Census Bureau Keeps Testing Surveys to Avoid Wasting Time
Published Date: 7/20/2026
Notice
Summary
The Census Bureau wants to keep testing online surveys and internet panels to make sure their questions work well and don’t waste your time. They’re asking for your thoughts by September 18, 2026, before getting final approval. This helps keep surveys smart, quick, and less annoying for everyone involved, with no extra cost or big time changes.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Testing Aims To Improve Surveys
The generic clearance will allow the Census Bureau to run internet split-panel experiments and qualitative methods to improve online questionnaires, invitations (emails/texts), procedures, communications, and data tools. A block of hours will be dedicated for these activities for each of the next three years, and methods listed include split sample experiments, remote usability testing, cognitive interviews, focus groups, and debriefings.
You May Be Asked To Pretest Surveys
The Census Bureau plans to recruit individuals and households for internet-based pretesting and qualitative survey-methods testing. The bureau estimates 67,600 respondents per year, about 15 minutes per response, for a total of 16,900 burden hours annually, and an estimated total annual cost to the public of $0.
Comments and Responses Become Public Record
Comments submitted in response to this notice and information voluntarily provided to the Census Bureau as part of these collections will become part of the public record. Personally identifiable information (for example, name and address) voluntarily submitted may be publicly accessible, and the notice warns not to submit confidential business information or other sensitive data.
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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.
2026-20155, 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.
2026-20167, 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.
2026-19301, 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.
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