Census Bureau to finally count America's deafblind population
H.R. 2947 — Deafblind DATA Act · Filed by April McClain Delaney (D-MD) · 36 cosponsors · Introduced Apr 17, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill directs the Census Bureau to cross-reference existing American Community Survey data to identify and count Americans who report both hearing and vision loss (deafblindness), and to publish annual tables of these counts by state, including demographic and economic characteristics. The bill aims to create a centralized national picture of the deafblind population—currently estimated between 10,000 and 2.47 million depending on the source—to better inform policy and service delivery for this underserved group.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is straightforward: mandate Census Bureau cross-tabulation of existing survey data to produce a national count of deafblind Americans and publish demographic/economic profiles. It is a data-transparency and disability-advocacy measure, not a spending bill, regulatory change, or commemorative act.
What the text implies
- Establishes a precedent for Census Bureau to cross-reference existing survey responses to identify and report on intersectional disability populations, potentially opening the door to similar data products for other co-occurring conditions (e.g., deaf-blind, mobility-cognitive, etc.).
- May increase demand for specialized services and accommodations for deafblind individuals once prevalence is better understood, potentially creating budget pressure on state and federal disability-service agencies.
- Publication of state-level deafblind population data could inform litigation or advocacy around adequacy of state-level disability services and accessibility compliance.
Who it affects
Deafblind individuals and their advocates gain visibility, better data for policy targeting, and improved ability to access services tailored to their needs. The general public benefits from more accurate demographic accounting and evidence-based policymaking. There are no apparent costs to ordinary citizens.
Named in the bill
Bureau of the Census, American Community Survey, National Center on Deafblindness, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, Helen Keller National Center for Deafblind Youths and Adults, Congress
Where it stands
36 cosponsors: 30 Democrats, 6 Republicans.
- Apr 17, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Apr 17, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the full bill text on Jul 10, 2026; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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