Opportunities to Provide Input Regarding the Proposed Elimination of ACS 3-Year Data Products

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By Warren A. Brown, President, APDU

In the Census Bureau publication Budget Estimates, Fiscal Year 2016, As Presented to Congress, February 2015 the Bureau proposed “to terminate permanently the ‘3-Year Data’ Product” of the American Community Survey (page CEN – 106). Many data users have come to rely on the 3-Year ACS data products for their analyses and decision-making. The State Data Center Steering Committee followed up with the Census Bureau, and are recommending that persons wishing to comment on the proposal contact James Treat, Chief, American Community Survey Office. The advice is to be specific as to how elimination of the 3-Year ACS data products will impact their community or work. Mr. Treat’s email address is James.b.treat@census.gov.

Terri Ann Lowenthal in her February 10 blog for The Census Project concerning the President’s Budget Request for FY 2016, noted that regarding the Census Bureau, “Congress cut $124 million from its budget request for the current year (FY 2015); [in response] the agency shaved $100 million of that amount from census planning and another $15 million from the ACS.” Eliminating the ACS 3-Year data products is part of the plan to absorb the cuts. Terri Ann points out that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has to approve the spending plan and that provides another opportunity for users of the ACS 3-Year data products to express how these cuts will impact them. Katherine K. Wallman is the Chief Statistician of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. Ms. Wallman’s email address is Katherine_K._Wallman@omb.eop.gov.