Look-alike Census mailings targeted by House measure

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee approved a bill Thursday to outlaw the mailings that mimic the Census Bureau's official form.

The measure, which drew no opposition on a voice vote, was prompted by recent mailings from some Republican groups that mentioned the census or were labeled as official business.

"I have seen mailers out there," said Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah. "I've seen Republicans sending out mailers marked 'census' and I wish they wouldn't do that. This legislation will send the right signal."

The bill was introduced by Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., partially as a response to bogus mailings that she said might discourage citizens from filling out and returning the real thing.

"As the 2010 census quickly approaches, we must act to assure an accurate count," she said. "This involves billions in federal funding."

The bill would require anyone not from the census to list a real return address, with the name of the sender on the envelope and markings to make it clear that the mailing was not from the federal government.