Census Wants Feedback on Its Household Trends and Outlook Pulse
Published Date: 10/26/2026
Notice
Summary
The Census Bureau wants your thoughts on updating the Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey (HTOPS), which helps track how families are doing. This update keeps the survey fresh and useful without adding extra hassle. If you have ideas or concerns, speak up by December 28, 2026, so they can keep the survey running smoothly and on budget.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Participation Is Voluntary and Confidential
If you are invited to take the Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey (HTOPS), your participation is voluntary and the Census Bureau says information collected is protected under Title 13 of the United States Code. You do not have to respond, and the notice reiterates legal confidentiality protections for HTOPS data.
Time Burden: 20 Minutes Per Response
If you respond to HTOPS, the Census Bureau estimates each response takes about 20 minutes. The Bureau estimates up to 144,000 responses annually and a total annual burden of 48,000 hours.
No Direct Monetary Cost to the Public
The Census Bureau states the Estimated Total Annual Cost to the Public for HTOPS is $0. The notice clarifies that this figure excludes respondents' time and refers to indirect costs like special software or hardware purchases.
How You May Be Contacted and Respond
The Census Bureau will primarily send invitations by mail and expects respondents to complete HTOPS online; inbound computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) is available as an alternate response option. The Bureau may also do outbound CATI follow-up and use SMS messages as reminders or follow-ups.
Platform May Host Reimbursable Federal Surveys
The HTOPS platform may support reimbursable surveys conducted for other federal agencies under 13 U.S.C. 8(b); such collections will use a Title 13 sampling frame and be subject to applicable statutory, confidentiality, privacy, and statistical requirements.
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
2026-21758, Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; School District Review Program
The Census Bureau is updating its School District Review Program, which helps decide how education funds are shared across states. They want your feedback by December 28, 2026, to make sure the process is smooth and not too much work for schools. This update affects school districts nationwide and keeps funding fair without adding extra costs.
2026-21629, Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Annual Business Survey
The Census Bureau is updating its Annual Business Survey to make it easier and better for businesses to share info about their research and development. This change affects U.S. businesses and aims to reduce paperwork while improving data quality. Comments on the update are open until December 21, 2026, so businesses and the public can weigh in before it’s finalized.
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.
2026-20153, 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.
2026-20167, 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.
Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2026-21758, Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; School District Review Program
The Census Bureau is updating its School District Review Program, which helps decide how education funds are shared across states. They want your feedback by December 28, 2026, to make sure the process is smooth and not too much work for schools. This update affects school districts nationwide and keeps funding fair without adding extra costs.
Next: 2026-21761, Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; NOAA Diving Program
NOAA is updating and extending its paperwork for the Diving Program, which affects about 483 divers including employees, contractors, and volunteers. They’ve made forms simpler and clearer, cutting out some personal questions to make things easier. This update keeps the program running smoothly without adding extra costs or time burdens, with a total of 232 hours spent annually on these forms.