Multigenerational Caregiving Data Act

This legislation aims to address the significant challenges faced by individuals who provide unpaid care to both children and older adults, often referred to as multigenerational caregivers . Congress finds that existing Federal data inadequately capture these caregiving responsibilities, particularly when care spans across different households. Improved data collection is deemed essential for enhancing policymaking related to caregiving, labor force participation, and health outcomes for this growing population. To achieve this, the bill mandates that, within three years of enactment, the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with relevant Federal statistical agencies, ensures at least one major Federal population survey includes a question to identify these caregivers. This question will seek to identify individuals who provided regular unpaid care or assistance within the previous 12 months. The Secretary retains flexibility to modify the question's wording or placement to ensure clarity, reliability, and minimal respondent burden, following necessary cognitive and field testing. Responses to this new question will be voluntary. Furthermore, the bill requires a report to Congress within two years of the question's inclusion in a survey, evaluating data quality, respondent burden, and providing recommendations for future use. This report will also be published publicly, ensuring transparency and accountability in the data collection process.