October 2023

On October 2, AERA submitted comments on proposed regulations from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on fundamental responsibilities of recognized federal statistical agencies and units. The rule is intended to promote public trust of federal statistics as a key component of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act (“Evidence Act”).

The proposed rule draws from current OMB Statistical Policy Directive Number 1 to address additional ways outside of the current language in Directive Number 1 that federal statistical agencies can be supported to carry out their responsibilities. For example, so that statistical agencies are able to meet their fundamental responsibilities, the rule ensures that Recognized Statistical Agencies and Units have their own websites and an opportunity to present their own budget requests. The four fundamental responsibilities detailed in the regulations are relevance and timeliness, accuracy and credibility, objectivity, and confidentiality. The proposed regulations highlight the roles that parent agencies have in the fundamental responsibilities of their recognized statistical agency and units.

“AERA strongly supports these proposed regulations to ensure that the four fundamental responsibilities of recognized federal statistical agencies and units are maintained by those statistical agencies and the agencies within which they operate,” wrote AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine.

The AERA comments also highlighted potential opportunities where additional guidance could help both parent agencies and recognized statistical agencies and units to meet the fundamental responsibilities. Primarily, the AERA comments recommended clarity on two areas: the development of budget requests by statistical agencies and a statistical agency head's authority to maintain standards of data quality and approve the release of data indicators after review.