Take Action! Unemployment Compensation and More
by Meghan Maury
Data Regulation of the Week: Unemployment Compensation
Federal-State Unemployment Compensation (UC) Program; Data Availability. DOL is proposing to revise its regulation on unemployment compensation data to require - rather than permit - the disclosure of confidential UC information to Federal officials for the purposes of UC program oversight and audits. According to the proposal, mandatory collection of this data is essential to ensure the UC program is being administered consistent with Federal law and to identify and prevent fraud.
Comments due Sept. 29.
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.
Record Collections
Education
Perkins V State Plan Guide and Consolidated Annual Report (CAR) for Perkins V. In 2024, ED revised its reporting requirements for the Perkins V program to require data disaggregated by gender, race, and ethnicity so performance could be tracked across those characteristics. Through these two notices, ED is announcing its decision to revert to an earlier version of the reporting requirements that did not require disaggregated reporting despite public comments encouraging ED to retain the more detailed requirements.
Comments due Sept. 26.
Data Sharing
Immigration and Public Benefits
Adjudication and Appeal Records. DOJ is significantly changing its adjudication and appeals records sharing to, among other things, increase sharing with the State Department to get their opinion on cases or claims, sharing with other agencies to aid them in benefit eligibility determinations (according to the listing, "The fact that an individual is in proceedings before EOIR, and the outcome of such proceedings, may constitute evidence necessary to determine eligibility for certain federal benefits."), and sharing "aggregate statistical information with the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom for the purpose of preparing a variety of reports advising on the status of religious freedom abroad." DOJ also issued a proposed rule on this topic for public comment on the same day.
Comments due Sept. 29.
Forms
Disability
OFCCP Recordkeeping Requirements under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. Section 503, together with its regulations, prohibits employment discrimination against applicants and employees based on disability and requires Federal contractors and subcontractors to take steps to employ, advance in employment, and otherwise treat qualified individuals without discrimination based on disabilities. DOL is proposing to repeal the regulations that require federal contractors to collect data on applicants and hires with disabilities and require contractors to apply a seven percent utilization goal for employment of qualified individuals with disabilities to each of their job groups, or to their entire workforce; this notice revises the related forms.
Comments due Oct. 24.Employment Discrimination
Registration and Equal Employment Opportunity in Apprenticeship Programs. DOL issued a proposed rule in July that would modify requirements for the registered apprenticeships program, including by removing provisions mandating the development and implementation of affirmative action plans and initiatives. Through this notice, DOL is modifying related forms including by modifying language to state that the sponsor agrees the apprentice will not be illegally discriminated against on the basis of a protected status, instead of stating that the apprentice will be “accorded equal opportunity in all phases of apprenticeship employment and training” and reducing data collection on participants with disabilities.
Comments due Oct. 24.Discrimination
Job Corps Applicant Data. DOL is revising the information it collects from Job Corps applicants to determine eligibility and to collect socio-demographic characteristics and employment barrier information that are required for reporting under WIOA. Though not technically part of this change request, Job Corps submitted a "non-substantive" change request for this form in April to remove gender identity and pronoun language and to remove an acknowledgement that read "I understand that I will be living in a diverse and inclusive environment and sharing a dormitory with other students”. Because the public was denied an opportunity to comment on those changes, it would be appropriate to include a response to that change in a public comment on the current changes.
Comments due Oct. 24.
Surveys
Healthcare
National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses. This survey collects data on the evolving demographics, educational qualifications, and career employment patterns of RNs. The survey has been fully redesigned for 2026; changes include removing items, modifying existing items, and adding new content.
Comments due Sept. 26.Military Families
Active Duty Spouses Survey. The ADSS is designed to enhance understanding of how spouse and family resilience impact force readiness and retention and inform the effectiveness of programs and policies under the purview of DoD's Military Community and Family Policy Department. It's unclear from the listing whether any changes are being made to the survey at this time.
Comments due Oct. 24.
Also of Note:
Web Design
Improving Our Nation Through Better Design. This Executive Order, issued on August 21, establishes a National Design Studio within the EOP tasked with comprehensively improving the visual presentation and usability of Federal services provided to the public in both digital and physical spaces. Requires agencies to "produce initial results" by July 4, 2026.Biomedical Research Equity
Terminating National Institutes of Health Minority Biomedical Research Support Program and Rescinding the Program's Related Regulation. Through this final rule, NIH is terminating the Minority Biomedical Research Support (MBRS) program and repealing related regulations. The MBRS program sought to increase the numbers of ethnic minority faculty, students, and investigators engaged in biomedical research and to broaden the opportunities for participants in biomedical research of ethnic minority faculty, students, and investigator. According to the listing, the "goal of promoting diversity, even if commendable, cannot survive review under equal protection principles."
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