by Meghan Maury
Survey Framework of the Week: Civics Assessment Framework for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The NAEP Civics Assessment measures students’ knowledge and skills in democratic citizenship, government, and American constitutional democracy and asks questions about their opportunities to learn and their engagement with civics in and outside of school. In preparation for a potential update, ED is requesting input on whether the framework needs updating, why updates might be needed, and what a revision should include.
Comments due March 27.
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.
Data Sharing and Data Matching
Designation of the SSA's Numerical Identification System (Numident) Into Do Not Pay. Treasury is proposing to add the Social Security Administration's Numerical Identification System (Numident) to the Do Not Pay Working System for the purpose of identifying and preventing improper payments. Notably, While the full Numident database contains all the information SSA receives on applications for SSNs, the designation to the Do Not Pay Working System will be limited in scope, allowing Do Not Pay users to verify only three data elements associated with a payment or award recipient under a health or income maintenance program—name, SSN, and DOB. Further, the notice indicates that the agreement includes strict retention and use protocols.
Comments due February 25.CMS and SSA Data Sharing and Matching Program. The purpose of this matching program is to provide CMS with SSA information which CMS will use to determine individuals' eligibility for initial enrollment in a Qualified Health Plan through an Exchange; for Insurance Affordability Programs (such as Medicaid, CHIP, BHP, and tax credits and cost sharing reductions); for certificates of exemption from the shared responsibility payment; and to make eligibility redeterminations and renewal decisions, including appeal determinations.
Comments due March 11.FERC and Treasury Data Sharing Agreement. Through this notice, FERC is sharing data from 21 of its records systems with the Treasury Department "for the purposes of identifying, preventing, or recouping fraud and improper payments, to the extent permissible by law."
Comments due March 11.SSA and Treasury Data Sharing/Matching Program. Under this matching program, Treasury's Bureau of Fiscal Service (BFS) will disclose ownership of Savings Securities data to SSA. This disclosure will provide SSA with information necessary to verify an individual's self-certification of his or her financial status to determine eligibility for low-income subsidy assistance in the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit program.
Comments due March 16.
Census
Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey. HTOPS is a probability-based, nationwide, nationally-representative survey designed to test methods to collect data on a variety of topics of interest, and for conducting experimentation on alternative question wording and methodological approaches. Through this notice, Census is announcing both content changes and a methodological change - shifting from a longitudinal panel to a cross-sectional design. Content topics include employment status, use of artificial intelligence for work, unemployment insurance receipt, income, food security, housing, physical and mental health, disability, social connection, community and civic engagement, access to transportation, vaccine receipt, use of Narcan to reverse overdose, childcare, access to infant formula, arts participation, trust in institutions, and insurance coverage.
Comments due March 11.
Disability
FEMA Reasonable Accommodation Medical Request Form. According to the listing, FEMA's new form "supports a fair, efficient, and consistent process for evaluating employee requests for reasonable accommodations. It ensures that medical information is collected by license health care providers, helping the agency make informed decisions. FEMA is streamlining the process by ensuring that all necessary and relevant information is consistently captured. By providing a clear and uniform structure, it enhances efficiency for employees and licensed health care providers, while reducing the potential for delays caused by incomplete or insufficient submissions of medical documentation."
Comments due March 12.
Immigration
Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker: H-2A Classification. This form is used by an employer to petition USCIS for a worker to come temporarily to the United States as a nonimmigrant to perform agricultural services or labor in the H-2A classification. 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 March 30.
Health
National Network of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Clinical Prevention Training Centers (NNPTC). Data collected through these forms are used to monitor and evaluate performance and reach of grantees that offer STD and HIV prevention training, training assistance, and capacity building assistance to physicians, nurses, disease intervention specialists, health educators, etc. No major changes are being made to the forms right now, but last year - without taking public comment - CDC removed questions on the form related to gender identity and sexual orientation and changed "pregnant people" to "pregnant women."
Comments due March 30.
Discrimination
Registration Requirements for Financial Assistance Recipients. This set of forms are used by applicants and recipients of Federal financial assistance to register in the System for Award Management (SAM) and maintain an active SAM registration with current information. GSA is making unspecified changes to the system to align with DOJ's "Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination" and the EO on "Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity."
Comments due March 30.
Also of Note:
Protecting the National Security and Welfare of the United States and Its Citizens From Criminal Actors and Other Public Safety Threats. This Executive Order, issued on February 6, requires DOJ to share criminal history records information with DHS for immigration enforcement purposes, and where possible to share criminal history record information with foreign countries for the purpose of screening travelers and immigrants. (Unfortunately, the public has no opportunity to weigh in on Executive Orders.)