[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 105 (Thursday, May 30, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46924-46926]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11838]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY


Notice of Availability and Request for Information; Federal 
Evidence Agenda on Disability Equity

AGENCY: Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

ACTION: Request for information (RFI).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Through this Request for information (RFI), the White House 
Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) seeks input from the 
public to help inform the development of the Federal Evidence Agenda on 
Disability Equity. Executive Order 14091 on Further Advancing Racial 
Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal 
Government (February 16, 2023) directed the OSTP National Science and 
Technology Council Subcommittee on Equitable Data (SED) to coordinate 
implementation of recommendations of the Equitable Data Working Group. 
To address the recommendations relevant to disability, the SED 
established the Disability Data Interagency Working Group (DDIWG). The 
DDIWG is tasked with the development and release of a Federal Evidence 
Agenda on Disability Equity, in order to improve the Federal 
government's ability to make data-informed policy decisions that 
advance equity for the disability community.

DATES: Interested persons and organizations are invited to submit 
comments on or before July 15, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Interested individuals and organizations should submit 
comments electronically via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov/. Information on how to use regulations.gov, 
including instructions for accessing agency documents, submitting 
comments, and viewing the docket, is available on the site under 
``FAQ'' (https://www.regulations.gov/faq).
    Instructions for Submission: OSTP has provided some key questions 
on which public insights would be most valuable (see Supplementary 
Information, Part II). You may respond

[[Page 46925]]

to some or all of these questions, and additional feedback beyond these 
questions is also welcome. Any links you provide to online materials or 
presentations must be publicly accessible. Please feel free to share 
this RFI with colleagues or others for feedback.
    Privacy Act Statement: Response to this RFI is voluntary. Please 
note that all submissions received in response to this notice may be 
posted on https://www.regulations.gov/ or otherwise released in their 
entirety.
    Do not include in your submissions any copyrighted material; 
information of a confidential nature, such as personal or proprietary 
information; or any information you would not like to be made publicly 
available. Individuals and organizations who respond to this RFI may be 
contacted for additional clarification.
    OSTP will not respond to individual submissions. A response to this 
RFI will not be viewed as a binding commitment to develop or pursue the 
project or ideas discussed. This RFI is not accepting applications for 
financial assistance or financial incentives.
    Responses containing references, studies, research, and other 
empirical data that are not widely published should include copies of 
or electronic links to the referenced materials. Responses from minors, 
or responses containing profanity, vulgarity, threats, or other 
inappropriate language or content will not be considered.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice are subject to the 
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Please note that the United States 
Government will not pay for response preparation, or for the use of any 
information contained in a response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please email 
[email protected] with ``Federal Evidence Agenda on 
Disability Equity RFI'' in the subject line, or contact Adam Politis, 
Senior Policy for Disability and Equity, at 202-881-8448. Individuals 
who use telecommunication devices for the deaf and hard of hearing 
(TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339, 24 
hours a day, every day of the year, including holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    Executive Order (E.O.) 13985 on Advancing Racial Equity and Support 
for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government (January 20, 
2021) established the Equitable Data Working Group (EDWG) to study 
existing Federal data collection policies, programs, and capabilities 
and provide recommendations for increasing data available for measuring 
equity and representing the diversity of the American people. 
Subsequently, E.O. 14091 on Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support 
for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government (February 
16, 2023) directed the White House Office of Science and Technology 
Policy (OSTP) National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on 
Equitable Data (SED) to coordinate implementation of the 
recommendations of the EDWG.
    To address the recommendations relevant to disability, the SED 
established the Disability Data Interagency Working Group (DDIWG). The 
DDIWG is tasked with the development and release of a Federal Evidence 
Agenda on Disability Equity, in order to improve the Federal 
Government's ability to make data-informed policy decisions that 
advance equity for the disability community.
    The Federal Evidence Agenda on Disability Equity will:
    i. Describe disparities faced by individuals with disabilities that 
could be better understood through Federal statistics and data 
collection, such as disparities in health, employment, educational, and 
other outcomes, or in Federal program participation.
    ii. Identify, in coordination with agency staff, Federal data 
collections where improved disability data collection may be important 
for advancing the Federal Government's ability to measure disparities 
facing individuals with disabilities; and
    iii. Identify practices for all Federal agencies engaging in 
disability data collection to follow in order to safeguard privacy, 
security, and civil rights, including with regard to appropriate and 
robust practices of consent for the collection of this data and 
restrictions on its use or transfer.
    We invite members of the public to share perspectives on how the 
DDIWG should address these requirements in the Federal Evidence Agenda 
on Disability Equity. OSTP seeks responses to one, some, or all of the 
questions that follow.

II. Topics and Key Questions

Describing Disparities

    In its March 2023 progress report, the Subcommittee on Equitable 
Data states, ``At its core, the principle of equitable data is about 
disaggregating and analyzing data to identify disparities in federal 
policies and programs, using levers of the federal government to 
address those disparities, and then enabling members of the public to 
hold government accountable.'' With this in mind, OSTP seeks response 
to the following questions:
    1. What disparities faced by individuals with disabilities are not 
well-understood through existing Federal statistics and data 
collection?
    2. What types of community-based or non-Federal statistics or data 
collections could help inform the creation of the Federal Evidence 
Agenda on Disability Equity?
    3. Community-based research has indicated that individuals with 
disabilities experience disparities in a broad range of areas. What 
factors or criteria should the DDIWG consider when considering policy 
research priorities?

Informing Data Collections and Public Access

    Ultimately, individual agencies decide what data to collect and 
publish through their surveys and forms, taking into account 
considerations like informed consent, privacy risk, statistical rigor, 
intended use of the data, budget, burden to respondents, and more. With 
that in mind, OSTP seeks response to the following questions:
    1. Disability can be defined and measured in multiple ways. Federal 
surveys and administrative data collections use different definitions 
of disability and measure it in different ways depending upon the 
goal(s) of data collection. What frameworks for defining and measuring 
disability or specific considerations should the DDIWG be aware of?
    2. In some instances, there are multiple surveys or data collection 
tools that could be used to collect data about a particular disparity 
faced by the disability community. In addition to factors like sample 
size, timeliness of the data, and geographic specificity of related 
data products, what other factors should be considered when determining 
which survey or data collection tool would best generate the relevant 
data? Which surveys or data collection tools would be uniquely valuable 
in improving the Federal Government's ability to make data-informed 
decisions that advance equity for the disability community, and why?
    3. Are there any Federal surveys or administrative data collection 
tools for which you would recommend the Federal Government should not 
explore collecting disability data due to privacy risk, the creation of 
barriers to participation in Federal programs, or other reasons? Which 
collections or type

[[Page 46926]]

of collections are they, and why would you make this recommendation?
    4. How can Federal agencies increase public response rates to 
questions about disability in order to improve sample sizes and 
population coverage?
    5. What barriers may individuals with disabilities face when 
participating in surveys or filling out administrative forms?
    6. Disaggregated data--data about groups separated out by 
disability, race/ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, 
geography, income level, veteran status, rural/urban location, and 
other factors--are essential for identifying and remediating 
disparities in how the government serves American communities. Which 
data disaggregated by disability that are currently collected by 
Federal agencies are useful? Which data disaggregated by disability are 
not currently collected by Federal agencies and would be useful, and 
why?
    7. How can Federal agencies best raise public awareness about the 
existence of sources of disability data? How can Federal agencies best 
communicate with the public about methodological constraints to 
collecting data or publishing disability statistics?
    8. How do individuals and organizations external to the Federal 
Government utilize data from Federal surveys and administrative data 
collections? Which practices employed by Federal agencies facilitate 
access to and use of these data? Are there additional practices that 
would be beneficial?

Privacy, Security, and Civil Rights

    The EDWG recommended that ``. . . as the federal government expands 
its use of disaggregated demographic data, it must be intentional about 
when data are collected and shared, as well as how data are protected 
so as not to exacerbate the vulnerability of members of underserved 
communities, many of whom face the heightened risk of harm if their 
privacy is not protected.'' Though previous work by the SED has 
identified how privacy, confidentiality, and civil rights practices 
apply to other marginalized groups, OSTP seeks input on privacy, 
confidentiality, and civil rights considerations that are unique to the 
disability community and/or are experienced differently by individuals 
with disabilities. Accordingly, OSTP seeks response to the following 
questions:
    1. What specific privacy and confidentiality considerations should 
the DDIWG keep in mind when determining promising practices for the 
Federal collection of data for administrative purposes, such as 
applications for programs or benefits, compliance forms, and human 
resources and restrictions on their use or transfer?
    2. Unique risks may exist when collecting disability data in the 
context of both surveys and administrative forms. Please tell us about 
specific risks Federal agencies should think about when considering 
whether to collect these data in surveys or administrative contexts.
    3. Once disability data have been collected for administrative or 
statistical purposes, what considerations should Federal agencies be 
aware of concerning retention of these data? Please tell us how privacy 
or confidentiality protections could mitigate or change these concerns.
    4. Where administrative data are used to enforce civil rights 
protections, such as in employment, credit applications, healthcare 
settings, or education settings, what considerations should the DDIWG 
keep in mind when determining promising practices for the collection of 
these data and restrictions on its use or transfer?

    Dated: May 24, 2024.
Stacy Murphy,
Deputy Chief Operations Officer/Security Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-11838 Filed 5-29-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3270-F1-P