Notice2026-19301
Proposed Data Sharing Activity
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 22, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentCensus Bureau
Abstract
The U.S. Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is proposing to share certain business data with the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) within the Department of Commerce. In accordance with the requirements of the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA), the Census Bureau and BEA are providing the opportunity for public comment on this data sharing activity.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 182 (Tuesday, September 22, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 182 (Tuesday, September 22, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60081-60082]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19301]
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Notices
Federal Register
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Federal Register / Vol. 91, No. 182 / Tuesday, September 22, 2026 /
Notices
[[Page 60081]]
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Census Bureau
[Docket Number: 260914-0002; RTID 0607-XC088]
Proposed Data Sharing Activity
AGENCY: Census Bureau, Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice and request for public comment.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is proposing to
share certain business data with the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
within the Department of Commerce. In accordance with the requirements
of the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency
Act of 2002 (CIPSEA), the Census Bureau and BEA are providing the
opportunity for public comment on this data sharing activity.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before November 23,
2026.
ADDRESSES: Comments are being requested through the following method:
Electronic submission: Submit public comments using the Federal
eRulemaking Portal.
1. Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> and enter Docket Number USBC-2026-0595
in the search field.
2. Click the ``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields.
3. Enter or attach your comments.
All comments responding to this document will be a matter of public
record. Relevant comments will generally be available on the Federal
eRulemaking Portal at: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
All comments received are part of the public record. All Personally
Identifiable Information (e.g., name and address) voluntarily submitted
by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential
Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information.
You may submit attachments to electronic comments in Microsoft Word,
Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information concerning
this notice, contact Lisa Donaldson, Assistant Associate Director for
Economic Programs, U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill Road,
Washington, DC 20233-6010, Telephone: 301-763-9844; by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d599bca6b4fb90fb91babbb4b9b1a6babb95b6b0bba6a0a6fbb2baa3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9dd1f4eefcb3d8b3d9f2f3fcf1f9eef2f3ddfef8f3eee8eeb3faf2eb">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The CIPSEA allows, ``designated statistical agencies'' to share
business data in identifiable form for statistical purposes with BEA
(44 U.S.C. 3576). Both the Census Bureau and BEA are primary
statistical agencies within the U.S. Department of Commerce and
``designated statistical agencies'' under CIPSEA (44 U.S.C. 3576(e)).
BEA and the Census Bureau are authoritative sources on economic data
and statistics, including principal federal economic indicators. These
statistics inform the government, private industry, statistical
researchers, and the American public about our nation's economic status
and progress. To ensure accurate and timely reporting of economic data
and indicators, the Census Bureau and BEA partner to measure the U.S.
economy. Both the Census Bureau and BEA conduct survey collections,
which are critical to the quality of source data and the timely
preparation of many key indicators of U.S. economic performance.
However, the Census Bureau and BEA recognize that these surveys impose
some reporting burden on businesses that are required to respond. Both
the Director of the Census Bureau and the Director of BEA are required
to identify opportunities to eliminate duplicative collections, reduce
reporting burdens, and reduce statistical program costs, while
improving the quality of the resulting statistics and protecting the
confidentiality of the data collected from survey respondents (44
U.S.C. 3576(b)). To do so, the Census Bureau and BEA have shared and
continue to consider increased opportunities to share business data
pursuant to CIPSEA.
CIPSEA requires public notice of the intent to share data, whenever
the data to be shared were collected through mandatory reporting and
when the respondents were not informed that identifiable data could be
shared among the designated statistical agencies (44 U.S.C.
3576(c)(4)). This required notice must allow for 60 days of public
comment. CIPSEA also requires the designated statistical agencies to
enter into written agreements for the data sharing activity and to
provide information about the terms of the written agreement in the
public notice (44 U.S.C. 3576(c)(4)).
The Census Bureau and BEA are providing notice that they intend to
enter into a written agreement for this data sharing action. Therefore,
the following are covered in this notice:
<bullet> Data items from the Census Bureau that BEA will access;
<bullet> Improvement of statistical products and economic
indicators by use of data for statistical purposes; and
<bullet> Legal authority regarding confidentiality and data access.
Shared Data
The Census Bureau will provide, and BEA will use, select company-
level data from the Census Bureau's Economic Census, the Commodity Flow
Survey, the Quarterly Financial Report, the Annual Integrated Economic
Survey, the Business and Professional Classification Survey, and the
Annual Business Survey (including historical Business Enterprise and
Research Development survey data).
The Census Bureau conducts the Quarterly Financial Report under the
authority of 13 U.S.C. 91. The Census Bureau conducts all of the other
listed surveys under the authority of 13 U.S.C. 131, 182, and/or 193.
Response is mandatory under 13 U.S.C. 224 and 225.
The Census Bureau will not provide any Federal Tax Information to
BEA.
Statistical Purposes for the Shared Data
BEA will use the shared data exclusively for authorized statistical
purposes, as defined in 44 U.S.C. 3561(12). Census Bureau aggregated
data from these surveys are a key source of information for BEA
national, regional, and international accounts. BEA will use the
company-level data to better understand trends, anomalies, coverage,
completeness, and other characteristics of the aggregated data. In
addition, BEA will compare the Census
[[Page 60082]]
Bureau data at the company level with data collected from BEA surveys.
A number of benefits also will accrue to BEA, the Census Bureau,
and the Federal government from this data-sharing activity. This data
sharing will enhance the reliability of the nation's most important
economic indicators, such as the National Income and Product Accounts;
increase understanding of the United States economy, especially for key
national, industry, international, and regional statistics; improve the
comparability and accuracy of Federal economic statistics by allowing
BEA and the Census Bureau to update sample frames, develop consistent
classifications of establishments and companies into industries;
improve coverage, and reconcile significant differences in data
produced by the agencies; and develop more accurate measures of the
impact of technology on productivity growth. This data sharing also may
lead to collaborative efforts to provide new or expanded data products
for the public. Through sharing existing data, the Census Bureau and
BEA can achieve these efficiencies and improvements without additional
burden to respondents, consistent with 44 U.S.C. 3576.
Data Access and Confidentiality
The Census Bureau data are confidential under 13 U.S.C. 9 and 214.
BEA employees who will have authorized access to confidential Census
Bureau data are required to obtain Census Bureau Sworn Special Status
under 13 U.S.C. 23(c). They will be sworn to observe the provisions of
13 U.S.C. 9 and will be advised of the penalties for improper
disclosure under 13 U.S.C. 214. The penalties are imprisonment for no
more than five years, a fine of no more than $250,000, or both. These
BEA employees must also complete annual training on compliance with
these statutory provisions. The authorized BEA employees will use the
accessed data for exclusively statistical purposes, as outlined in this
Notice.
Dated: September 17, 2026.
George Cook,
Deputy Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, performing the non-
exclusive functions and duties of the Director of the Census Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2026-19301 Filed 9-21-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P
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