprisonment for not more than 5 years, or both. [http://2010.census.gov/2010census/privacy/index.php](http://2010.census.gov/2010census/privacy/index.php) You can look up details of [Title 13 here](http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/uscode13/usc_sup_01_13.html). ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-laws-for-census-workers/537522/5 "2010-04-27T19:13:01Z")
When I was in address listing training, we were told that anything we saw in a house we were listing could not be divulged to law enforcement. Both of my bosses have told me that I am to use my own best judgment in reporting exigent circumstances; for example, if I heard an assault in progress or a house on fire or something like that, I could call 911 anonymously to report it. In fact, depending on where you live, not reporting a crime or an accident in progress may cause your son to run afoul of a Good Samaritan law. So he may be damned if he does, and damned if he doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-laws-for-census-workers/537522/6 "2010-04-27T23:39:36Z")
> [@](#): > > employees must sign a Sworn Affidavit of Nondisclosure. This obligates those hired to accept the responsibility of keeping all Title 13 data confidential. Note Title 13 data. This is the Census data that you collect. So a census worker can’t ever tell anyone else how many people live in that house, what race they are, etc. But seeing a murder happen, or a robbery in progress, etc. is NOT census data, so this law does not require a census worker to keep this confidential. It’s likely as a matter of policy that the Census tells workers not to pay attention to possible law violations they may see in houses, but to concentrate on getting the census info. Otherwise, if a census worker happened to see a baggie of pot on the table when in a house, and reported it to the police, the word would soon get around, and people would refuse to let census workers into their house. But that is just their policy, not any law. For similar reasons, our local police department has opposed laws that would require them to check the citizenship of everyone they speak to. They say this would lead to witnesses refusing to speak to police, thus making their jobs harder. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-laws-for-census-workers/537522/7 "2010-04-28T00:14:44Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > For similar reasons, our local police department has opposed laws that would require them to check the citizenship of everyone they speak to. They say this would lead to witnesses refusing to speak to police, thus making their jobs harder. \ Do you live in Arizona? \ ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-laws-for-census-workers/537522/8 "2010-04-28T01:05:28Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > But seeing a murder happen, or a robbery in progress, etc. is NOT census data, Sure it is! \ How many people live here? \ Five. \ AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!! _thunk_ \ Make it four.