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)

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. 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 addp.htops@census.gov. 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: http://www.regulations.gov. All comments received are part of the public record. No comments will be posted to http://www.regulations.gov 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 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 timothy.r.gilbert@census.gov. 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. 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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