Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; High-Frequency Surveys Program/Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey (HTOPS)
Published Date: 2/9/2026
Notice
Summary
The Census Bureau plans to run quick surveys in March and May 2026 to gather up-to-date info on household trends and current events, like health and economic changes. These surveys help government agencies, researchers, and the public get fast, useful data without costing extra money. If you’re part of the public, your input could shape important decisions, so keep an eye out for these surveys!
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Households May Be Asked to Spend 20 Minutes
The Census Bureau will run Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey (HTOPS) collections beginning on or about March 3, 2026 and May 5, 2026. Households recruited from the Census Master Address File will receive mailed invitations and can respond mainly online (with a phone option if needed); the average response time is 0.333 hours (20 minutes). The notice lists 13,564 respondents per collection (162,768 annually) and total burden hours of 4,517 per collection (54,202 annually); participation is voluntary.
Quick Public Data for Urgent Decisions
HTOPS will produce near real-time public-use data files and detailed tables that federal, state, and local agencies, academics, non-government organizations, the media, and the public can use to understand the effects of health, social, or economic events. The program is explicitly intended to provide frequent data products to inform the public in urgent circumstances.
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