by Meghan Maury
Field Test of the Week: National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Methodological Field Tests. Data from the NSDUH are used to provide estimates of substance use and mental illness at the national, state, and substate levels. NSDUH data also help to identify the extent of substance use and mental illness among different subgroups, estimate trends over time, and determine the need for treatment services. Generally, the methodological tests included under this listing will explore things like questionnaire design, participation incentives, and sampling techniques.
Comments due May 12.
Every time the government makes a change to a survey or a form — or introduces a new survey or form — you have the right to weigh in on that decision. The Take Action! newsletter highlights surveys or forms the government is changing, renewing, or introducing. Click the links to tell the government what you think about the changes they are making.
Note: The Take Action tab of dataindex.us provides information about even more surveys, forms, evaluations, and records notices than are listed in your weekly newsletter.
Health + Healthcare
National Survey of Children's Health. The NSCH is designed to produce data on the physical and emotional health of children. Census and HHS are making several changes to both the survey's content — including implementing new SPD15 race and ethnicity question standards and removing response options related to sexual orientation and gender identity — and to the survey's methodology. Notably, many of the public comments on an earlier listing of this survey challenged the removal of sexual orientation and gender identity measures from the survey; Census responded to those comments by citing EO 14168, which does not address sexual orientation.
Comments due April 24.Bureau of Health Workforce Performance. These forms are used to report performance data from the over 50 Bureau of Health Workforce program grantees, which are designed to develop, expand, and enhance training, and to strengthen the distribution of the health workforce. HRSA is making dramatic changes to the reporting, eliminating entire forms and over 50 questions on items like employee demographics, community-based collaboration, cultural competency training, and employment outcomes. In addition, HRSA is revising the collection to align with new race/ethnicity standards in SPD15.
Comments due April 23.
Labor + Employment
National Worker Survey. This survey aims to estimate the prevalence of non-compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) among nonexempt workers across various industries, with an emphasis on low-wage sectors. The data collected will inform DOL in its efforts to improve compliance with the FLSA, optimize enforcement strategies, and enhance protections for vulnerable workers.
Comments due April 27.
Data Sharing
SSA and VA Data Sharing and Matching Agreement. Under this matching program, VA will provide SSA with compensation and pension payment data necessary to administer Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Special Veterans Benefits (SVB) and to fulfill SSA's obligations for the Medicare Savings Program (MSP) and Medicare Prescription Drug (Medicare Part D) subsidy (Extra Help).
Comments due April 27.EPA Data Sharing Agreement. EPA is modifying its acquisition/contract writing and management system to allow for data sharing with the Department of Treasury "for the purpose of identifying, preventing, or recouping fraud and improper payments.”
Comments due April 27.DOE Data Sharing Agreement. DOE is modifying 8 of its records systems to allow for the disclosure of records to the Department of the Treasury for the purposes of identifying, preventing, or recouping fraud and improper payments.
Comments due April 23.Export-Import Bank Data Sharing Agreement (Personnel Records) and Export-Import Bank Data Sharing Agreement (Financial Management). The Export-Import Bank is modifying its financial management records system (which holds information about customer names, bank account information, and company information) and its personnel payroll records system (which holds information about staff and payroll data) to allow for sharing with the Department of Treasury when disclosure of the information is relevant to review payment and award eligibility through the Do Not Pay Working System for the purposes of identifying, preventing, or recouping improper payments to an applicant for, or recipient of, Federal funds, including funds disbursed by a state in a state-administered, federally funded program.
Comments on both agreements are due April 26.
Safety
Distraction: Personal Electronic Devices. In this listing, NHTSA proposes to conduct an experimental research study to evaluate how safely drivers can interact with smartphone integration systems that allow access to smartphone applications through the vehicle's built-in display screen.
Comments due May 5.
Economic Justice
IRS Taxpayer Burden Surveys. These surveys help the IRS to provide accurate estimates of taxpayer compliance burden. The surveys are being updated to better assess taxpayer impact of the current tax rules and regulations, the increased usage of tax preparation software, increased efficiency of tax software, changes in tax preparation regulations, the increased use of electronic filing, the behavioral response of taxpayers to the tax system, the changing use of services, and related information collection needs.
Comments due May 11.