U.S. Sen. Rand Paul has gotten initial approval for a measure that would ensure thousands of military personnel serving overseas get counted in the next census at the bases from which they were deployed.

Paul's amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act won Senate approval on Tuesday but still has legislative hurdles ahead.

He said the measure creates "a consistent and logical method" of counting soldiers. The amendment would require the Census Bureau to count them at the U.S. bases where they served before they were deployed.

That would especially benefit Kentucky communities around Fort Campbell and Fort Knox.