Census Keeps Asking Officials About New Homes
Published Date: 11/20/2025
Notice
Summary
The Census Bureau is asking to keep using its Survey of Construction Questionnaire for Building Permit Officials, which helps track new home building. About 1,000 officials will spend just 15 minutes each answering questions, with a tiny cut in how many are surveyed. This extension keeps the data flowing smoothly without adding extra work or costs.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Continued Housing Construction Data Feed
The Census Bureau is extending use of the Survey of Construction Questionnaire for Building Permit Officials so housing starts, sales, and completions data continue to be produced. These data produce two principal economic indicators (New Residential Construction and New Residential Sales) used by the Federal Reserve to evaluate interest rates and by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for GDP, and are used by HUD, NAHB, and private sector actors.
Small Time Burden on Permit Offices
About 1,000 State, local, or Tribal building-permit officials will be asked annually to complete an electronic SOC-QBPO questionnaire; each response averages 15 minutes (total burden hours 250). The collection is voluntary, the interview length will not change, and the sample size will receive only a minor downward adjustment.
Personalized for You
How does this regulation affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this federal register document means for your household, plus every other regulation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Key Dates
Department and Agencies
Related Federal Register Documents
2026-20249, Notice of Data Sharing Activity
Starting October 2, 2026, the Census Bureau will share some business survey data with the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) to help make U.S. economic stats more accurate and efficient. This affects businesses that voluntarily provide info in Census surveys, with no legal pressure to share. Only trusted BEA staff sworn to keep data secret will see the info, and there’s no cost impact for businesses.
2026-20167, Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; DOC-Census Workforce Development Collection
The Census Bureau is asking for approval to collect info from 230 workforce training groups linked to Manufacturing USA and two grant programs. This new data will help track how well these training programs work by connecting participant info with Census data. The goal? To make smarter decisions about future workforce investments without adding too much extra work—each group spends just 1-2 hours a year on this.
2026-20153, Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Quarterly Services Survey (QSS)
The U.S. Census Bureau wants to keep running the Quarterly Services Survey for three more years without changes. This survey asks certain U.S. service businesses for info to help track the economy. If you’re involved, you can comment by November 30, 2026, but there’s no new cost or extra paperwork planned.
2026-20155, Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD)
The Census Bureau wants to keep collecting data for the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) program, which helps track jobs and workers over time. They’re asking the public to comment by November 30, 2026, before they get final approval from the Office of Management and Budget. This keeps the data flowing without adding extra hassle or cost to businesses and workers.
2026-19301, Proposed Data Sharing Activity
The Census Bureau wants to share some business data with the Bureau of Economic Analysis to help improve economic reports. This change affects businesses whose data is collected and aims to make government info more useful without extra costs. People have until November 23, 2026, to share their thoughts on this plan.
2026-18481, Decennial Census of the Population of Americans; Proposed Residence Criteria and Proposed Regulations for Demographic Questions
The Census Bureau is proposing to add two new parts to the Code of Federal Regulations governing the decennial census of population and housing. First, the Census Bureau is proposing to add a part outlining the residence criteria used for identifying each person's "usual residence," as needed to determine whether and where to count them in the census of the population throughout the United States. Second, the Census Bureau is proposing to add a part establishing standards and restrictions for the inclusion of certain demographic questions on the decennial census short-form questionnaire and any other questionnaire used for the enumeration of the population. The Census Bureau is considering these two additions to better prioritize and fulfill its Constitutional mandate to count for apportionment the "whole number of persons in each State" based on the concept of "usual residence"--a process that factors in an element of allegiance but otherwise should be colorblind and should not be distorted in any way by questions about immaterial personal characteristics, such as race. Although these two parts are somewhat related and complementary, each is being proposed independently based on its own merits. These proposals are intended to ensure fidelity to the Constitution, improve and protect the core decennial census data, and promote efficiency.
Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2025-20474, TSA Modernized Alternative Identity Verification User Fee
Starting November 20, 2025, TSA is rolling out a new way to verify your identity if you forget your ID at the airport. If you want to use this backup option, you’ll pay an $18 fee, but it’s totally optional and doesn’t guarantee you’ll get through security. This change helps TSA cover costs while giving travelers a modern safety net.
Next: 2025-20476, Acid Rain Program: Excess Emissions Penalty Inflation Adjustments
Power plants that release too much sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxides will pay higher penalties in 2025 and 2026 because of inflation adjustments. The penalty per extra ton jumps to about $5,050 in 2025 and $5,200 in 2026, making it more expensive to pollute. These changes help keep the Acid Rain Program fair and effective by updating costs based on the latest inflation numbers.