View ICR - OIRA Conclusion



0607-0810 202403-0607-005
Historical Active 202309-0607-003
DOC/CENSUS
The American Community Survey and the Puerto Rico Community Survey
Revision of a currently approved collection   No
Regular
Approved without change 06/11/2024
Retrieve Notice of Action (NOA) 03/26/2024
Terms of clearance: As the largest survey of American households, the American Community Survey (ACS) is the most comprehensive, robust, and granular source of information, outside of the decennial Census, about the United States’ changing population, housing, and workforce. ACS content is designed to meet the needs of a variety of Federal Government agencies. For example, Federal statistical programs use ACS data to provide benchmarks for their own surveys, and Federal agencies use ACS data to monitor compliance and help enforce many important laws and regulations. The recent updates to the Federal race and ethnicity data standards in OMB’s Statistical Policy Directive 15 (SPD 15) were informed by numerous inputs, including U.S. Census Bureau research. Among other important updates, the new SPD 15 requires Middle Eastern or North African as a new minimum category that will provide critical data for demographic statistics, civil rights enforcement, funding programs, and state and local planning. According to important research conducted as part of the efforts of the interagency Technical Working Group, the combined race and/or ethnicity question will also alleviate the challenges posed by the old format, which lead to the “Some Other Race” category being reported as the second largest racial group in the United States in the most recent ACS and decennial census. These updated standards are effective as of March 2024, and require all existing information collections to comply as soon as possible. The timeline for the ACS to implement the updated SPD 15 is critical, not only to the work of the U.S. Census Bureau, but also to a wide range of Federal agencies and State, local, tribal, and territorial governments. Additionally, updating the ACS to comply with the revised SPD 15 is critical to data users, researchers, and community organizations that rely on these data. Therefore, it is important that the ACS comply with the updated SPD 15 as quickly as possible. The U.S. Census Bureau’s current Information Collection Request indicates that the ACS will not comply with the updated race/ethnicity data standards in the 2025 data collection year. It does not provide any further information on the timeline of the ACS to comply with the updated SPD 15 in a future year. OMB would like the Census Bureau to collect more information and public input with respect to the timing for the adoption of SPD 15. Therefore, we grant approval for this ICR for one year to collect data for the 2025 ACS data collection year, under the following conditions: • Within 30 days of approval, the U.S. Census Bureau will provide a written report with an accompanying briefing to OMB describing the steps needed for the ACS to comply with the SPD 15. They will also publish a 30-day Federal Register Notice (FRN), developed in coordination with OMB, seeking public input on the impact of different compliance timelines for ACS. • Within 90 days of approval, the U.S. Census Bureau will brief OMB and the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy (ICSP) on the public comments received from the FRN. • Within 120 days of approval, the U.S. Census Bureau will provide to OMB, through a non-substantive change request to this ICR package, a written plan and timeline for the ACS to comply with the updated standards. The plan should describe and address considerations raised by the ICSP, OMB, other Federal agencies, and public comment.
  Inventory as of this Action Requested Previously Approved
06/30/2025 36 Months From Approved 05/31/2026
3,791,297 0 3,791,297
2,464,283 0 2,464,283
0 0 0