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)

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and continuing information collections, which help us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment on the proposed revision of an already approved collection, the High-Frequency Surveys Program/Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey (HTOPS) prior to the submission of the information collection request (ICR) to OMB for approval.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 205 (Monday, October 26, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 205 (Monday, October 26, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67268-67270]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-21759]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


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)

AGENCY: Census Bureau, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed and continuing information 
collections, which help us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment on the 
proposed revision of an already approved collection, the High-Frequency 
Surveys Program/Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey (HTOPS) prior 
to the submission of the information collection request (ICR) to OMB 
for approval.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before December 28, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by 
email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#10717474603e78647f60635073757e6365633e777f66"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="45242121356b2d312a35360526202b3630366b222a33">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>. Please reference HTOPS in the subject 
line of your comments. You may also submit comments, identified by 
Docket Number USBC-2026-0661, to the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: 
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. All comments received are part of the 
public record. No comments will be posted to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> 
for public viewing until after the comment period has closed. Comments 
will generally be posted without change. All Personally Identifiable 
Information (for example, name and address) voluntarily submitted by 
the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential 
Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected

[[Page 67269]]

information. You may submit attachments to electronic comments in 
Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to Timothy Gilbert, Survey Director, U.S. Census Bureau, at 301-763-
5436 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d8acb1b5b7acb0a1f6aaf6bfb1b4babdaaac98bbbdb6abadabf6bfb7ae"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="80f4e9edeff4e8f9aef2aee7e9ece2e5f2f4c0e3e5eef3f5f3aee7eff6">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The High-Frequency Surveys Program was established as a natural 
progression from the creation of the Household Pulse Survey (HPS). The 
Census Bureau launched HPS in April 2020 as an experimental survey 
designed to rapidly collect and disseminate information on how emergent 
issues were affecting U.S. households from social and economic 
perspectives. HPS provided timely information during the COVID-19 
pandemic and subsequently evolved to address other emergent social and 
economic issues facing households.
    In 2024, HPS content began transitioning to a longitudinal design. 
In January 2025, HPS was incorporated into the Household Trends and 
Outlook Pulse Survey (HTOPS), which used a longitudinal design 
throughout 2025. Beginning in March 2026, HTOPS transitioned to an 
independent, cross-sectional design. The current cross-sectional design 
provides frequent opportunities to measure household trends and 
outlooks, understand changes in household conditions, and respond to 
emerging data needs while maintaining a flexible platform for 
experimentation and methodological research.
    HTOPS is an experimental data product and an ongoing Census Bureau 
data collection platform designed to complement the Federal Statistical 
System's established statistical programs by deploying quickly and 
efficiently to measure household conditions and provide timely 
information on topics of social, economic, and demographic interest. 
The use of a stable, high-frequency platform allows the Census Bureau 
to respond to emerging issues, capture trends and outlooks, support 
related data needs, and conduct nationally representative field tests 
and methodological research in an efficient and reliable manner.
    The HTOPS also supports research and development related to survey 
data collection and estimation. The platform can be used to conduct 
nationally representative field tests of questionnaire content, 
collection procedures, and other survey methods in support of Census 
Bureau and other Federal statistical programs. The Census Bureau may 
also investigate methods for enhancing survey data through 
administrative and other external data sources, developing modeled data 
products, and implementing adaptive design procedures that use 
auxiliary information. These activities can support improvements in 
data quality, operational efficiency, representativeness, and the 
usefulness of Federal statistics.
    The HTOPS is primarily a Census Bureau data collection platform. 
Consistent with applicable law and subject to appropriate approvals and 
agreements, the platform may also support reimbursable surveys 
conducted under 13 U.S.C. 8(b). Such collections will use a Title 13 
sampling frame and will be conducted subject to the applicable 
statutory, confidentiality, privacy, and statistical requirements.
    The Census Bureau will document the methods used to collect, 
process, weight, and disseminate HTOPS data. Such documentation will 
provide information about the survey design and quality of resulting 
estimates, including response rates and weighting procedures, 
consistent with applicable Federal statistical standards and 
requirements.

II. Method of Collection

    The Census Bureau will conduct the HTOPS electronically, using 
internally developed Business Enterprise systems as the data collection 
and management platform.
    Invitations will primarily be sent by mail, and questionnaires will 
be administered primarily through internet self-response. Inbound 
computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) will provide an 
additional response option for sampled households that do not wish to 
or cannot complete the questionnaire online. The Census Bureau may 
conduct outbound CATI nonresponse follow-up or automated reminder calls 
and may use SMS messages as a reminder or follow-up communication, as 
appropriate.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-1029.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission, Revision of a Currently 
Approved Collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: Up to 144,000 responses annually. 
The survey is conducted every month or less, as determined by the 
Census Bureau based on information needs, available resources, and 
approved collection plans.
    Estimated Time per Response: 20 minutes per response.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 48,000 hours annually.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0. (This is not the cost of 
respondents' time, but the indirect costs respondents may incur for 
such things as purchases of specialized software or hardware needed to 
report, or expenditures for accounting or records maintenance services 
required specifically by the collection.)
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: The Census Bureau's collection of information 
under HTOPS is authorized under applicable provisions of Title 13 of 
the United States Code, including sections 8(b), 141, 182, and 193, as 
applicable to the collection. Section 8(b) authorizes the Secretary of 
Commerce to make special statistical compilations and surveys for 
Federal, State, and local agencies and other entities upon payment of 
the actual or estimated cost of such work. Collections conducted under 
section 8(b) will be subject to the applicable authority of the 
sponsoring entity and will use a Title 13 sampling frame.
    The confidentiality of information collected through HTOPS is 
protected under Title 13 of the United States Code. Information 
collected under the authority of another Federal agency for which the 
Census Bureau serves as the collection agent will also be subject to 
the confidentiality and data protection requirements applicable to 
Census Bureau collections.

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy 
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed 
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden 
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include, or summarize, each comment in our 
request to OMB to approve this ICR.

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Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other 
personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware 
that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you may 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Compliance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2026-21759 Filed 10-23-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P


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