STATISTICAL PROGRAMS OF THE
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
FY 1996

The information in this report covers almost 70 Federal agencies that have annual budgets of $500,000 or more for statistical activities. This information was obtained from materials supplied to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) during the budget process, with the agencies providing additional details about their expenditures for reimbursable work and purchases of statistical services.

The report fulfills a responsibility of OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Section 3504(e)(2) of Title 44, United States Code) to prepare an annual report on statistical program funding.

Inquiries may be directed to the Chief Statistician, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, D. C. 20503.

Overview of Statistical Program Budgets

• Not all Federal spending on statistical activities is included. The report covers agencies having direct funding for statistical activities of at least $500,000 in FY 1994, or estimated direct funding for statistical activities of at least $500,000 in either FY 1995 or FY 1996. Using these criteria, the report includes the budgets for statistical programs and activities of almost 70 agencies.

• Funding for a statistical activity may increase or decrease as a result of the cyclical nature of a survey. Such increases or decreases should not be interpreted as changes in agency priorities, but rather as the normal consequences of the nature of the programs. Agencies also experience increases or decreases in their budgets because they conduct one-time surveys or studies in a particular fiscal year.

• Statistical activities are defined to include the following: (1) planning of statistical surveys and studies, including project design, sample design and selection, and design of questionnaires, forms, or other techniques of observation and data collection; (2) training of statisticians, interviewers, or processing personnel; (3) collection, processing, or tabulation of statistical data for publication, dissemination, research, analysis, or program management and evaluation; (4) publication or dissemination of statistical data and studies; (5) methodological testing or statistical research; (6) data analysis; (7) forecasts or projections that are published or otherwise made available for government-wide or public use; (8) statistical tabulation, dissemination, or publication of data collected by others; (9) construction of secondary data series or development of models that are an integral part of generating statistical series or forecasts; (10) management or coordination of statistical operations; and (11) statistical consulting or training.

• Major statistical programs differ in organizational structure and in the means by which they are funded. Some major statistical programs, such as labor force statistics and energy statistics, are carried out by agencies (the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Energy Information Administration, respectively) whose sole missions are statistical; these organizations are referred to as principal statistical agencies and appear as line items in the President's budget. In other cases, agencies have statistical programs that support their program planning and evaluation functions or that are an outgrowth of their administrative responsibilities. In these cases, the budget for statistical activities is a portion of the total appropriation for that agency. A statistical program is not always executed by the agency that sponsors it. In these instances, the work is done on a reimbursable basis by another Federal statistical agency or by a private organization under contract.

• Whether statistical work is done inside or outside the agency, the direct obligations reflect the level of statistical activities in support of the agency's mission. Table 1 presents direct program funding for FY 1994, FY 1995, and FY 1996 for major statistical programs, by department and agency.

Note: Figures shown in Table 1 have been provided by the agencies and are derived from "total direct program" funds (line 00.91) shown in the program and financing schedule for these agencies in the President's FY 1996 budget. The symbol "--" indicates that the amount reported by the agency was less than $50,000. Components may not add up to stated totals because of rounding.

Bureau of the Census: The appropriated level for FY 1995 was $27.5 million below the President's request. Funds totaling $6.2 million were not provided for planned program increases for services statistics, construction statistics, and manufacturing statistics. In addition, the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code research was reduced by $1.4 million; the 2000 decennial census planning budget was reduced by $6.6 million; the mid-decade computer modernization was reduced by $3.3 million; and the request of $7.4 million to develop further Computer Assisted Survey Information Collection (CASIC) was not provided. Funding was increased by Congress to accelerate work on poverty statistics and to prototype high performance computing technology for the 2000 census.

Bureau of Economic Analysis: The FY 1995 appropriation, which was $6.2 million below the President's request, did not provide funds requested by the Administration to modernize and extend the national accounts and to launch new initiatives, including the Integrated Environmental-Economic Satellite Accounts. Funds to redesign the information collection, processing, and estimation process also were reduced. (The BEA subsequently received a Departmental transfer of funds to provide sufficient resources to begin the redesign effort.) In addition, BEA began a process to designate a private custodian for its Composite Indexes of Leading, Coincident, and Lagging Indicators series. This effort resulted in a reprogramming of funds from the indicators program to address some of the needed improvements in the national economic accounts.

Bureau of Justice Statistics: FY 1995 funding was appropriated at the requested level, which included a base increase of $436,000 from the FY 1994 appropriated level.

Bureau of Labor Statistics: The FY 1995 appropriation was $15.8 million below the President's request. At the same time, additional funds were provided by the Congress for BLS to include Georgia and Virginia among the states for which direct monthly estimates of employment and unemployment are produced. Subsequently, Congress rescinded $0.7 million for that program and also rescinded $2.0 million for administrative functions.

Bureau of Transportation Statistics: FY 1995 funding was appropriated at the requested level. The $2.0 million increase in the agency's funding above the requested level reflects the transfer of the aviation information statistics program from the Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Economic Research Service: FY 1995 funding was appropriated at approximately the requested level.

Energy Information Administration: The FY 1995 appropriation was $0.4 million lower than the President's request. There was no significant impact on statistical programs from this reduction. Savings were achieved through efficiencies in data collection, reporting, processing, and publishing afforded by prior-year investments in new capabilities and technologies.

National Agricultural Statistics Service: The FY 1995 appropriation was $8.5 million below the President's request. Funds were not provided for proposed increases to the Distributed Data Base Systems program for the State Statistical Offices, the Pesticide Data Program, and the Restricted Use Pesticide Data program.

National Center for Education Statistics: The FY 1995 appropriation was $20.9 million below the President's request. This funding level required a change in the periodicity of core surveys that will result in less frequent collection of data in areas such as teacher attrition, student financial aid, pre-kindergarten schooling, and adult education. In addition, analyses of data previously collected will be reduced. Preparation for a 1996 assessment of art programs also had to be delayed.

National Center for Health Statistics: The FY 1995 appropriation was $2 million below the President's budget request. This decrease resulted in the postponement of the next cycle of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) which was to begin in 1997; reducing the number of items collected from birth and death records; and minor adjustments to the timing of the Health Provider Surveys.

FY 1996 Budget Highlights

Bureau of the Census: Increases are provided for the Economic Statistics initiative that will improve services statistics (+$5.8), State and local government data for the gross domestic product (+$1.4), export statistics (+$1.6), construction statistics (+$1.3), restructuring of the Standard Industrial Classification (+$3.9), and Statistics 2000 initiative (+$2.3); Computer-Assisted Survey Information Collection initiative (+$11.5); American Community Survey (formerly Continuous Measurement Survey) initiative (+$11.0); Sample Redesign initiative (+$2.0); data processing systems modernization (+$12.4).

Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA): Increases are provided to strengthen the underlying source data for the economic accounts (+$1.6); to modernize and extend the economic accounts (+$3.3); and to develop a customer-oriented data collection and dissemination system (+$3.6).

Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS): The request does not include any program changes but does include an increase to the base from the FY 1995 appropriated level (+$0.6).

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): Increases are requested for work related to the continuation of the periodic revision of the Consumer Price Index (+$6.2); government-wide revisions to both the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) and the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) systems (+$2.6); and new business surveys on emerging labor market issues (+$3.1).

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS): Increases are provided for the expansion of the Transborder Freight Study; to initiate an Intermodal Equipment Inventory and Use Survey, a Nationwide Truck Activity Survey, and major extensions to the 1997 Economic Census and Census of Governments; and to establish an Information Technology Center (+$5.0).

Economic Research Service (ERS): Increases are provided to maintain statistical programs at the current level (+$1.2).

Energy Information Administration (EIA): The budget request provides for the same level of funding as the FY 1995 appropriation.

National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS): Increases are provided for the enhanced Distributed Processing Data Base Systems Program (+$1.1); the Pesticide Use Data Program (+$3.3); and the Integrated Pest Management/Restricted Use Pesticide Data program (+$3.0).

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): Increases are provided for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)(+$5.2), and to enhance the general statistics program by increasing the frequency and types of data collected about the condition of, and trends in, education (+$8.8).

National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS): The budget request provides essentially the same level of funding as the FY 1995 appropriation.

Reimbursable Programs

Table 2 presents a list of agencies that reported performing at least $100,000 of statistical work on a reimbursable basis for State and local governments, the private sector, and/or other Federal agencies, ranked by the estimated size of the reimbursable program for FY 1996. As shown in the Appendix, of the estimated total of $425.6 million in reimbursable work, an estimated $339.8 million is performed for other Federal agencies. A large portion of the reimbursable work performed for other Federal agencies is funded through intradepartmental transfers, as discussed below.

Notes: Reimbursements from the private sector also include funds received from foreign governments. Agencies receiving funds from foreign governments are: Census ($3,206,000); USGS ($140,000); BLS ($250,000); NOAA ($200,000); OBA ($11,000); and BEA ($88,000). Components may not add up to stated totals because of rounding. The symbol "--" indicates that the amount reported by the agency was less than $50,000.

For FY 1996, the Census Bureau has the largest reimbursable program, totaling $170 million. Most of this work ($154 million) entails data collections and preparation of tabulations for other Federal agencies. In particular, the Census Bureau expects to perform approximately $52.6 million of reimbursable work for the Department of Labor, including the Current Population Survey, the Point of Purchase Survey, and the Consumer Expenditure Survey for BLS.

Examples of reimbursable work that the Census Bureau expects to perform for other Federal agencies include: the National Schools and Staffing Surveys, the Private Schools Survey, and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Survey for NCES; the Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey for EIA; the National Health Interview Survey, the National Hospital Discharge Survey, the National Mortality Followback, and the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey for NCHS; the American Housing Survey and the Housing Sales Survey for the Department of Housing and Urban Development; the National Crime Survey and National Prisoner Statistics Program for BJS; the Commodity Flow Study and the American Travel Survey for the Department of Transportation; and the Survey of College Graduates for the National Science Foundation. In addition, the Census Bureau receives funds from the Agency for International Development and from foreign governments for training and advising in statistical techniques.

The Water Resources Division in the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has the second largest reimbursable program estimated at $105.1 million. Among the Federal agencies, USGS performs the largest amount (almost $53 million) of work for the States through a Federal-State Cooperative Program. This program provides for water resources appraisals, hydrologic data collection and analysis, areal water-resources appraisals and special analytical and interpretive studies. The Water Resources Division also expects to perform almost $50 million in statistical work for other Federal agencies including: hydrologic data collections and analyses for the Departments of Defense, Agriculture, Energy, State, and Transportation; other agencies in the Department of the Interior; the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) in HHS has the third largest reimbursable program, estimated at $38.1 million. This reimbursable work is conducted through the use of grants, contracts, and interagency agreements for other agencies within HHS. These intradepartmental transfers of funds will be used for the third National Medical Expenditure Survey and to research and evaluate the effectiveness of medical treatment and health services under the Medical Treatment Effectiveness Program.

Slightly over half of BLS's reimbursable work is done for other agencies in the Department of Labor. This work includes, for example, an estimated $7.2 million that will be transferred to BLS from the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) for the Mass Layoffs Statistics Program, for surveys of training availability in companies and displaced workers surveys, for the National Longitudinal Wage data base project, and for providing labor statistics for Vietnam era veterans. In addition, the Employment Standards Administration will transfer $3.3 million to BLS to conduct studies of occupational wages in selected areas and industries. The BLS also is reimbursed by the Labor Department's Bureau of International Labor Affairs for providing statistical training for foreign participants, and by the Employment Standards Administration to conduct studies of occupational wages in selected areas and industries.

A large portion of the reimbursable work in HHS is done within the Department. As noted above, most of the reimbursable work performed by AHCPR will be funded from transfers from the Public Health Service (PHS) one-percent evaluation fund. Most of the reimbursable statistical work performed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) including NCHS is done for other agencies within HHS. All the reimbursable work of the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) is done for the PHS' Medical Treatment Effectiveness Program.

Intradepartmental transfers also support much of the reimbursable work shown in Table 2 for Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies. Approximately $6.3 million of NASS' reimbursable work is done for other agencies in USDA. In particular, NASS will receive from the Economic Research Service $3.4 million for survey support in the areas of farm costs and returns. The NASS will also be reimbursed by the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service for providing training and technical assistance in statistics. The ERS will receive approximately $5.7 million for performing evaluation studies and analyses for other USDA agencies. The Foreign Agricultural Service will provide an estimated $6.8 million in statistical services to the Commodity Credit Corporation in support of export programs. The Natural Resources Conservation Service will receive approximately $0.2 million for soil survey work on Forest Service land.

Purchases of Statistical Services

Note: Components may not sum to stated totals because of rounding. The symbol "--" indicates that the amount reported by the agency was less than $50,000.

When the contract is a transfer of funds to another Federal agency, the contract is a direct program obligation in the budget of the purchasing agency, and is part of the reimbursable program of the agency providing the service. Examples of these kinds of purchases of statistical services were given above in the section on reimbursable programs. The National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration (USTTA), and OASPE can purchase more than their direct funding for statistics allows because they receive the difference from other Federal agencies under their reimbursable programs.

The four largest purchasers of statistical services are BLS ($139 million), CDC including NCHS ($97.6 million), NCES ($97.4 million), and EPA ($92.5 million). They are followed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) ($83.8 million) and the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) ($81.1 million). During FY 1996, it is estimated that Federal agencies covered by this report will purchase $1,070.2 million in statistical services. Of this total approximately half of the services will be purchased from the private sector, about 30 percent from State and local governments, and approximately 20 percent from other Federal agencies.

The largest purchasers of statistical services from the States are BLS ($81.5 million), ETA ($80.5 million), EPA ($52.3 million), CDC including NCHS ($42.2 million), NASS ($21.5 million), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) ($18.6 million). The BLS funds support the cooperative labor force statistics program. The ETA funds support the States in developing the statistical resources for the One-Stop Career Centers. The EPA funds support State operation of the nationwide air quality monitoring network. The CDC funds reimburse the States for their participation in the collection of vital statistics and for their cooperation in the reporting of diseases. The NASS funds support data collection services provided by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. The SAMHSA funds are provided to States to implement the minimum data standards developed by the Mental Health Statistics Improvement Program, and to develop an assessment of their needs for substance abuse treatment and prevention services under the block grant program. In all cases, the cooperation of the States is essential to the production of Federal data.

Based on the information shown in the Appendix, the agencies reported that they expect to purchase an estimated $521 million in statistical services from the private sector during FY 1996. Of that total, approximately $387 million in purchases from the private sector are made by the following eight agencies: NCES ($83.7 million), NIH ($73.9 million), NSF ($47.9 million), SAMHSA ($43.3 million), EIA ($40.6 million), EPA ($39.8 million), AHCPR ($32.0 million), and OASPE ($25.6 million). The private sector provides a variety of services, such as survey design, data collection and processing, analysis, program evaluation, preparation of reports, data dissemination, computer services, and methodological research and development.

The Appendix presents estimates (rounded to the nearest $100,000) of direct funding, reimbursements, and purchases for FY 1996, as reported by each of the agencies covered in this report.

For purposes of this discussion, the statistical programs are divided into the following categories: Health and Safety Statistics; Social and Demographic Statistics; Statistics on Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment; and Economic Statistics.

Health and Safety Statistics

Health

The statistical activities of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) support the design and implementation of epidemiological studies, clinical trials, biomedical research, and laboratory investigations conducted by the various institutes. The NIH also supports data collections on health and health-related topics by Federal agencies, industry, State and local governments, and private nonprofit organizations.

The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) collects, analyzes, and disseminates data on health care use and expenditures, and supports studies on the outcomes of medical treatment and health services. AHCPR and NCHS are jointly responsible for the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, which produces annual national estimates for a variety of measures related to health status, health insurance coverage, health care use, and expenditures and sources of payments for health services.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) collects, maintains, analyzes, and disseminates information relating to serious diseases, mortality, and human exposure to toxic or hazardous substances, and establishes registries necessary for long-term followup or specific scientific studies.

The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) collects administrative data associated with its oversight of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and also studies the quality of care delivered by those programs.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) collects data about general health services, the health professions workforce, and resource issues relating to access, equity, quality, and cost of care; and maintains the Scientific Registry for organ transplants.

The Indian Health Service (IHS) collects information regarding the status of the health care delivery program for American Indians and Alaska Natives.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides information on health problems related to the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol, and the mental health condition of the population.

The Department of Energy's Office of Environment, Safety, and Health conducts epidemiological studies of the health effects of exposure to radiation and other hazardous substances.

Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1996 are as follows:

• The budget request for CDC includes a $20 million initiative to fund critical data needs in a variety of areas, such as completing the disability survey being conducted as part of the National Health Interview Survey. The proposed funding also provides for expanding inventories of health care providers, conducting surveys of the public health infrastructure, and enhancing the national health accounts through improvements to the Current Population Survey (CPS).

• The budget request for NCHS provides for continued operation of most major surveys and data systems; one exception is the postponement of the next cycle of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) program. Since the requested funding level does not provide for inflation increases, minor adjustments will be made in the sample size, coverage, and timing of a number of surveys. The NCHS also will implement a major redesign of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) questionnaire, which will refocus the survey on high priority public health issues.

• The budget request for NIH includes funds to investigate disease syndromes that predispose certain individuals to breast cancer; to continue the cancer Surveillance Program, which monitors the effects of cancer on the U.S. population by measuring cancer incidence, mortality, and survival; and to assess individual, societal, and health service factors that relate to cancer.

• The proposed budget for SAMHSA includes funds to undertake several program improvements. The Office of Applied Studies (OAS) will conduct a Youth Survey and the Tuberculosis Screening Practices Survey, and develop a new data system that will permit linked analysis of client and facility level data. The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) will initiate the 1996 Inventory of Mental Health Organizations and General Hospital Mental Health Services, and the Inventory of Organized Self-Help; expand the collection of information from managed care organizations and health maintenance organizations that provide behavioral health care services; and participate in the NHIS 1996 Child and Family Health Supplement. The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) will initiate the State Managed Care Evaluation Program to assess State level changes in the management and financing of substance abuse treatment services.

Safety

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) collects and reports data on the occurrence of work related injuries and illnesses.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) maintains a national injury and illness recordkeeping system based upon employer records, which is used to determine the cases that are included in the annual BLS safety and health statistics survey.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) collects current information on accidents, injuries, and illnesses in the mining industry, including mine, victim, and equipment characteristics, as well as causal information. This information is coded, computerized, and analyzed on a daily basis to provide current accident, injury, and illness information to MSHA's inspectorate, engineering staff, and education and training staff.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) conducts data collection, analysis, and dissemination activities on consumer product-related hazards and potential hazards. As part of its statistical programs, CPSC maintains the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), which provides national consumer product-related injury statistics based on the reporting of a sample of hospital emergency rooms.

Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1996 are as follows:

• The OSHA plans to continue a multi-year effort to improve safety and health data by developing a comprehensive system for the collection and use of workplace information. This includes assisting employers with injury and illness recordkeeping and the electronic transmission of their log data to OSHA; developing input and edit capability for this information; and identifying establishment profiles for the purpose of inspection targeting.

• By increasing its field staff, the CPSC plans to improve its hazard reduction efforts by collecting more timely product-related mortality data. Telephone interviewers will be used to identify product injury cases where on-site follow-up is necessary, and highly trained staff will be reserved for on-site investigations of injuries associated with consumer products.

Social and Demographic Statistics

2000 Decennial Census

• The budget request for FY 1996 includes funds to allow the Census Bureau to complete evaluations of proposed census design changes and begin preparatory work to implement the newly selected design; conduct national tests on how to ask questions about racial and ethnic identification, and on other potential questions for the 2000 census; continue collaboration with stakeholders on an outreach and promotion program; and continue research on sampling and estimation techniques for producing the 2000 census results. Funding is also provided for Computer Assisted Survey Information and Collection (CASIC) which maximizes the use of automation and telecommunications in the collection and processing of data; for further development of the American Community Survey (formerly known as Continuous Measurement) as the method for collecting the long form data traditionally collected as part of the decennial census; and for improvements in the data processing systems in preparation for the 2000 census.

Current Demographic Statistics

The Census Bureau's current demographic statistics program provides information on the number, geographic distribution, and social and economic characteristics of the population, and supports tests of new approaches and concepts for demographic surveys.

The Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) has responsibility in the Department of Defense for collecting and integrating manpower and personnel data to support department-wide studies, analysis, research, and reporting requirements.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) collects information for the evaluation of its programs for children and youth, such as Headstart, Job Opportunities and Basic Skills, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, child support enforcement, adoption assistance, foster care, child care, and child abuse programs.

The statistical activities of the Administration on Aging (AoA) are conducted in support of the research, analysis, and evaluation of programs to meet the needs of the elderly population.

The Food and Consumer Service (FCS), formerly the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), conducts surveys, program evaluations, and studies to evaluate the Food Stamp, Child Nutrition, and other food assistance programs which it administers.

The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has assumed the responsibility for the nationwide food consumption surveys that previously were conducted by the Human Nutrition Information Service (HNIS). (Legislation passed on February 20, 1994, transferred the functions and staff of HNIS to ARS.)

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (OASPE) funds studies on policy issues related to programs in HHS.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) collects, tabulates, and publishes data on the Old-Age and Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs and their beneficiary populations. The SSA also performs actuarial and demographic research to assess the impact of program changes or alternatives.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) statistical program provides data on the volume, characteristics, financing, price, and suitability of housing in the United States.

The statistical programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) focus on providing estimates of the veteran population, including socioeconomic data; on analyses of patient use of VA health care; on the medical care provided to veterans in VA medical centers, nursing homes, domiciliaries and outpatient clinics; and on medical research.

The Agency for International Development (AID) collects and analyzes data on population and family planning to assist developing countries in planning and evaluating population programs and programs for socioeconomic development.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) collects data from public and private employers and labor organizations about the composition of their workforces by sex and by racial and ethnic categories. These data are used to carry out EEOC's enforcement activities under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Science Resources Studies statistical program comprises surveys that measure the magnitude and characteristics of the domestic and international resources devoted to science and engineering. The NSF also provides funding in support of social science research and studies, such as the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, the General Social Survey, and the National Election Studies.

The Office of Science, Education, and Technology Information (OSETI), in the Department of Energy, provides information on degree attainment in science and engineering, and forecasts the availability of trained persons in the fields of science necessary for research and development in the energy area.

Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1996 are as follows:

• The budget request for SSA includes an increase for disability research in the Disability Evaluation Study and the Disability Applicant Survey.

• The budget request for NSF provides an increase for the start-up of new survey cycles for the Academic Research and Development Survey, Academic Research Instrumentation and Facilities Surveys, and the Survey of Doctoral Recipients.

• The decrease in the budget request for the Policy Development and Research office of HUD is due to the completion of the Survey of Landlords.

• Within existing resources, the VA will develop a new National Patient Care Database that will result in the elimination of several patient care related systems in future years.

• The budget request for the Public and Indian Housing office of HUD provides for a national survey of tenants' satisfaction with their residence, assessment of the crime rate in their environment, and of social services provided to them.

• The OASPE budget request provides for research on health care reform, welfare reform, poverty, family support and preservation, disability, and long-term care.

Crime and Justice

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) collects, analyzes, publishes, and disseminates statistical information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operations of justice systems at all levels of government and internationally.

The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) prepares projections of the prison population and conducts studies on such topics as recidivism, inmate programs, inmate misconduct, and institutional social climate.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) produces data on Federal drug law enforcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) produces statistics on Federal criminal offenses reported to the police.

The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) produces and analyzes data on immigrants, refugees, temporary visitors (nonimmigrants), naturalizations, and apprehension and removal of illegal aliens.

New activities planned for FY 1996 to improve data related to crime and immigration are as follows:

• The request for BJS includes funds for the National Crime Victimization Survey, National Prisoner Statistics, Annual Jail Survey, and the 1996 State Prison Inmate Survey.

• The request for INS includes funds to establish a Center for Immigration Statistics that would permit a substantial increase in data collection and analysis to build upon programs that provide estimates of the resident unauthorized alien population, overstay of nonimmigrants, and cohort naturalization.

Education

Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1996 are as follows:

• The budget request for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a congressionally mandated, nationally representative assessment that determines and reports the status and trends in educational achievement in a variety of subjects, would support national assessments in mathematics, science, and reading at grades 4, 8, and 12, and State assessments in mathematics and science at grades 4 and 8. The request also would support planning for an assessment of the arts in grade 8 in 1997 on a small sample of students.

• Increases in the statistics program would be used to collect from a sample of households education data that are not readily obtainable from schools and teachers; to provide additional data on adult literacy, workplace literacy skills, postsecondary education skills, and instructional practices at the elementary and secondary levels; and to facilitate the inclusion of data from special populations, such as students with limited English proficiency or requiring special education services, in the Center's elementary and secondary level surveys.

Transportation Statistics

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) compiles, analyzes, and makes accessible information on the Nation's transportation systems; collects information on intermodal transportation and other areas as needed; and enhances the quality and effectiveness of DOT's statistical programs through research, development of guidelines, and promotion of improvements in data acquisition and use.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) collects data on aviation safety.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) collects, analyzes, and disseminates data on the Nation's highway system, financing, travel, fuel consumption, extent of the highway system, vehicle registrations, drivers licenses, and personal travel characteristics.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) collects and disseminates public mass transportation financial and operating data.

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) maintains data bases on foreign trade, vessels, port facilities, shipbuilding and repair, equipment owned by American steamship and container leasing companies, and maritime employment.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) collect information on motor vehicle-related accidents and fatalities and highway safety.

The Office of the Secretary of Transportation collects, analyzes, and publishes data in support of the Department's programs and transportation policy decision making.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) collects data on railroad traffic, accidents, and grade crossings.

The United States Travel and Tourism Administration (USTTA) in the Department of Commerce provides data on international travel markets; traveler characteristics, motivations, destinations, and spending patterns; and projections of future visitors to the United States.

Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1996 are as follows:

• The budget request for BTS includes funds to expand the Transborder Freight Study; to initiate the Intermodal Equipment Inventory and Use Survey and the Nationwide Truck Activity Survey; and to extend the 1997 Economic Censuses and the Census of Governments. These studies will provide information on transportation requirements of private industry, private and quasi-public transit services, energy consumption and costs of transportation, and on business use of automobiles. Funding is also included for establishing the Information Technology Center which will provide BTS access to existing public and private data bases and make available to the public the DOT information data base.

• The NHTSA budget request includes increases for quality control improvements in the Fatal Accident Reporting System; improving the analytical potential of the data obtained through the State Data Program; and studies on pedestrian safety.

Statistics on Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment

Environment

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) gathers worldwide environmental data about the ocean, earth, air, space, and sun and their interactions to describe and predict the state of the physical environment. The NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service and National Climate Data Center maintain archives and environmental data bases that support statistical analyses and research throughout the Federal Government and the academic community. These include crop type and crop yield analyses for the Department of Agriculture; climatic, atmospheric, and environmental data for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Department of Defense; and remote-sensed data to support high-technology cartography. The NOAA conducts research and studies to provide baseline data and to evaluate and support environmental monitoring systems.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) collects remote-sensed data to support climate research and to describe and measure the energy and environmental phenomena that may contribute to climate variation and change.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) through its mapping program acquires and maintains basic data to support digital cartography throughout the Federal Government (e.g., Geographic Information Systems and geographic support for surveys). The Water Resources Division in the USGS maintains the National Water Resources Research and Information System and the National Water-Quality Assessment Program. The USGS collects, analyzes, interprets, and makes available information on the quantity, quality, and location of the Nation's ground and surface waters. In cooperation with the States, academia, and other Federal agencies, the USGS administers the National Trends Network for monitoring acid precipitation chemistry in the United States.

Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1996 are as follows:

• The budget request for EPA includes funds for activities to maintain the air quality information system for monitoring compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS); continue the Health Effects Research Laboratory Management Information System, which maintains a data base of health effects information from completed health studies; provide studies of populations at risk, environmental indicators reporting, and quality assurance of all headquarters data systems in the Superfund programs; and investigate human health effects associated with toxic substance exposure.

Energy and Minerals

The Bureau of Mines (BoM) collects, interprets, analyzes, and disseminates information on mineral resources and production, consumption, and recycling for virtually every commercially important nonfuel mineral material.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) collects data on off-shore oil, gas, and minerals as part of its responsibility for management of both the Outer Continental Shelf Lands and the Royalty Management Programs. The MMS is responsible for resource evaluation and classification, lease management activities, and the collection of revenues from minerals leasing.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) maintains the Mineral Resource Data System data base, which contains information on the location and geologic occurrence of minerals and mineral commodities. The USGS also has two computer-based information systems of onshore oil and gas resources to aid in resource assessment studies. One contains information on the size of oil and gas pools and fields, their year of discovery, and their rate of production; the other has records on individual wells. The National Coal Resources Data System contains areal or regional point-source information on U.S. coal resources.

Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1996 are as follows:

• The budget request for EIA is at approximately the FY 1995 appropriation level. This reflects efficiency improvements and the moving of the greenhouse gases program from the Energy Markets and End Use program to the Integrated Analysis and Forecasting program to tie the program to EIA's long-term energy and environmental forecasting. The request also provides funding for the energy consumption survey program.

• Increases requested by BoM are proposed to upgrade survey processing and to improve methods for forecasting commodity statistics.

Soil, Forest, Fish, Wildlife, and Public Lands

The Forest Service (FS) conducts renewable resource inventories of forest lands and collects statistics on forest products. These data are used to identify trends in extent, condition, ownership, quantity and quality of timber, and other forest resources.

The statistical activities of the National Biological Survey (NBS) include research and monitoring of trends in contaminant residue levels in birds and fish by geographic location. The NBS annual bird banding program is conducted to determine the distribution, mortality, and survival of migratory game and nongame species. Data from NBS' annual breeding bird survey are used to identify species whose populations are declining and which may eventually become candidates for listing under the Endangered Species Act.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in NOAA collects and publishes data on the volume and value of commercial fish and shellfish landings; the catch by recreational fishermen; employment of people and craft in the fisheries; number of recreational fishermen; production of manufactured fishery products; and fishery prices.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) conducts annual surveys to monitor the waterfowl, dove, and woodcock populations, and to evaluate waterfowl harvests.

Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1996 are as follows:

• The budget request for NRCS includes an increase to enhance field office operations for the Soil Surveys Program by incorporating the Geographic Information Systems information into the Natural Resources Database.

• The request for NMFS includes an increase to continue development and implementation of new fishery management plans for a number of commercially and recreationally important marine fish species as required by the Magnuson Fisheries Conservation and Management Act of 1976.

• The request for FWS includes funds for the 1996 Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. Funding is also proposed to support the new cooperative national Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program that will provide the FWS with a list of all licensed migratory bird hunters in participating States from which a sample can be selected for the migratory bird harvest surveys.

• The NBS will develop and implement a revised contaminant residue level monitoring program for birds and fish using newly developed biomonitoring tools.

Economic Statistics

Periodic Censuses

Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1996 are as follows:

• FY 1996 is the second year in the six-year cycle of the 1997 Economic Censuses. Activities will focus on content development and work that will be required for the planned revision of the Standard Industrial Classification system as well as the revised product system for goods and services.

• FY 1996 is the second year in the five-year cycle of the 1997 Census of Governments. In addition to list updating, activities will focus on the government organization, taxable property values, and government finance and employment portions of the census.

• FY 1996 is the second year in the six-year cycle of the 1997 Census of Agriculture. Activities will focus on content development, including the completion of the 1995 evaluation of content and forms design, and the preparation of the 1996 test of the final content and processing procedures.

Current Economic Statistics

The International Trade Administration (ITA) in the Department of Commerce uses data on imports, exports, production, prices, foreign direct investment in the United States, and other economic data to analyze domestic and foreign market situations.

The Office of Business Analysis (OBA) in the Department of Commerce makes current economic statistics available through the Economic Bulletin Board and operates the National Trade Data Bank and the National Economic, Social, and Environmental Data Bank.

The Corps of Engineers in the Department of Defense collects and publishes statistical data on waterborne commerce and vessel operations on waterways, ports, and harbors of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The U.S. Customs Service verifies tariff and trade data which are tabulated, analyzed, and disseminated by the Census Bureau.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) maintains a small business data base and conducts economic and statistical research into matters affecting small businesses.

Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1996 are as follows:

• The Census Bureau's budget request includes funds to:

  --Improve Gross Domestic Product (GDP) source data on services by beginning the annual collection of data on services purchased by industry and the quarterly collection of corporate profits data for the services sector. Annual survey coverage would be expanded to include additional transportation, public utilities, finance, insurance, and real estate industries as well as to provide detailed annual measures of industry output and expenditures for business, recreation, and health service industries.

  --Improve State and local government data used in the GDP estimates by including data on contracted services and government-owned fixed capital.

  --Improve export data by working in partnership with the U.S. Customs Service to develop an Automated Export System that will simplify the export documentation process and streamline the Nation's export control system.

  --Improve construction statistics by expanding coverage of nonresidential reconstruction; develop, test, and implement a survey to collect nonresidential building price information; and research and develop new techniques and methods to measure construction at manufacturing and industrial sites.

National Accounts

Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1996 are as follows:

• Strengthening source data for the economic accounts in the areas of consumer spending for services, purchases by State and local governments, construction, high-tech products, inventories, international trade in financial services, and international capital flows.

• Modernizing and extending the economic accounts in accordance with international guidelines including development of accounting software; undertaking more comprehensive accounting for governments, households, and nonprofit institutions; developing an integrated set of economic and environmental accounts; and pursuing work on the North American Industry Classification System now being carried out in collaboration with the national statistical offices of Canada and Mexico.

• Redesigning the economic information collection process to improve reliability and reduce the cost and the burden on businesses. Requested funds would enable BEA to move from mainframe-oriented data processing to an integrated microcomputer network thereby making data products more accessible.

Statistics of Income

No major program changes are planned for FY 1996.

Labor

The statistical activities of the Employment Standards Administration (ESA) support surveys of occupational wages in selected industries.

The statistical activities of the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) support the collection and dissemination of local, State, and national occupational, wage, and other labor market information.

Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1996 are as follows:

• The budget request for BLS includes increases to:

  --Continue work in FY 1996 on the multi-year revision of the Consumer Price Index scheduled for completion in 2000.

  --Revise the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) to establish common industry classifications for the United States, Canada, and Mexico to facilitate economic analysis that covers the whole of North America; and to revise the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system to provide a cross-referencing mechanism for all federal agencies collecting occupational data.

  --Conduct periodic specialized establishment surveys on emerging labor market concerns and conditions to provide for rapid policy response.

• The budget request for ETA includes funds for continued development of the Labor Department's "One-Stop Career Center System." The system will substantially enhance State and local collection of occupation, wage, and other labor market information to improve employment services. National standards will be used to collect new information so that it can be summarized at the local, State, and national levels and readily disseminated through a national information system

Agriculture

The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) collects, summarizes, analyzes, and publishes agricultural production and marketing data on a wide range of items including: number of farms and land in farms; acreage, yield, production, and stocks of grains, hay, oilseeds, cotton, potatoes, tobacco, fruits, selected vegetables, floriculture, and selected specialty crops; inventories and production of hogs, cattle, sheep and wool, goats and mohair, mink, catfish, trout, poultry, eggs, and dairy products; prices received by farmers for products, prices paid for commodities and services, and related indexes; cold storage supplies; agricultural chemical use; and related areas of the agricultural economy. Estimates for approximately 120 crops and 45 livestock items are published in over 400 reports each year.

The statistical work of the Economic Research Service (ERS) includes research, situation and outlook analysis, and development of economic and statistical indicators in four areas -- commercial agriculture, food and consumer economics, natural resources and environment, and rural economy.

The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) maintains a worldwide agricultural market intelligence and commodity reporting service to gather information on world agricultural production and trade. FAS analyzes this information to assess the foreign supply and demand conditions in order to provide estimates of the current situation and to forecast the export potential for U.S. agricultural commodities. The FAS program serves as the analytical foundation for USDA's export programs and is an important factor in trade policy efforts.

Major program changes and new activities planned for FY 1996 are as follows:

• The budget request for NASS includes increases for:

  --The enhanced Distributed Processing Data Base Systems Program that will reduce mainframe processing costs by distributing the farm list maintenance systems, survey processing systems, and historical survey data bases to local area networks in the NASS State Statistical Offices.

  --The Pesticide Use Data Program to expand chemical use surveys to 12 additional States and include 10 additional crops.

  --The collection of restricted use pesticide data on a national basis in all agricultural areas by product and commodity as required by Section 1491 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990.

Updates on Previously Reported Activities

Sharing of Statistical Information

Initiatives of the Statistical Policy Office to enhance public confidence in the stewardship of sensitive data in Federal statistical programs and to permit limited sharing of confidential data for exclusively statistical purposes received a substantial impetus in the 1995 reauthorization of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) which was signed into law by the President on May 22, 1995. The Act strongly endorses the principles embodied in statistical confidentiality pledges and charges OMB to promote sharing of data for statistical purposes within a strong confidentiality framework. The final language of the new PRA also incorporates both substantive and technical amendments designed to strengthen confidentiality protection in sections 3504(e), 3506(e), 3506(g), and 3510(b). Congressional endorsement of statistical confidentiality principles was also reflected in OMB's revised Paperwork Rule adopted in August 1995.

OMB currently expects to seek public comment on an order that would clarify, and make consistent, government policy protecting the privacy and confidentiality interests of individuals or organizations who provide data for any Federal statistical program. The order is intended to assure respondents who supply statistical information that their responses would be held in confidence and would not be used against them in any government action. It would at the same time aim to resolve a number of ambiguities in existing law and to give additional weight and stature to policies that statistical agencies have pursued for decades.

2000 Decennial Census Planning

The FY 1996 budget proposes funding to continue the Census Bureau's research and development efforts to examine fundamental changes for the future. During 1996, the Census Bureau will evaluate the results of the 1995 Census Test which addressed the most promising options for taking the next decennial census. Sampling and estimation procedures will be tested as a means to reduce both the differential in the count and the cost of the census. Further work will be undertaken on exploring statistical techniques and the use of administrative records to estimate the number and types of people missed in the census, while the decennial census is being conducted, so that the combined results would produce a "one-number" census. At the same time, proposed content for the 2000 census continues to be reviewed by Federal agencies to determine items that are specifically mandated in legislation, those that are required by legislation, and those that are requested by agencies for programmatic uses.

The Census Bureau will also continue its work on the Master Address File (MAF) and the sharing of addresses with State and local governments. Public Law 103-140 assigns to OMB the task of developing an appeals process to resolve differences between local areas and the Census Bureau. The Census Bureau has published a Federal Register (60 FR 45137-40) notice on the acceptance of local addresses for consideration in the decennial census, and further work on developing the proposed process will be undertaken during the coming year.

Economic Statistics Initiative

As part of this effort, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) announced on December 22, 1994, the initiation of a "Mid-Decade Strategic Review" of the Nation's economic accounts. Initial steps have included: (1) the January 11, 1995, release of seven papers providing background material, tallies of shortcomings, and alternative proposals to maintain the accuracy, reliability, and relevance of the economic accounts; (2) a proposed strategic plan to improve the economic accounts published in the Bureau of Economic Analysis' February 1995 Survey of Current Business; and (3) a March 21, 1995, conference of users of the accounts to present the findings of the review and discuss the plan.

In response to comments received from these initial steps, BEA revised its proposed strategic plan. This revised plan, published in the April 1995 Survey of Current Business, outlined the improvements that will be incorporated as BEA proceeds with this initiative. These include the introduction of new measures of real output and prices based on an annual-weighted index; the implementation of an improved empirical basis for the estimates of depreciation and capital stocks; and the treatment of government purchases of structures and equipment as an investment. The plan also includes developing new methods and concepts for measuring changes in output and prices for difficult-to-measure goods and services; updating and improving measurements in services and other industries; improving measures of investment, savings, and wealth; and improving the coverage of international transactions.

Revision of the Consumer Price Index

In order to maintain the relevance of the CPI, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) undertakes a comprehensive updating of the index approximately every 10 years. The revision provides opportunities to reflect changes in the geographic distribution of the population and in consumers' buying habits, to incorporate improvements in technology and index methodology, and to redesign survey questionnaires and computer systems to make the index a more accurate and reliable reflection of economic conditions. An updated CPI, based upon the 1990 distribution of the U.S. urban population and the 1993 - 1995 pattern of consumer expenditures, will be introduced in January 1998. The BLS budget for FY 1996 requests funding for work on the revision scheduled for completion in 2000.

As part of its continuing effort to improve the accuracy of the CPI, BLS introduced a number of methodological changes beginning with the index for January 1995. These improvements affected the food at home, prescription drugs, residential rent, and owners equivalent rent components of the index. Together, these improvements are estimated to reduce the annual increase in the CPI by about 0.1 percentage point.

Additional BLS research in 1995 indicated that a further adjustment to index methods was warranted in order to address a systematic upward bias stemming from the way price changes in the CPI are calculated at the lowest level of item detail. Until the specific details of the further modifications have been determined, it is not possible to say precisely how they will affect the CPI. Based upon earlier research, and upon the informed judgment of BLS research staff, however, the BLS estimates that these further modifications could reduce the annual rate of increase in the CPI by between 0.1 and 0.3 percentage points. BLS expects to announce a time schedule for the incorporation of the additional modifications early in calendar 1996.

Economic Classification Policy Committee

In 1994, the ECPC entered into an agreement with Statistics Canada and Mexico's Instituto Nacional de Estad¡stica, Geograf¡a e Inform tica (INEGI) to establish a North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) that will be based on a production-oriented concept. The three countries have agreed to place special emphasis on developing classifications for service industries, new and emerging industries, and industries engaged in the production of advanced technologies. The NAICS will provide comparability for the three countries at the four-digit level and comparability with the United Nation's International Standard Industrial Classification system at the two-digit level.

In July 1994, OMB published a Federal Register (59 FR 38092-96) notice soliciting public comment on the usefulness and advisability of a common North American system for industry classifications; the proposed conceptual framework for the NAICS; and the proposed next steps in the development of the classification system for detailed industries. In addition, the notice requested proposals for new industries and for changing the boundaries of existing industries, and for market-oriented, or demand-based, groupings of economic data. During FY 1995, responses to this notice were evaluated by the U.S. team and work on developing the proposed NAICS continued in joint meetings among representatives of the three countries. In March 1995, the ECPC released a report containing a summary of the public comments that were received in response to the July 1994 Federal Register notice and provided further information on ECPC activities that relate to these comments.

In July 1995, OMB published a third Federal Register (60 FR 38436-52) notice seeking comments on the usefulness and advisability of several proposed industry revisions. The notice presented the proposed NAICS structures for petroleum and coal products manufacturing, chemical manufacturing, and rubber and plastics manufacturing; broadcasting and telecommunications; and food services and drinking places and accommodations. Subsequent Federal Register notices will seek comment on other industry groupings of sector and subsector proposals.

Plans for FY 1996 include final OMB decisions related to the entire NAICS structure coupled with key statistical agency actions to prepare for NAICS implementation. To reach decisions on the NAICS structure, the ECPC and OMB will review all public comments received on industry sector and subsector proposals, publish a complete proposed NAICS structure for public comment early in 1996, review comments and publish a complete revised NAICS structure for final comments in mid-1996, and review the final public comments and prepare a notice of OMB's final NAICS classification decisions. Key agency actions planned to prepare for NAICS implementation include ECPC assistance in reviewing and responding to public comments; BLS preparation and publication of regulations and instructions needed by cooperating State agencies to implement NAICS; and Census Bureau completion of detailed preparations to collect, process, and publish the 1997 Economic Census statistics based on the NAICS structure.

Occupational Classification Policy Committee

The Standard Occupational Classification Policy Committee is charged with revising and modernizing the SOC and integrating the structure of the SOC and the Dictionary of Occupational Titles by the late 1990's in time to incorporate the new SOC classifications in the 2000 decennial census. The revision is intended to produce a pragmatic occupational classification system that will support economic analysis, strengthen the ties between education and work force data, unify Federal agency occupational classification usage, and foster international comparability.

On February 28, 1995, OMB published a notice in the Federal Register (60 FR 10998-11002) announcing the SOC revision process and requesting public comment on the uses of occupational data, the purpose and scope of occupational classification, the principles underlying the current SOC, conceptual options for the new SOC, and the Standard Occupational Classification Revision Policy Committee (SOCRPC) process. Based on those comments, the SOCRPC provided recommendations to OMB that were the subject of an October 5, 1995, Federal Register (60 FR 52284-86) notice. This notice solicited: (1) public comment on the SOCRPC's recommendations to OMB on the purpose and scope of the new SOC, the principles underlying the new SOC, and the unified conceptual framework to use to guide the revision, and (2) proposals from the public for changes to the existing SOC at the detailed 4-digit level based on the principles and conceptual foundation presented in the notice.

An additional Federal Register notice is planned for the fall of 1996 on the SOCRPC's recommendations for changes to the existing SOC at the 4-digit level. These changes will be based on the principles and unified conceptual framework agreed upon after review of the comments to the October 1995 notice as well as proposals from the public. The SOC revision is tentatively scheduled for implementation beginning in July 1997. All Federal agencies that collect occupational data are expected to utilize the new system.

Classification of Data on Race and Ethnicity

Research to examine the possible effects of any proposed changes on the quality and comparability of racial and ethnic data is an important component of the OMB review process. A Research Working Group established under the auspices of OMB's Interagency Committee for the Review of the Racial and Ethnic Standards reviewed all the criticisms and suggestions for changing the current categories received in response to OMB's June 9, 1994 Federal Register (59 FR 29831-35) notice, including requests to expand the standards by establishing additional categories for specific population groups. Some of the more significant issues that were identified for research and testing are the classification of multiracial persons; combining race and Hispanic origin questions; combining concepts of race, ethnicity, and ancestry into a single question on ethnicity or race and ethnicity; and changing the names of current categories.

To provide a first vehicle for studying these issues, the Research Working Group developed the May 1995 Supplement on Race and Ethnicity to the Current Population Survey (CPS). In the CPS supplement, households were asked various forms of the racial and ethnic questions. In addition, all households were asked questions about their ancestry, preferences concerning specific terminology for racial and ethnic categories, and use of languages other than English in the home. Results of this test are expected to be available by the end of 1995.

In addition to the May 1995 CPS supplement, several other research and testing activities were planned, including the following:

• In the Spring of 1995, the National Center for Education Statistics and the Office for Civil Rights in the Department of Education conducted a survey of 1,000 public schools to obtain information on how schools currently collect students' racial and ethnic data; how administrative records containing racial and ethnic data are maintained and reported; what State laws mandate or require of school systems with respect to collecting data on race and ethnicity; and current issues in schools regarding categories for reporting racial and ethnic data.

• The Census Bureau conducted cognitive research, focus group studies, and classroom experiments in 1995 on issues such as a multiracial category; an option that would allow an individual to designate multiple categories; terminology; and a combined race, Hispanic origin, and ancestry question. Additional research on the classification of "Native Hawaiian," based on 1990 census data, also is planned.

• The Census Bureau will test possible changes to the racial and ethnic categories in the March 1996 National Content Survey (NCS) as part of the research for the 2000 census. The NCS will be a national survey to determine what information respondents will provide in a self-reporting context. The Census Bureau has identified a multiracial category as a high priority for the NCS; the test will also address terminology and the placement of the Hispanic origin question relative to the race question. In June 1996, the Census Bureau plans to conduct a special Race and Ethnicity Targeted Test (RAETT). The RAETT will provide the most extensive opportunity to test several options for collecting racial and ethnic data with a sample of people with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

• The NCHS and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health are planning to conduct interviews of multiracial and Hispanic women who have had a baby during the last 1-2 years to find out how they identify their race and ethnicity. When possible, results will be compared with the race and ethnicity recorded on the corresponding birth certificate. This study also will examine procedures used to identify and report the race and ethnicity of the mother on the birth certificate by hospital staff. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is conducting a project to evaluate the recording of racial classifications on death certificates by surveying a sample of funeral directors.

• A literature search on work related to racial classification in the health field (using MEDLINE) is being conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HHS is also developing an inventory of HHS minority health data bases. The inventory will provide information on the racial and ethnic categories that are used and data collection problems that have been encountered.

On August 28, 1995, OMB published a Federal Register (60 FR 44674-93) notice that serves as an interim report on its review of Directive No. 15. The notice summarizes the public comment (including comments from Federal agencies) that resulted from the June 1994 Federal Register (59 FR 29831-35) notice and the July 1994 public hearings, and presents some information on past research findings relevant to the issues. It also sets forth proposed principles to be used in reaching a final decision on standards for the classification of data on race and ethnicity. (The issues, suggestions for change, and arguments on the issues described in the notice are those raised in public comment and do not reflect OMB positions or decisions. The notice does not contain any proposals for changing Directive No. 15.) The notice requested public comment by September 30, 1995, on additional issues, arguments on the issues, decision principles, and options for research in 1996.

During the coming year, OMB in cooperation with the Interagency Committee will continue the comprehensive review of the racial and ethnic categories to determine if changes to the categories would be useful in the context of the Federal Government's many different needs for data on race and ethnicity. Final decisions will take into account evaluations of the results from the May 1995 CPS supplement, the 1996 Race and Ethnicity Targeted Test, the 1996 National Content Survey for the 2000 decennial census, and other related research. This review process must be completed by mid-1997 so that changes, if any, in the racial and ethnic categories can be implemented in the 2000 census.

Metropolitan Areas 2000

At the request of OMB, the Census Bureau has initiated a thorough review of the concepts and methods underlying the definitions of metropolitan and alternative statistical areas. A set of four studies was commissioned to address such issues as the usefulness of classifying the entire country and measures of integration that could be used in determining the size or extent of statistical areas. A report, including the papers produced by the four studies, was prepared to serve as background for a November 1995 conference on metropolitan and related statistical areas that might be defined following the 2000 census. (Another recent publication, Metropolitan Areas 1994, documents the present definitions of metropolitan areas; it includes as well an historical review of changes in the metropolitan area definitions since they were first adopted in 1950.) The November 1995 Conference on New Approaches to Defining Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas was developed to present and discuss the concepts presented by the four academicians in their studies of future definitions of metropolitan classifications as well as work done on these topics by several Federal agencies: the Economic Research Service, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Bureau of the Census.

During 1996, a Federal Register notice will be prepared summarizing the views presented on various alternatives and requesting further comment on these or other proposals by metropolitan area data users and other members of the public. Based on the comments in response to this notice, preliminary proposals will be developed and made available for further comment. A revised proposal for metropolitan area standards will be published in the Federal Register in the fall of 1999 for public comment. OMB will publish the final metropolitan area standards before the 2000 census is conducted.

Supporting the Customer Service Initiative

The streamlined "generic" clearance process established in 1993 provided opportunities for public comment on broad classes of customer surveys. In the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Congress expanded the statutory requirements for public comment. Existing data collection programs approved under the streamlined process remain in force for their normal three year term. It is anticipated that the experience gained during this three year period will permit all agencies to meet fully the requirements of the new PRA when requests to extend or revise such programs are submitted for OMB review.

Reducing Reporting Burden on Business

In 1995, the BLS and the Census Bureau planned and began implementing a new joint electronic data collection project. Previously, the Census Bureau had confirmed the feasibility of using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) to collect statistical information directly from business data systems in the 1992 Economic Census, and incorporated EDI as a reporting medium in the 1993 Company Organization Survey. A new joint project would extend EDI reporting to information requested for the Census Bureau's Annual Retail Trade Survey and Annual Survey of Manufactures and BLS' Current Employment Statistics Survey and Multiple Worksite Report. Businesses selected for these programs would have the option of preparing one set of EDI-formatted statistical information, transmitting it electronically to the Census Bureau and BLS, and having it used to fulfill the multiple program reporting requirements of both agencies.

Statistical Agency Heads Council

The council is a vehicle for coordinating statistical work, particularly when activities and issues overlap and/or cut across agencies; for exchanging information about agency programs and activities; and for providing advice and counsel to OMB in statistical matters. During 1995, agenda topics included, among others, developing legislation to permit sharing of data for statistical purposes, statistical system initiatives in the context of reinventing government, establishing performance outcomes for statistical agencies, improving access to the products of the Federal statistical system, alternatives for collecting small area data historically gathered in the decennial census long form, and activities and issues related to revising the industrial and occupational classification systems and the standards for data on race and ethnicity.

New Activities

Definition of Poverty

On April 30, 1995, the National Academy of Sciences' (NAS) National Research Council released its panel report on the measurement of income and poverty, Measuring Poverty: A New Approach. The report recommends that the official U.S. poverty thresholds be changed to comprise a budget for the three basic categories of food, clothing, shelter (including utilities), and a small additional amount to allow for other needs, such as household supplies, personal care, and non-work related transportation.

The NAS report has generated serious questions about an appropriate poverty standard. Before a revision of the poverty definition can be considered, it is necessary to: (1) explore issues that the NAS report identified as involving judgement rather than science; (2) choose between an absolute and a relative poverty threshold; and (3) make sure the required data, some of which are not now available, are reliable.

In light of such issues, the Statistical Policy Office is undertaking a thorough review of the options, including the NAS proposal, before taking a position on revising the definition of poverty. To accomplish these tasks, OMB is forming a working group under the auspices of the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy to consider the statistical issues that must be addressed in the review process. The working group will coordinate closely with the Census Bureau to develop additional experimental poverty series that incorporate relevant NAS recommendations. Promising series will be published to allow analysts to examine their utility and see how they behave.

American Community Survey

The proposed American Community Survey (ACS) would provide demographic and housing data annually for geographic areas with populations greater than 250,000 and would provide annually updated averages, based on the accumulation of data over a period of years, for rural areas, census tracts, and block groups. In FY 1996, the Census Bureau expects to conduct research and prepare a prototype system to demonstrate an alternative to collecting decennial census data. If successful, this program might supersede the long form that has been used in the decennial census after the 2000 census is conducted.

Redesign of the Occupational Compensation Survey Program

The sample design for this integrated program will be a cluster design with a sample rotational pattern that is geographic within industry group rather than the current, solely industry-based pattern. New samples will be introduced annually across every industry in every covered area, mitigating the "catch up" effect of the industry rotation pattern present in the current Employer Cost for Employee Compensation series. This new design fully integrates the "birth sample" that is appended to the current design. The single sample will produce time-series for both indexes and average compensation levels for industry and occupational groups, thereby increasing the analytical potential of the data, including improved measures of trends, better integration of benefit costs and plan provisions, data on selected compensation-determining characteristics of individual workers, and broader regional and occupational coverage. Finally, the redesign project includes an evaluation of alternative index formulas and statistical procedures that make use of the most current data available from the Bureau's Current Employment and Occupational Employment Surveys, among other sources, to better reflect current trends in the composition of the labor services employed by the civilian economy, and provide improved estimates of the accuracy of these series. These planned enhancements to the Bureau's compensation statistics, some of which already are being tested, will be implemented as quickly as the available resources permit.

Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics

In the fall of 1994, an informal working group of agency personnel recommended that a more formal mechanism be established to reduce redundancy, improve consistency, and fill gaps in statistics on families and children. Building on the successes of the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics, the new Interagency Forum on Children and Family Statistics has the mission to "foster coordination, collaboration, and integration of Federal collection of data on child and family issues and Federal reporting of child and family conditions." Agencies that are providing leadership for the forum include the Office of Management and Budget, the National Center for Education Statistics, the National Center for Health Statistics, the Bureau of the Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (OASPE) in HHS. Representatives of these agencies will meet two or three times a year with others from within and outside government to develop general directions for the Forum's agenda, review reports from working groups carrying out more specific charges, and consider recommendations that may be addressed to one or more Federal agencies.

During 1995, the Forum created two committees to enhance coordination among agencies. The Committee on Reporting developed plans for reporting childhood indicators to the policy community and the general public. In collaboration with the Forum, OASPE will publish a report in late December entitled Trends in the Well-being of America's Children and Youth. This report will compile over 70 indicators of child well-being that have been produced in time series by the Federal statistical system. The Forum's Committee on Data Collection developed priorities for coordination to enhance data collection on children. The Committee focussed on household composition and the involvement of absent parents.

Looking ahead to 1996, the Forum will work through these two committees both to enhance the reporting of existing indicators and to improve data collection. The Forum will work closely with OASPE on its 1996 indicators report and will also consider publishing its own summary document on a smaller set of key indicators. In addition, it will work to strengthen further communication among the agencies on forthcoming studies and reports. The Forum's Committee on Data Collection will develop improved questions on household composition and parent involvement that may be added to existing surveys by all member agencies. During the coming year, the Forum will consider creating a Committee on State and Local Data to work across agencies to meet the growing challenge of producing data on children below the national level.

Improving and Integrating Health Surveys

The major elements of the HHS Survey Integration Plan are:

--Redesign and automation of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which will serve as the sampling "nucleus" for other HHS population surveys;

--Implementation of an ongoing, longitudinal panel survey on insurance and expenditures - the Medical Expenditures Panel (MEP), which will use the 1995 NHIS as a sampling frame;

--Integration of HHS' surveys of employers so that the National Employer Health Insurance Survey and the insurance followup component to the expenditure survey (MEP) are jointly fielded;

--Development of joint field operations and common core questionnaires for HHS' major surveys of health care providers;

--Redesign of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey so that it would be conducted using the NHIS as the sampling frame for its next cycle, beginning in 1998;

--Development of a conceptual framework for characterizing health care capacity and the public health infrastructure, and rationalization and coordination of HHS' provider inventories, health workforce analyses, and public health infrastructure surveys.

--Evaluation of the issues involved in possibly coordinating the field operations and sampling of the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse with similar approaches in the NHIS.

--Development of a modular design that will facilitate State-level estimates and provide a mechanism for States to "buy into" national survey efforts to meet their own needs.

--Improvement and unification of policies regarding privacy, data access, public data release, and sharing among agencies, as well as policies to assure that new survey activities will be conducted through the consolidated framework.

The President's FY 1996 budget request for HHS includes $20 million to fund enhancements to existing HHS statistical activities during the initial stages of the proposed survey improvements and integration plans.

One Stop Shopping for Federal Statistical Data

Under the auspices of the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy, OMB has formed a Task Force on One-Stop Service for Federal Statistical Data Users. The Task Force is primarily responsible for designing and developing easy World Wide Web access to a broad range of Federal statistics. The Task Force is also expected to obtain input from important stakeholders, including representatives from the Association of Public Data Users, the Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics, academic researchers, and statistical agencies not represented on the Task Force. The Task Force will develop and monitor contracts or other mechanisms to design, implement and maintain the agreed upon approach. The Task Force is also expected to take advantage of recent scientific research activities related to its mission, especially digital library research. It is anticipated that this endeavor will provide access to as much statistical information as possible without imposing user charges.

The Oregon Option

Note: Components may not sum to totals because of rounding. The symbol "--" indicates that the amount reported by the agency was less than $50,000.