Take Action! Individuals with Disabilities Act and More
by Meghan Maury
Collection of the Week:
Annual State Application Under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Act. This set of forms is used to determine whether a state is eligible for Part B funding under the IDEA. ED is revising the collection to remove the Significant Disproportionality data collection, which was used to determine if significant disproportionality based on race or ethnicity is occurring in the State with respect to the identification of children as children with disabilities, including identification as children with particular impairments; the placement of children in particular educational settings; and the incidence, duration, and type of disciplinary actions, including suspensions and expulsions.
Comments due Oct. 21.
Every time the government makes a change to a survey or a form – or introduces a new survey or form – you have the right to weigh in on that decision. The Take Action! newsletter highlights surveys or forms the government is changing, renewing, or introducing. Click the links to tell the government what you think about the changes they are making.
Note: The Take Action tab of DataIndex.us provides information about even more surveys, forms, evaluations, and records notices than are listed in your weekly newsletter – Click Here to see the full list of items open for comments.
Forms
Immigration: J-1 Visa Waiver Recommendation Application. This form is used by J-1 visa holders to request a waiver of the two-year foreign residency requirement in several circumstances, including if return to the country of nationality or last residence would result in exceptional hardship to the visa holder's spouse or child who is a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident; or if the person cannot return to the country of his or her nationality or last residence because he or she would be subject to persecution on account of race, religion, or political opinion. The listing indicates that changes are being made to the form, but it's unclear from the listing what changes are being made.
Comments due Sept. 19.Farmworker Safety: Agricultural Recruitment System Forms Affecting Migratory Farm Workers. DOL is making changes to the forms farm owners use to verify compliance with migrant farmworker protections contained in the 2024 final rule on "Improving Protections for Workers in Temporary Agricultural Employment in the United States." That final rule was rescinded in July, necessitating changes to the related information collection.
Comments due Oct. 20.
Race + Ethnicity and Sexual Orientation + Gender Identity Changes
Labor and Employment: Post Separation Data Collection for Job Corps Participants. Job Corps is testing some new methodologies for its participant post-separation data collection, including new incentive fee structures. Though not technically part of this change request, Job Corps submitted a "non-substantive" change request for this survey in March to remove response options to job satisfaction question that read, "I experienced discrimination because of my gender at my job," ostensibly in response to EO 14168. Because the public was denied an opportunity to comment on that change, it would be appropriate to include a response to that change in a public comment on the current changes.
Comments due Oct. 20.
Evaluations:
Disability: Disability Innovation Fund (DIF) Evidence Building Support (EBS). ED is proposing to conduct evaluation and technical assistance activities related to the Disability Innovation Fund, which supports innovative activities aimed at increasing competitive integrated employment (CIE) for children, youth, and other individuals with disabilities.
Comments due Oct. 20.Driver Safety: Factors that Influence the Effectiveness of Hazard Anticipation and Attention Maintenance Training. DOT is proposing a one-time study on novice driver training among 168 18- and 19-year olds who do not yet have driver's licenses. DOT intends to develop and test a novice driver training program on a smartphone-like platform and determining whether the effectiveness of the training differs for participants of different sexes, socioeconomic status (SES) strata, and trait levels of sensation seeking and aggressiveness.
Comments due Oct. 20.
Surveys
Census: Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey. Census regularly changes questions in its Pulse survey to meet the needs of federal agency programs. In this announcement, Census is proposing to conduct the 2030 Census Planning Survey, which is designed to understand attitudes and behaviors that relate to 2030 census participation across demographic characteristics. Topics include census knowledge and trust in census data, intention to respond to the 2030 census, barriers to completing the 2030 census, and motivators to completing the 2030 census.
Comments due Sept. 19.Child Support: Current Population Survey-Child Support Supplement. This survey collects detailed information about child support agreements and awards, including both required payments and amounts received, as well as data about the socioeconomic characteristics of custodial parents and their families. Census is making modest changes to the survey, but most content is retained.
Comments due Sept. 22.Economy: Annual Integrated Economic Survey (AIES). The AIES provides the only comprehensive national and subnational data on business revenues and expenses on an annual basis. The Census Bureau is making several changes to the AIES, including implementing 2022 NAICS code updates, implementing a modular content strategy, collecting NAPCS codes, and removing a number of questions.
Comments due Oct. 20.
Also of Note:
Personal Financial Data Rights Reconsideration. Treasury is requesting input for a potential proposed rule on sharing of personal financial data. They are requesting input on the proper understanding of who can serve as a “representative” making a request on behalf of the consumer; the optimal approach to the assessment of fees to defray the costs incurred by a “covered person” in responding to a customer driven request; the threat and cost-benefit pictures for data security associated with section 1033 compliance; and the threat picture for data privacy associated with section 1033 compliance.
Comments due Oct. 21.
This newsletter is made possible by a very generous donation from the Leadership Conference Education Fund.