Senate passes 'Census mailer' bill
With just six days left until 2010 Census forms are due back, the Senate approved a measure Friday that bans deceptive mailings that use the word "Census" without a disclaimer.
Democrats, senior citizens and civil rights groups have denounced mailings by the Republican National Committee and National Republican Congressional Committee that prominently featured the word "Census" and "Official Document" on the document and envelope. Though the U.S. Postal Service ruled the mailings legal, opponents argued they could confuse Americans who were waiting for the government's census forms to arrive in the mail.
The Senate unanimously approved the measure along with 12 other unrelated bills. It requires mailings with an envelope marked “Census” to clearly state the sender's return address and a disclaimer that the mailing is not from the federal government. Mailers could still use the word "census" on an envelope or document so long as it carries the disclaimer. The House unanimously passed the bill March 10.