Statistical Agencies: Statutory Requirements Affecting Government
Policies and Programs (Letter Report, 07/17/96, GAO/GGD-96-106).
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided a listing of
legislatively mandated reports that statistical agencies produce for
Congress on a regular basis, focusing on the statutory authority for
these reports.
GAO found that: (1) the 11 principal statistical agencies are subject to
a variety of laws that authorize statistical activities, prevent the
unauthorized disclosure of confidential information, and require them to
report the results of their statistical activities to Congress; (2)
legislatively mandated reporting requirements vary in number and scope
among agencies and usually direct the principal statistical agencies to
report to Congress on specific subjects of interest; (3) authorizing
legislation often mentions that the report is to Congress, but usually
does not mention congressional jurisdiction; (4) Congress uses
statistical information to monitor the performance of federal agencies
as they implement legislation, exercise appropriate budget control, and
formulate policies for federal programs and other legislative
initiatives; and (5) the statistics produced by the 11 principal
statistical agencies assist in the development and revision of numerous
government policies, administration of many federal programs, and
evaluation of government programs.
--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------
REPORTNUM: GGD-96-106
TITLE: Statistical Agencies: Statutory Requirements Affecting
Government Policies and Programs
DATE: 07/17/96
SUBJECT: Statistical data
Data collection operations
Reporting requirements
Oversight by Congress
Authorization
Information dissemination operations
Agency reports
Disclosure law
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Cover
================================================================ COVER
Report to Congressional Requesters
July 1996
STATISTICAL AGENCIES - STATUTORY
REQUIREMENTS AFFECTING GOVERNMENT
POLICIES AND PROGRAMS
GAO/GGD-96-106
Statistical Agencies
(243064)
Abbreviations
=============================================================== ABBREV
BEA - Bureau of Economic Analysis
BJS - Bureau of Justice Statistics
BLS - Bureau of Labor Statistics
BTS - Bureau of Transportation Statistics
CPI - Consumer Price Index
EIA - Energy Information Administration
ERS - Economic Research Service
GDP - Gross Domestic Product
IRS - Internal Revenue Service
NASS - National Agricultural Statistics Service
NCES - National Center for Education Statistics
NCHS - National Center for Health Statistics
OMB - Office of Management and Budget
SOI - Statistics of Income Division
Letter
=============================================================== LETTER
B-262121
July 17, 1996
The Honorable John R. Kasich
Chairman, Committee on the Budget
House of Representatives
The Honorable Stephen Horn
Chairman, Subcommittee on Government Management,
Information and Technology
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight
House of Representatives
This report responds to your requests for a list of the legislatively
mandated reports that statistical agencies are to produce for
Congress on a regular basis and the statutory authority for the
reports. You requested this information to assist congressional
consideration of proposals to consolidate statistical agencies.
This report provides a listing of authorizing statutes establishing
the agencies and confidentiality or disclosure provisions for the 11
principal statistical agencies,\1 a listing of these agencies'
mandated reporting requirements to Congress, and a listing of uses of
the agencies' statistical products in the administration of federal
programs.
--------------------
\1 Throughout this report, we use the generic term "agency" to refer
to the organizational entities charged with responsibility for the
collection, production, and dissemination of statistical information.
BACKGROUND
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :1
The federal government is the largest single producer, consumer,
custodian, and disseminator of statistical information in the United
States. Federal statistics play an important role in public and
private decisionmaking--both domestically and internationally. For
example, federal statistics are used to monitor the nation's economy
and international trade balance; plan the federal budget; guide the
distribution of billions of dollars of federal, state, and local
government program resources; and measure the well-being of the
nation's population. Private sector investment and marketing
decisions are often based on demographic, economic, and other data
provided by federal statistical programs.
The federal statistical system is highly decentralized, with
responsibility and authority divided among about 70 agencies that
have funding of at least $500,000 in a fiscal year for statistical
activities. In fiscal year 1995, the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) listed 72 agencies that met this threshold. Of these agencies,
11 collect, analyze, and produce statistics as their primary
mission.\2 In addition to these purely statistical agencies, in 1995
OMB identified 61 other agencies that had obligations of at least
$500,000 annually for statistical activities.\3 The agencies in the
federal statistical system requested a total of about $2.8 billion in
direct funding for fiscal year 1996 for statistical activities, such
as data collection and dissemination. The 11 principal statistical
agencies accounted for about half of this $2.8 billion total.
--------------------
\2 In 1995, OMB identified 10 agencies as the principal statistical
agencies. We added the Department of the Treasury's Statistics of
Income Division (SOI) because its mission is also primarily
statistical. Both OMB's Chief Statistician and principal statistical
agency officials agreed with this classification.
\3 These other agencies, such as the United States Geological Survey
and the National Institutes of Health, have statistical programs that
support their program planning and evaluation functions or that are
an outgrowth of their administrative responsibilities. See OMB,
Statistical Programs of the United States Government: Fiscal Year
1996, Annual Report of the Statistical Policy Branch (Washington,
D.C.: 1996).
RESULTS IN BRIEF
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :2
The statutory framework of the federal statistical system is complex.
Each of the 11 principal agencies is subject to governmentwide laws
(e.g., the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, as amended and recodified
in 1995, and the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended). Also, a
governmentwide prohibition exists against disclosing confidential
information in general. Agency-specific laws authorize the
establishment of each principal statistical agency or authorize the
agency to conduct statistical activities. In addition, other
agency-specific laws, policies, and regulations protect the
confidentiality of respondents or limit the disclosure of information
from respondents to each federal statistical agency's data collection
efforts.
Another set of statutes requires statistical agencies to report the
results of their statistical activities to Congress. These
legislatively mandated reporting requirements vary in number and
scope among the agencies, with some agencies having several specific
reporting requirements and others having few broad reporting
requirements. The agencies provided us with lists that identified
their legislatively mandated reporting requirements to Congress.
In addition, the 11 principal statistical agencies provided us with
agency-identified uses of their agencies' statistical products and,
in most cases, the statutory authorizations for these uses. The uses
the 11 agencies identified demonstrate how critical many of their
statistical products are to the functioning of the nation. To
illustrate, the statistical data produced by one of these agencies
are used to apportion representation in Congress among the states.
Also, the president, Congress, and the Federal Reserve Board use
these data to make decisions on national and international economic
policy as well as to allocate billions of dollars in federal funds to
state and local governments. The agencies' statistical data also
directly affect individuals. For example, under the Internal Revenue
Code, income brackets for the federal individual income tax are
adjusted to offset the effects of inflation using the Consumer Price
Index (CPI) produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).\4
Similarly, the Social Security Act calls for adjusting some Social
Security payments to reflect changes in the CPI.\5 The listings
prepared by the statistical agencies include a number of other uses
of statistical information in administering many other
mission-related government programs.
--------------------
\4 26 U.S.C. 1(f).
\5 42 U.S.C. 415(i).
OBJECTIVE, SCOPE, AND
METHODOLOGY
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :3
Our objective was to identify the following: (1) the statutory
authorizations establishing the 11 agencies or their statistical
activities and the confidentiality or disclosure provisions of those
agencies, (2) the agencies' legislatively mandated reporting
requirements to Congress, and (3) the uses of the agencies'
statistical products in the administration of federal programs.
A review of the literature and interviews with experts on the federal
statistical system, including the former Commissioner of BLS and
senior officials from OMB, identified 11 agencies as being primarily
or entirely statistical in the nature of their operations in that
they collect, analyze, and produce statistics as their primary
mission. The agencies are
-- the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and the
Economic Research Service (ERS) in the Department of
Agriculture,
-- the Bureau of the Census and the Bureau of Economic Analysis
(BEA) in the Department of Commerce,
-- the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the
Department of Education,
-- the Energy Information Administration (EIA) in the Department of
Energy,
-- the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) in the
Department of Health and Human Services,
-- the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) in the Department of
Justice,
-- the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in the Department of Labor,
-- the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) in the Department
of Transportation, and
-- the Statistics of Income Division (SOI) of the Internal Revenue
Service (IRS) in the Department of the Treasury.
In order to identify the legislative mandates, we asked officials
from each of these 11 agencies to identify each agency's
-- authorization statutes and confidentiality or disclosure
provision citations; and
-- legislatively mandated reporting requirements to Congress,
including the title of the report and U.S. Code or other
citations.
We also asked an official from each agency to provide legislative
authorizations for the agency's statistics to be used in
administering federal programs, including the titles of statistical
programs and U.S. Code citations.
We verified the accuracy of the information we received from each of
the agencies on its authorization statutes, confidentiality and
disclosure provisions, and mandated reporting requirements to
Congress by reviewing the relevant U.S. Code and other citations the
agencies provided to us. However, we did not verify the completeness
of the information provided by the agencies. We also did not verify
the accuracy of the legislative citations that the agencies provided
with regard to the uses of their statistical products. Thus,
additional statutory citations and uses may exist that are not
presented in this report.
We provided a draft of the portions of this report that applied to
each agency to program officials for review. They provided technical
corrections and clarifications, which we adopted as appropriate. In
their comments on the material we provided, Census officials
identified uses of Census statistics in addition to those they
initially provided. Census officials provided the statutory
authorization citations for the collection of this information but
not for its uses. We included these additional uses in appendix III,
although we did not verify them. Several of the agencies also noted
that there may be additional uses that were not specifically mandated
by statute, but unlike Census they did not provide additional uses.
We relied on uses provided by the agencies and, therefore, do not
know to what extent additional uses may exist.
We provided a complete draft of this report to the Director of OMB
for review. On June 4, 1996, we met with the Chief Statistician and
a senior economist in OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs. The officials agreed with our presentation of the
information in this report.
We performed our work in Washington, D.C., from June 1995 through
April 1996 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing
standards.
CURRENT LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITIES
FOR 11 STATISTICAL AGENCIES
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :4
The statutory framework of the federal statistical system is complex.
The federal statistical system is subject to governmentwide and
agency-specific authorizing legislation. Laws such as the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1980, as amended and recodified in 1995,\6 and the
Privacy Act of 1974, as amended,\7
establish governmentwide policies for the coordination of information
policy or the disclosure of information from respondents to the
federal government's requests for statistical information. Also, a
governmentwide prohibition exists against disclosing confidential
information in general.\8 Agency-specific laws authorize the
establishment of each statistical agency or authorize the agency to
conduct statistical activities. In addition, other agency-specific
laws, policies, or regulations protect the confidentiality of
respondents or limit disclosure of information from respondents to
each federal statistical agency's data collection efforts.
Confidentiality refers broadly to an obligation on the part of a
federal statistical agency not to transmit information it has
received to an unauthorized party. Some of the agency-specific laws
that govern the confidentiality of statistical data prohibit or
severely limit interagency sharing of data for statistical
purposes.\9 The issue of data sharing among federal agencies for
statistical purposes has been a long-standing and complicated one.\10
Agency confidentiality provisions that permit data to be seen only by
the employees of a single agency present a formidable barrier to the
sharing of data among agencies and cause duplication of work among
agencies. For example, NASS has had to compile its own list of farms
because it does not have access to the list of farms compiled by
Census for conducting the agricultural census.\11 In addition,
because of provisions limiting access to Census records, other
statistical agencies at times have had only limited access to data
the agencies paid Census to collect.
In April 1996, OMB sent to Congress proposed legislation to permit
limited data sharing among selected agencies. In June 1996, the
Department of the Treasury sent to Congress proposed complementary
legislation that would permit limited sharing of tax information
among designated statistical agencies for statistical purposes,
subject to procedural safeguards contained in the proposal. Table 1
shows the authorizing statutes that establish the agencies and
confidentiality or disclosure provisions for the 11 statistical
agencies.
Table 1
Agency-Specific Authorizing Statutes and
Confidentiality or Disclosure Provisions
for the 11 Principal Statistical
Agencies
Confidentiality or
Department/ Authorizing disclosure
agency statute(s) provision(s)
-------------- ------------------ ----------------------
Agriculture
NASS 7 U.S.C. 2204 7 U.S.C. 2276
18 U.S.C. 1902\a
ERS 7 U.S.C. 1622 7 U.S.C. 2276
18 U.S.C. 1902\a
Commerce
BEA\b 15 U.S.C. 171, 176 15 U.S.C. 176a
22 U.S.C. 3104, 3144
Census 13 U.S.C. 1, 2, 4 13 U.S.C. 9, 214, and
301 et seq.
Education
NCES 20 U.S.C. 9001, 20 U.S.C. 9007
9002
Energy
EIA 15 U.S.C. \15 U.S.C. 771
7135(a)(1) 15 U.S.C. 773
15 U.S.C. 790h
15 U.S.C. 7135(f)
42 U.S.C. 7177(a)\
Administrator 15 U.S.C.
of EIA 7135(a)(1)\c
Health and
Human
Services
NCHS 42 U.S.C. 242k 42 U.S.C. 242 m(d)
Justice
BJS 42 U.S.C. 3731 42 U.S.C. 3789g
Labor
BLS 29 U.S.C. 1 Commissioner's order\d
Transportation
BTS 49 U.S.C. 111 49 U.S.C. 111(e)
Treasury
SOI 26 U.S.C. 6108 26 U.S.C. 6103(j),
(f), (n)
----------------------------------------------------------
Note: In addition, all 11 agencies are subject to a governmentwide
prohibition against disclosing confidential information in general
(18 U.S.C. 1905).
\a This statute is a prohibition against disclosure of crop
information by any U.S. employee.
\b BEA was formerly known as the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic
Commerce.
\c Provides specific authorization to the Administrator to perform
certain statistical functions.
\d The order provides specific detail on how data are to be
safeguarded. BLS sought legislation in 1990 to codify certain
confidentiality protections, but Congress did not act on the
legislation.
Source: Principal statistical agencies.
--------------------
\6 P.L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.
\7 5 U.S.C. 552a.
\8 18 U.S.C. 1905.
\9 For example, the statutory protection of statistical information
collected by the Census Bureau under 13 U.S.C. 9 is extremely
rigorous. The confidentiality provision (20 U.S.C. 9007) governing
data gathered by NCES is patterned after the Census provision. For
more information, see George T. Duncan et al., Private Lives and
Public Policies: Confidentiality and Accessibility of Government
Statistics (Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1993).
\10 See After Six Years, Legal Obstacles Continue to Restrict
Government Use of the Standard Statistical Establishment List
(GAO/GGD-79-17, May 25, 1979).
\11 The President's fiscal year 1997 budget proposes that the 1997
Census of Agriculture be conducted by NASS instead of Census.
LEGISLATIVELY MANDATED REPORTS
TO CONGRESS
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :5
Under legislatively mandated reporting requirements, the principal
statistical agencies are to report to Congress on their activities or
specific subjects of interest. The legislation often, but not
always, mentions that the report is to Congress, without mentioning
which congressional committee has jurisdiction. For example, NASS is
required to send reports on the use of agricultural pesticides to
Congress.\12
Congress uses the information it receives from such reports to
monitor the performance of federal agencies as they implement
legislation, to exercise appropriate control over the budget, and to
formulate policies for federal programs and other legislative
initiatives. Appendix I contains a listing of the agencies'
legislatively mandated reporting requirements to Congress that the 11
statistical agencies provided to us.
--------------------
\12 7 U.S.C. 136i-1.
USES OF STATISTICAL PRODUCTS
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :6
The development and revision of numerous government policies, as well
as the administration of many federal programs, depend on the
statistics produced by the 11 principal statistical agencies. The
executive branch and Congress use statistics produced by these
agencies as a basis for measuring the results of government programs.
Some laws require the use of specific statistical products for the
administration of programs. The following are examples that the
agencies provided of uses of statistical products, including some
specifically required by law:
-- Census' Decennial Census of Population and Housing is the basis
on which representation in Congress is apportioned among the
states. It also is the basis for state legislatures to draw
state and congressional legislative districts.
-- Census data are used to determine the need for bilingual
education requirements.
-- BEA's measures of real gross domestic product (GDP) and national
income are used in planning national economic policy by
Congress, the president, the Federal Reserve Board, and other
federal statistical agencies. For example, these measures are
used in formulating the president's budget submission to
Congress and in econometric models constructed by the
Congressional Budget Office, the Economic Report of the
President, and the Federal Reserve Board Chairman's semiannual
testimony to Congress on inflation and unemployment.
-- BEA and Census compile international economic statistics. BEA
compiles the balance of payments, which is a framework for
estimating the flow of goods, services, capital, and other
transfers between the United States and other countries. Census
compiles statistics on merchandise trade that are drawn from
import and export documents collected by the U.S. Customs
Service. These statistics are used by policymakers in a variety
of ways, ranging from trade negotiations and assessment of
international macroeconomic conditions to the administration of
trade agreements, programs, and damage determinations.
-- Local area unemployment, income, and poverty statistics from
Census, BLS, and BEA are used in formula programs that allocate
billions of dollars in federal funds to state and local
governments.
-- Statistics on changes in prices are required by law to be linked
to billions of dollars in federal spending and tax receipts.
Changes in prices are commonly measured by BLS' CPI, to which
many federal benefits and individual income taxes are tied in
order to offset the effects of inflation.
-- The Farm Service Agency uses agricultural statistics produced by
NASS on prices received by farmers to administer programs that
determine the deficiency payment rates and state commodity loan
rates for feed grains, wheat, cotton, and rice.
-- The Department of Labor uses NASS' Quarterly Agriculture Labor
Survey to allocate federal funds for migrant and seasonal farm
worker programs.
Other statistics, such as health statistics, may be used to assess
public policy by providing data on the cost and delivery of
government programs. Appendix II contains a listing of most of the
uses of the statistical products of the 11 principal statistical
agencies as reported by those agencies, including the relevant
program titles and legal citations. As the appendix notes, these
uses include some that are statutorily required as well as a number
of others that are authorized by statute. Appendix III contains a
listing of additional agency-identified uses of Census' statistical
products and includes the legal citations that authorize Census to
collect the information for those products.
We are sending copies of this report to the Secretaries of
Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services,
Labor, Transportation, and the Treasury; the Attorney General; the
heads of the 11 principal statistical agencies; the Director of OMB;
and other interested parties. Copies will also be made available to
others on request.
If you have any questions concerning this report, please call me on
(202) 512-4232. Major contributors to this report are listed in
appendix IV.
Bernard L. Ungar
Associate Director, Federal Management
and Workforce Issues
LEGISLATIVELY MANDATED REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 11 PRINCIPAL
STATISTICAL AGENCIES
=========================================================== Appendix I
Department/ Reporting required
agency Nature of report by
------------ ------------------------ ------------------
Agriculture\
a
National Agricultural and 7 U.S.C. 136i-1
Agricultural nonagricultural
Statistics pesticide use
Service
(NASS)
Economic Annual report on family 7 U.S.C. 2266
Research farms
Service 7 U.S.C. 1441a
(ERS) Cost of production
study 7 U.S.C. 3504
Foreign ownership of
U.S. agricultural land 7 U.S.C. 1622(g)
Price spreads and 7 U.S.C. 5312
marketing data
Nutrition monitoring
Commerce
Bureau of International investment 22 U.S.C. 3103\b
Economic and trade in services
Analysis surveys
(BEA) 22 U.S.C. 3142\c
Annual report on
foreign direct
investment in the
United States
Census\d Decennial census report 13 U.S.C. 141 (b),
(f)
Report to Congress only
if unable to provide 13 U.S.C. 181
current data on total
population for local
governments
13 U.S.C.
Proposed topics of the 141(f)(1)
next decennial census
Proposed questions to 13 U.S.C.
be included in the next 141(f)(2)
decennial census
Education
National Report on the condition 20 U.S.C. 9005
Center for and progress of
Education education
Statistics 20 U.S.C. 9005
(NCES) Statistical reports
20 U.S.C. 9005
Special reports
20 U.S.C. 9010
National assessment of
educational progress
Energy
Energy Annual report to 15 U.S.C.
Information Congress 790f(a)(2)
Administrat
ion (EIA) Performance profiles of 42 U.S.C.
major energy producers 7135(h)(1)(a)
Quarterly U.S. coal
imports status report 42 U.S.C. 7277(a)
Quarterly short-term
energy outlook 15 U.S.C.
790f(a)(2)
Annual energy outlook
15 U.S.C. 790f
Annual energy review
15 U.S.C. 790f
Profiles of foreign
direct investment in 42 U.S.C. 7267(8)
U.S. energy
Uranium purchases 42 U.S.C. 2296b-
report 5
Report on studies of 42 U.S.C. 13369
transportation rate
impacts of Clean Air
Act 42 U.S.C. 13385
Emissions of greenhouse
gases in the United
States
Health and
Human
Services
National National disease 42 U.S.C. 242p(a)
Center for prevention data
Health profile
Statistics 42 U.S.C.
(NCHS) Health status, costs, 242m(a)(1)
resources, and
utilization of services
Justice
Bureau of Information on justice 42 U.S.C.
Justice statistics 3732(c)(10)
Statistics
(BJS) National baseline study
on campus sexual 42 U.S.C. 14012
assault\e
Data on use of 42 U.S.C. 14142
excessive force
Labor
Bureau of Expenditures by BLS 29 U.S.C. 6
Labor
Statistics Employment status of P.L. 100-323
(BLS) disabled and Vietnam
veterans
Transportati
on
Bureau of Transportation 49 U.S.C. 111 (f)
Transportat statistics annual
ion report
Statistics
(BTS)
Treasury
Statistics None None
of Income
Division
(SOI)
----------------------------------------------------------
Note: Several agencies also noted that there may be additional uses
that were not specifically mandated by statute.
\a Statutes impose reporting requirement on the Secretary of
Agriculture, but the reports are done by ERS and NASS.
\b The statute imposes the requirement on the president, although the
reports are done by BEA.
\c The Economic and Statistics Administration has been delegated
responsibility for preparing the report; BEA provides most of the
data used and has made major contributions to the analysis in the
report.
\d The president is to report decennial census data as the basis for
reapportionment of representatives in Congress under 2 U.S.C. 2a(a).
\e This report is to be issued in consultation with the Secretary of
Education.
USES OF STATISTICAL PRODUCTS OF
THE 11 PRINCIPAL STATISTICAL
AGENCIES
========================================================== Appendix II
This appendix presents alphabetically, by department,
agency-identified uses of the 11 agencies' statistical products and
the statutory authorizations for these uses. The principal
statistical agencies provided the information in this appendix, and
we did not independently verify it. The agencies provided us with
lists that describe a wide range of uses of their statistical
products; some lists were more extensive than others. In some cases,
these uses are statutorily required. For example, the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) is required by the Internal Revenue Code to use
the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) Consumer Price Index (CPI) to
adjust income brackets for individual taxpayers to offset the effects
of inflation.\1
In other cases, the uses refer to statutes that enable the agencies
or their parent departments to operate or that establish the
agencies' missions. However, these statutes do not always provide
explicit direction on the way the agencies' statistical products are
to be used. For example, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) uses
the Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (ERS) farm
sector data in BEA's National Income and Product Accounts. This use
is not explicitly cited in the statute BEA provided.\2
--------------------
\1 26 U.S.C. 1(f).
\2 15 U.S.C. 171.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix II:1
ECONOMIC RESEARCH SERVICE
(ERS)
------------------------------------------------------ Appendix II:1.1
ERS is a research-oriented agency that provides economic and other
social science information and analysis on agriculture, food, natural
resources, and rural America. Through its research and analysis
program, ERS produces economic information related to supply, demand,
and performance of domestic and international food and agriculture
markets; indicators of food and consumer issues; economic and
environmental indicators of agriculture production and resource use;
and socioeconomic indicators of the status and performance of the
farm sector and the rural economy. Table II.1 shows uses of ERS'
statistical products.
Table II.1
Agency-Identified Uses of ERS Statistics
Statutory
authorization, as
Use provided by agency
---------------------------------------------- ----------------------
Farm sector data for BEA's National Income and 15 U.S.C. 171
Product Accounts
Net farm income for Council of Economic P.L. 81-120, Ch. 237,
Advisers 63 Stat. 264 (1949)
Tobacco price support levels 7 U.S.C. 1445
Peanut price support levels 7 U.S.C. 1445C-3
Derivation of equivalent U.S. cotton price 7 U.S.C. 1444
Effectiveness of dairy product promotion 7 U.S.C. 6407(m)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL
STATISTICS SERVICE (NASS)
------------------------------------------------------ Appendix II:1.2
NASS is responsible for undertaking surveys by mail, telephone,
personal interviews, and field observations to obtain data on the
production, price, and supply of crops and livestock; farm wages and
employment; and general farm and crop-growing conditions. NASS'
statistical products include reports on estimates for livestock
inventories, farm numbers and acreage, and farm labor. Table II.2
shows selected uses for agricultural statistical products.
Table II.2
Agency-Identified Uses for Agricultural
Statistics
Statutory
authorization, as
Use provided by agency
---------------------------------------------- ----------------------
Content of monthly crop report 7 U.S.C. 1421d
Monthly cotton report issuance 7 U.S.C. 475
Cotton acreage reports for July and August 7 U.S.C. 476
Prohibition of forecasts of cotton prices 12 U.S.C. 1141j(d)
Restriction of apple production estimates to 7 U.S.C. 411b
the "commercial" crop
Monthly peanut stock reports 7 U.S.C. 951, 953
Cotton ginning report for Commerce 13 U.S.C. 42
----------------------------------------------------------------------
USES OF ECONOMIC
STATISTICS
---------------------------------------------------- Appendix II:1.2.1
NASS' economic statistics are used by policymakers to administer a
number of federal programs. NASS' economic statistics include prices
received by farmers, prices paid by farmers, parity prices, farm
numbers and land in farms, grazing fee policy, farm workers and wage
rates, and farm production expenditures. For example, the Farm
Service Agency uses prices received by farmers to administer a number
of its legislated farm programs, such as the determination of
deficiency payment rates and state commodity loan rates for programs
on feed grains, wheat, cotton, and rice. Other federal departments
use NASS' statistics as well. For example, the Department of Labor
uses NASS' Quarterly Agriculture Labor Survey to allocate federal
funds for migrant and seasonal farm worker programs, and BEA uses
NASS' statistics for the agricultural portion of the National Income
and Product Accounts.
STATE REQUIREMENTS
---------------------------------------------------- Appendix II:1.2.2
In NASS' organizational structure, federal and state agricultural
statistical programs have been merged through cooperative agreements
providing for joint funding and staffing. As part of the cooperative
agreements, extra statistics or publications are created that would
not exist if federal funding were relied on exclusively. Some of
these statistics or publications are in response to state statutes or
Department of Agriculture regulations. Examples include statistics
on Florida citrus production, dairy products in Wisconsin, tobacco
sales in Virginia, assessment of agricultural land in Iowa, and
annual farm censuses in Kansas and West Virginia.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix II:2
BUREAU OF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
(BEA)
------------------------------------------------------ Appendix II:2.1
BEA is a research-oriented statistical agency that prepares,
develops, interprets, and publishes the U.S. economic accounts. BEA
integrates large volumes of monthly, quarterly, and annual economic
statistics--ranging from construction spending to retail
sales--gathered or compiled by other government agencies and trade
sources to produce a picture of the national economy and its regional
and international dimensions. Table II.3 shows selected uses of
national statistical products.\3
Table II.3
Agency-Identified Uses of National
Statistics
Statutory
authorization, as
Use provided by agency
---------------------------------------------- ----------------------
Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 15 U.S.C. 3101
1978
Employment Act of 1946; 15 U.S.C. 1021, 1022
Economic Report of President
Budget Enforcement Act of 1990 2 U.S.C. 900, 901, 907
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control P.L. 99-177
Act of 1985
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 P.L. 93-344
Annual adoption of concurrent resolution on 2 U.S.C. 632
the budget
Social Security Act 42 U.S.C. 1395rr
Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 P.L. 100-418
Trade Act of 1974 19 U.S.C. 2464
Tariff Act of 1930 19 U.S.C. 1677
Annual adjustments to pay schedules 5 U.S.C. 5303
Foreign assistance 22 U.S.C. 2394
Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act of 1975 15 U.S.C. 757
Conversion mechanism to standby authorities 15 U.S.C. 760a
Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 15 U.S.C. 3311
Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 15 U.S.C. 777
Compact of Free Association; Trust Territory 48 U.S.C. 1681
of Pacific
North American Free Trade Agreement 19 U.S.C. 3462
Public Health Service Act, Retirement Income 42 U.S.C. 300bb-4, 29
Security U.S.C. 1163
Rail Services Planning Office 49 U.S.C. 10362
Railroads: Capital Needs Study 45 U.S.C. 824
Cotton classification and fees for services 7 U.S.C. 473a
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Table II.4 shows selected uses of international statistical products.
Table II.4
Agency-Identified Uses of International
Statistics
Statutory
authorization, as
Use provided by agency
---------------------------------------------- ----------------------
Bretton Woods Agreement Act, Article VII, 22 U.S.C. 286
section 7(a), and Article VIII, section 5
International Investment and Trade in Services 22 U.S.C. 3101
Survey
Exchange of data with Census and BLS 22 U.S.C. 3104
Foreign Direct Investment and International 22 U.S.C. 3141
Financial Data
Employment Act of 1946; Economic Report of 15 U.S.C. 1021, 1022
President
Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 15 U.S.C. 3101
1978
Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 P.L. 100-418
North American Free Trade Agreement 19 U.S.C. 3462
National Trade Data Bank 15 U.S.C. 4906
Annual adoption of concurrent resolution on 2 U.S.C. 632
the budget
Trade Act of 1974 19 U.S.C. 2464
Trade Agreements Act of 1979 19 U.S.C. 2512
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Table II.5 shows a selected use of regional statistical products.
Table II.5
Agency-Identified Use of Regional
Statistics
Statutory
authorization, as
Use provided by agency
---------------------------------------------- ----------------------
National Assessment of Vocational Education 20 U.S.C. 2403
Programs
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------
\3 According to BEA, there may be additional uses that were not
specifically mandated by statute.
CENSUS BUREAU
------------------------------------------------------ Appendix II:2.2
The Census Bureau is a general purpose statistical agency that
collects, tabulates, and publishes a large volume and wide variety of
statistics about the people, housing, and economy of the United
States. These statistics provide the basic �yardsticks� needed to
measure, understand, anticipate, and respond to changes in our
society and economy. They are used extensively throughout the public
and private sectors, including routine uses by legislators, program
officials, business people, university researchers, and national and
local news media representatives. Among its many tasks, the Census
Bureau compiles
-- censuses of the U.S. population and housing every 10 years;
-- censuses of U.S. businesses, farms, and governments every 5
years;
-- scores of current demographic and economic data; and
-- reports detailing all U.S. merchandise trade shipments each
month.
In addition to directly funded programs, the Census Bureau provides
substantial data collection, special tabulation, and related services
to statistical agencies and other organizations on a reimbursable
basis. Reimbursable data collections include special censuses
conducted at the request of state and local governments. Other
reimbursable program customers include diverse federal social,
economic, natural resource, and other program agencies.
Table II.6 shows selected uses of decennial population statistical
products, including household economic statistics.
Table II.6
Agency-Identified Selected Uses of
Decennial Population Statistics,
Including Household Economic Statistics
Statutory
authorization, as
Use provided by agency
---------------------------------------------- ----------------------
Women's, Infants, and Children's Program 42 U.S.C. 1786
Educational Consolidation and Improvement Act 20 U.S.C. 2711(c)
Federal affirmative action plans 5 U.S.C. 7201 (a)(1)
Report on the Condition of Education in the 20 U.S.C. 1221e-
United States 1(g)(6)
Collection of vital, social, and health 42 U.S.C. 242k
statistics
Evaluation of affirmative action programs 42 U.S.C. 2000e
Voting rights 42 U.S.C. 1973aa-1a
Civil rights protection 42 U.S.C. 1975c 2000c-
2, d, f
Equal employment opportunity protection 42 U.S.C. 2000e
Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 42 U.S.C. 628
1980
Native American Program Act of 1972 42 U.S.C. 2992
Housing Improvement Program (Snyder Act) 25 U.S.C. 13
Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975 12 U.S.C. 2809(a)
Department of Veterans Affairs, Minority 38 U.S.C. 317
Affairs Officer
Allocation of funds for postsecondary 20 U.S.C. 1011-3
education
Allocation of funds for low-interest student 20 U.S.C. 1072(b)
loans
Educational opportunity for handicapped 20 U.S.C. 1412
children
Older Americans Act of 1965 42 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.
Juvenile justice and delinquency prevention 42 U.S.C. 5632
Americans of Hispanic origin statistics 15 U.S.C. 1516a
Research to estimate Hispanic undercount in 13 U.S.C. 141 note
census
Public Health Service Act 42 U.S.C. 254c(b)(3)
and (4), 254e(b) and
(d)
Low-Income Housing Tax Credit 26 U.S.C. 42(d)(5)(A)
Mortgage Revenue Bonds 26 U.S.C. 143(j), (k)
Community Development Block Grant evaluation 42 U.S.C. 12701
Immigration Act of 1990 8 U.S.C. 1182 note and
1182(a)(5)(A)
Basic Skills Demonstration Assistance 20 U.S.C. 3262,3266
Homeless Program 42 U.S.C. 11421
Report on education by school district 20 U.S.C. 1221e-
1(g)(6)
Migratory children education 20 U.S.C. 2781
Bilingual education 20 U.S.C. 3283,
3291(part a),
3301(part b),
3321(part c)
Vocational and applied technology education 20 U.S.C. 2421
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 8 U.S.C. 1364
Refugee Education Assistance Act 8 U.S.C. 1521-3
Vocational and applied technology education 20 U.S.C. 2421
Higher education to serve adult learners 20 U.S.C. 1002, 1011
Adult Education Act 20 U.S.C. 1201 as
amended by P.L. 102-7
Emergency Immigrant Education Act 20 U.S.C. 3121
Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 42 U.S.C. 12143
Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategies 42 U.S.C. 12701
President's National Urban Policy Report 42 U.S.C. 4501
School dropout program 20 U.S.C. 3241, 3261
State literacy initiatives 42 U.S.C. 11421
Veteran population projections by state 38 U.S.C. 8131(1)
Estimates of nursing home care needs by state 38 U.S.C. 8134(a)(1)
(for veterans)
Veterans employment and training 38 U.S.C. 4103(a) et
seq.
Disabled veterans outreach program 38 U.S.C. 4103A(a)(1)
and (b)(2)
Job Training Partnership Act 29 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.
Toxic Substances Control Act 15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.
Federal aid for highways metropolitan planning 23 U.S.C. 134(a), (c),
and (g)(3)
Federal aid for highways statewide planning 23 U.S.C. 135(b), and
(f)(3)
Federal aid for highways--economic growth 23 U.S.C. 143(f)(1)
center development highways and (2)
Bureau of Transportation Statistics 49 U.S.C. 111(f)
Intermodal transportation database 49 U.S.C. 301 note,
(c)(4) and (c)(4)(B)
Clean Air Act 42 U.S.C. 7408(e) et
seq.
Federal Transit Administration grant program 49 U.S.C. 1604(a)(1)
and (2)
Federal Transit Administration metropolitan 49 U.S.C. App.
planning 1607(a), (c), (g)(3),
and q
Federal Transit Administration Section 9 49 U.S.C. 1607a(c),
Program (d), (k), and (s)
Federal Transit Administration planning and 49 U.S.C.
research program 1622(a)(2)(A)
Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
Emergency community water assistance grant 7 U.S.C. 1926a(e)(1)
program and 1926b(e)
Section 306 waste water disposal loan and 7 U.S.C. 1926c
grant program
Repayment period and interest rate 7 U.S.C. 1927a(3)(A)
Housing income limits 42 U.S.C. 1439
Section 8 public housing 42 U.S.C. 1437
Older Americans Act 42 U.S.C. 3002,
3026(a)(1), 3027(a)(8)
Community Services Block Grant Act 42 U.S.C. 9902(2),
section 673(2)
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program 42 U.S.C. 8622, 8623,
8629
Head Start Act 42 U.S.C. 9835,
section
640(a)(3)(B)(ii)
Compensatory education for the disadvantaged 20 U.S.C.
2711(c)(2)(A)-(C)
Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975 12 U.S.C. 2809(a)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Table II.7 shows selected uses of decennial housing statistical
products.
Table II.7
Agency-Identified Selected Uses of
Decennial Housing Statistics
Statutory
authorization, as
Use provided by agency
---------------------------------------------- ----------------------
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program 42 U.S.C. 8629
Community Development Block Grant 42 U.S.C. 5302(a)
Public Housing/Section 8 Certificate and
Voucher Program 42 U.S.C. 1437f
HUD Section 202 Grants 12 U.S.C. 1701q, 42
U.S.C. 1439
Comprehensive Housing Affordability 42 U.S.C. 12701
Strategies/Plans
Mortgage Revenue Bonds 26 U.S.C. 143(j), (k)
Section 8, Fair Market Rents 42 U.S.C. 1437
National Urban Policy Report 42 U.S.C. 4501
Low-Income Housing Tax Credits 26 U.S.C. 42(d)(5)(C)
Federal aid for highways--metropolitan 23 U.S.C. 134(a), (c),
planning (a)(3)
Federal aid for highways--economic growth 23 U.S.C. 143(f)(1)
center development highways and (2)
Clean Air Act 42 U.S.C. 7408(e) et
seq.
Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) 49 U.S.C. 111(f)
Intermodal transportation database 49 U.S.C. 301 note,
(c)(4) and (c)(4)(B)
Federal Transit Administration Grant Program 49 U.S.C. 1604(a)(1)
and (2)
Federal Transit Administration metropolitan 49 U.S.C. App.
planning 1607(a), (c), (g)(3),
(q)
Federal Transit Administration Section 9 49 U.S.C. 1607(a)(c),
Program (d), (k), (s)
Federal Transit Administration Planning and 49 U.S.C.
Research Program 1622(a)(2)(A)
Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 15 U.S.C. 764(a) and
(b), 772(b), 790a(a)
Energy Policy Act of 1992 42 U.S.C. 7135(j),
13381, 13384
Fair Market Rent 42 U.S.C. 1437
Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975 12 U.S.C. 2809
Census of Agriculture 13 U.S.C. 142(a)
Smith-Lever Act 7 U.S.C. 343(c)(2)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix II:3
NATIONAL CENTER FOR
EDUCATION STATISTICS (NCES)
------------------------------------------------------ Appendix II:3.1
NCES collects, analyzes, and disseminates statistics on education in
the United States and other nations. NCES produces reports on
institutions, staff, students, and schools at all levels of education
and disseminates information on a wide range of topics, such as
social and economic status of children residing in local school
districts, high school completions and dropouts, student progress and
achievement, school safety, education finance, postsecondary-student
aid, and the characteristics of the education workplace. NCES also
undertakes educational assessments and longitudinal education
studies. Table II.8 shows selected uses of education statistical
products.
Table II.8
Agency-Identified Selected Uses of
Education Statistics
Statutory
authorization, as
Use provided by agency
---------------------------------------------- ----------------------
Duties of the center 20 U.S.C. 9003
Model data system 20 U.S.C. 9009
Dissemination of data 20 U.S.C. 9008
National Assessment of Educational Progress 20 U.S.C. 9010
Vocational, educational and occupational Perkins Education Act
information data of 1990 sec. 421(a)(3)
Assessment of international competitiveness Perkins Education Act
of 1990 sec. 421(d)
Department of Education Organization Act 20 U.S.C. 3401
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission data 42 U.S.C. 2000e
on staffing
----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix II:4
ENERGY INFORMATION
ADMINISTRATION (EIA)
------------------------------------------------------ Appendix II:4.1
EIA is an independent statistical/analytical agency with two
principal roles. Its primary responsibility is to conduct the
functions required by statute. This consists of the development and
maintenance of a comprehensive energy database and the publication of
reports and analyses for a wide variety of customers in the public
and private sectors. Second, EIA satisfies inquiries for energy
information. The primary customers of EIA services are public
policymakers in the Department of Energy and Congress. Other
customers include other federal agencies, state and local
governments, the energy industry, educational institutions, the news
media, and the public. There are no statutes, however, that
specifically require the use of EIA statistics.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix II:5
NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH
STATISTICS (NCHS)
------------------------------------------------------ Appendix II:5.1
NCHS monitors the nation's health and use of health services, and
explores the relationships between risk factors and disease. Data
sources include the nation's vital statistics system (on which NCHS
works closely with the states) and surveys involving personal
interviews, physical examinations, and laboratory testing, as well as
information from health care providers. NCHS also contracts with
Census and private companies for data collection. NCHS' statistical
programs are directed toward collecting and analyzing information
that policymakers, researchers, and members of the health community
will find useful for identifying health problems and designing public
health interventions. There are no statutes, however, that
specifically require the use of NCHS' statistics.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix II:6
BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS
(BJS)
------------------------------------------------------ Appendix II:6.1
BJS collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on crime, its
perpetrators and victims, and the operation of justice systems at all
levels of government. BJS also assists states in developing and
improving the statistical capabilities and record systems of state
criminal justice systems. Examples of BJS data collection programs
include the National Crime Victimization Survey and various
statistical series covering populations under correctional
supervision, federal and state court case processing, and
administration of law enforcement agencies and correctional
facilities. However, no statutes specify the collection or use of
BJS statistics beyond BJS' own authorizing legislation. In fact,
BJS' authorizing legislation states that:
"Data collected by the Bureau shall be used only for statistical
and research purposes, and shall be gathered in a manner that
precludes their use for law enforcement or any purpose relating
to a particular individual other than statistical or research
purposes."\4
--------------------
\4 42 U.S.C. 3733.
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix II:7
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
(BLS)
------------------------------------------------------ Appendix II:7.1
BLS is the principal U.S. data-gathering agency in the field of
general labor economics. BLS collects, analyzes, and disseminates
statistics on employment, prices, consumer expenditures, wages and
compensation, productivity and economic growth, and employment
projections. Most of the statistics are collected by BLS, by Census
on a reimbursable contract basis, or on a cooperative basis with
state agencies. Table II.9 shows selected uses of labor force
statistical products.
Table II.9
Agency-Identified Uses of Labor Force
Statistics
Statutory
authorization, as
Use provided by agency
---------------------------------------------- ----------------------
Job Training Partnership Act 29 U.S.C. 1501, 1752
Longshoremen's and Harborworker's Compensation 33 U.S.C. 906
Act
Department of Education analysis of career 20 U.S.C. 2505
trends
Department of Commerce allocation of funds for 42 U.S.C. 3121
various programs in areas of high
unemployment
Department of Labor extended unemployment 26 U.S.C. 3304
compensation
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of P.L. 102-164
1991
Wagner-Peyser Act to allocate funds to states 19 U.S.C. 49 et seq.
for public employment offices
Federal Emergency Management Agency allocation P.L. 100-418
of funds to areas of high unemployment
Economic Dislocation and Worker Adjustment P.L. 100-418
Assistance Act
Designation of Labor Surplus Areas for P.L. 95-89
preference in seeking federal procurement
contracts
Department of Housing and Urban Development's P.L. 98-8
Emergency Shelter Grants Program
Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Act P.L. 100-435
Department of Defense employment of resident P.L. 99-190
workers in Hawaii and Alaska
Vocational Education Act P.L. 88-210
Report on Direct Foreign Investment in the P.L. 101-533
United States
Foreign Direct Investment and International 22 U.S.C. 3142
Data Improvements Act
Emergency Food Act to 7 U.S.C. 612c
distribute surplus commodities
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Table II.10 shows selected uses of statistical products concerning
prices and living conditions, including products that are used to set
payments or benefits, compute fees and penalties, and regulate water
resources and air pollution.
Table II.10
Agency-Identified Uses of Statistical
Products Concerning Prices and Living
Conditions
Statutory
authorization, as
Use provided by agency
---------------------------------------------- ----------------------
Setting payments or benefits
Federal income tax brackets 26 U.S.C. 1(f)
Social Security payments 42 U.S.C. 415
Nutrition program for the elderly 42 U.S.C. 3030
Parity for sugar prices 7 U.S.C. 1111
Children's milk program 42 U.S.C. 1772
Higher education resources and student 20 U.S.C. 1070a-5 et
assistance programs seq.
Veterans' benefits 38 U.S.C. 1415
Computing fees and penalties
Patent and trademark fees 15 U.S.C. 113 and 35
U.S.C. 41
Penalties related to flammable fabrics and 15 U.S.C. 1194, 1264,
hazardous substances 2069
Oil pollution compensation and monitoring 33 U.S.C. 2704, 2732
Regulating water resources and air pollution
Regulation of water power and resources 12 U.S.C. 1843
Air pollution prevention and control 42 U.S.C. 7511a, 7651,
766
Other uses
Clean Air Act and Noise Control Act to set 42 U.S.C. 4905, 7541
costs
and values of equipment
Humphrey-Hawkins Act report to Congress 15 U.S.C. 1022
Job Training Partnership Act living standard P.L. 97-300 sec. 4
income
Federal Election Commission limits on 2 U.S.C. 441(a)
expenditures
Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act P.L. 98-547 sec. 604a
Setting of grants to states for the 29 U.S.C. 720
handicapped
Social Security Act Title XX scholarship 42 U.S.C. 10901-3
grants
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Table II.11 shows selected uses of statistical products concerning
compensation and working conditions.
Table II.11
Agency-Identified Uses of Compensation
and Working Conditions Statistics
Statutory
authorization, as
Use provided by agency
---------------------------------------------- ----------------------
Locality pay for federal white-collar workers 5 U.S.C. 5301-4
Merchant Marine Act subsidies to ships' crews 46 U.S.C. 1173
Annual pay adjustment for Congress, federal 5 U.S.C. 5318 and P.L.
judges, and top government officials 101-194
Department of Veterans Affairs health care 38 U.S.C. 7451
personnel pay
Federal Employee Pay Comparability Act of 1990 P.L. 101-509
----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix II:8
BUREAU OF TRANSPORTATION
STATISTICS (BTS)
------------------------------------------------------ Appendix II:8.1
BTS compiles, analyzes, and makes accessible information on the
nation's transportation systems, including intermodal transportation,
and enhances the Department of Transportation's statistical programs
through research and the promotion of guidelines and improvements in
data acquisition and use. However, no statutes specify the
collection or use of BTS' statistics beyond BTS' own authorizing
legislation.
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix II:9
STATISTICS OF INCOME
DIVISION (SOI)
------------------------------------------------------ Appendix II:9.1
SOI, a part of IRS, compiles and publishes statistics on the basis of
samples of yearly tax returns. It provides statistics to the
Department of the Treasury and Congress on income, financial, and tax
issues; its data are also used by BEA in estimating the National
Income and Product Accounts. Table II.12 shows selected uses of
income statistical products.
Table II.12
Agency-Identified Uses of Income
Statistics
Statutory
authorization, as
Use provided by agency
---------------------------------------------- ----------------------
Individual and other statistical data for use 26 U.S.C.
by Treasury's Office of Tax Analysis 6103(b)(4)(A)(ii)
Business, individual, and other statistical 26 U.S.C. 8022
data for use by Joint Committee on Taxation
Corporate statistical data for use by BEA 15 U.S.C. 171, 1501
Business, individual, and other statistical 13 U.S.C. 3, 5
data for use by Census
Survey of Consumer Finances for use by 26 U.S.C.
Treasury's Office of Tax Analysis 6103(b)(4)(A)(ii)
Survey of Consumer Finances for use by Federal 12 U.S.C. 225a
Reserve
Business, financial, and employment data for 42 U.S.C. 1396b
use by Health Care Financing Administration
Environmental tax tables used for Superfund by 42 U.S.C. 9601-75
Environmental Protection Agency
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ADDITIONAL USES OF CENSUS
STATISTICS
========================================================= Appendix III
In commenting on a draft of this report, Census Bureau officials
identified other selected uses of Census statistical products that
they believed to be important and asked us to include them in our
final report. They also provided the statutory citations authorizing
Census to collect the information for those products. However, they
did not provide the statutory references for the uses of those
products. This appendix includes the selected uses identified by
Census officials, which they divided into four broad areas, as
follows.
USES OF QUINQUENNIAL ECONOMIC
STATISTICS
------------------------------------------------------- Appendix III:1
These data are from the most recent quinquennial censuses that
covered calendar year 1992 and were authorized under 13 U.S.C. 131,
142, 161, and 193. According to Census officials, these censuses
included all sectors of the U.S. economy and reported statistics for
10 major industry groups--agriculture; construction; finance,
insurance, and real estate; governments; manufacturing; mining;
retail trade; services; transportation, communications, and
utilities; and wholesale trade. These censuses provide detailed
information about how the nation's economy is structured and how it
functions. Table III.1 shows selected federal uses of Census Bureau
quinquennial economic statistics.
Table III.1
Agency-Identified Uses of Quinquennial
Economic Statistics
Agency or
department Use
------------------ --------------------------------------------------
Agriculture Estimate production costs and farm income;
evaluate and administer programs.
Analyze irrigation usage; model water use; assess
local land ownership patterns.
Assess wholesale and retail sales of agricultural
products; evaluate markets.
BEA (Commerce) Benchmark historical gross domestic product (GDP)
estimates by industry.
Prepare and update comprehensive tables of
manufacturing industry inputs and outputs.
Benchmark and update information on U.S. regional
economic performance.
BLS (Labor) Benchmark and update producer price and
productivity indexes by industry.
Analyze industries, employment, and outputs;
develop programs and policies.
Defense Assess manufacturers' shipments to federal
agencies for mobilization planning.
Environmental Analyze occupational and groundwater risks from
Protection Agency agricultural chemical use.
Assess and estimate truck emissions, fuel economy,
usage, and other practices.
Farm Credit Evaluate farm loan programs; analyze local-area
Administration debts, assets, and cash returns.
Federal Emergency Assess natural disaster damage and recovery for
Management Agency U.S. and outlying areas.
Federal Reserve Benchmark and prepare indexes of industrial
Board production by industry.
Benchmark, update, and assess state and local
government finances and practices.
Health and Human Analyze business expenditures; determine and
Services forecast medical costs.
Minority Business Analyze women-and minority-owned businesses by
Development Agency industry and area; administer development and
(Commerce) assistance programs.
Small Business Determine companywide size standards by industry;
Administration evaluate small business programs.
Analyze women-and minority-owned businesses by
industry and area; administer development and
assistance programs.
Transportation Analyze commercial and private vehicle cost,
operation, safety, technology, and road use;
recommend programs and policies.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
USES OF CURRENT ECONOMIC
STATISTICS
------------------------------------------------------- Appendix III:2
The Census Bureau conducts monthly, quarterly, and annual surveys and
collects other current economic data, which Census is authorized to
collect under 13 U.S.C. 91, 131, 182, 193, and 301. These programs
provide measures of national economic performance, cover major
domestic business and government activities, and include monthly
compilations of merchandise shipments leaving and entering U.S.
ports. According to Census Bureau officials, current economic
statistics include 12 principal federal economic indicators,
two-thirds of the source data needed to update quarterly GDP
estimates, domestic production of many trade-sensitive manufactured
products, updated information on state and local tax revenues and
retirement system holdings, new comprehensive measures of
business-fixed capital investment, and coverage of fast-growing
service industries. Table III.2 shows selected federal uses of
Census Bureau current economic statistics.
Table III.2
Agency-Identified Uses of Current
Economic Statistics
Agency or
department Use
------------------ --------------------------------------------------
BEA (Commerce) Revise quarterly estimates of GDP; update GDP
deflator weights by major industry.
Prepare and update detailed National Income and
Product Accounts.
Assess and prepare source data for leading,
lagging, and coincident economic indicators.
Analyze business activities by county; update
regional economic information.
Bureau of Export Administer export control programs; assess
Administration merchandise trade shipments and trends.
(Commerce)
BLS (Labor) Prepare weights for new components of producer
price and productivity indexes.
Analyze business capital expenditures; update
productivity estimates.
Prepare and update price indexes for U.S.
merchandise imports and exports.
Prepare and update monthly public employment
statistics.
Congressional Analyze and interpret principal indicator, foreign
Research Service trade, government finance, county business, and
other key data.
Council of Analyze and interpret principal indicators and
Economic Advisers other key data; update economic models, forecasts,
and assumptions; develop policy advice.
Defense Analyze plant capacity utilization and market
changes for mobilization planning.
Evaluate state and local education finances;
administer agency programs and policies.
Federal Emergency Analyze plant capacity utilization and markets for
Management Agency disaster assistance programs.
Federal Reserve Prepare and revise monthly measures of U.S.
Board industrial production, capacity, and capacity
utilization.
Prepare corporate and government portions of
quarterly Flow of Funds Accounts.
Prepare and revise retail accounts receivable in
measures of consumer credit.
Assess private and public economic conditions;
prepare and update forecasts.
Housing and Urban Assess new housing production, availability, and
Development affordability.
Evaluate, plan, and administer housing and
financial programs and policies.
Prepare and update payroll guidelines for selected
public housing authorities.
International Evaluate recent and forecast future performance of
Trade major U.S. industries.
Administration
(Commerce) Evaluate trade flows; administer import restraint
and export assistance programs.
Analyze and profile successful U.S. exporters and
primary export markets.
Assess uses of manufacturing technologies and
technology effects on competitiveness.
International Evaluate trade flows; investigate alleged unfair
Trade Commission practices; administer trade programs.
Interior Evaluate and administer Indian education programs
and policies.
NCES (Education) Analyze state and local education finances;
develop technical assistance; administer agency
programs and policies.
Small Business Analyze business activities by county; evaluate
Administration and administer business programs and policies.
Analyze corporate finances and establish loan
policies and programs by industry.
Transportation Analyze motor freight and warehousing to establish
policies and administer programs.
Treasury Assess principal indicators and other key data;
determine and revise monetary and fiscal
policies.
Evaluate business capital expenditures as part of
business asset depreciation analyses.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
USES OF THE CURRENT POPULATION
SURVEY
------------------------------------------------------- Appendix III:3
According to Census Bureau officials, the Current Population Survey,
which Census is authorized to conduct under 13 U.S.C. 141, 181, and
182, is the nation's primary source of information on the labor force
status of the population; when combined with extensive demographic
information, the Survey helps identify social, economic, and
demographic changes. Table III.3 shows selected uses of the Current
Population Survey.
Table III.3
Agency-Identified Uses of the Current
Population Survey
Agency or
department Use
------------------ --------------------------------------------------
BLS (Labor) Provide the official government monthly estimates
for employment, unemployment, and related data on
the characteristics of the labor force.
Identify the unemployed population in need of work
training.
Congressional Monitor changes in health insurance coverage in
Research Service, the United States.
Congressional
Budget Office
Council of Analyze the status of the U.S. economy and
Economic Advisers, formulate/evaluate economic policy.
Federal Reserve
Board, Congress,
other federal
agencies
Health and Human Set annual income eligibility limits for the Low-
Services Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
Evaluate the effectiveness of child support
collection enforcement efforts.
NCES (Education) October supplement provides official estimates of
the U.S. high school dropout rate and dropout
population.
Provide information on the population with or
without home computers, what the computers are
used for, and estimates of the technical literacy
of the population.
NCHS (Health and Benchmark NCHS data (in June supplement) on
Human Services) marriage and divorce registration system.
Immigration and Use data to analyze characteristics of the
Naturalization immigrant population, including their social and
Service economic conditions.
Census Serve as the vehicle for producing the official
U.S. statistics on the number of persons and
families living in poverty, as well as official
estimates of personal and family income.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition, academic researchers use current population survey data
to examine topics such as family structure and composition,
educational attainment, the immigrant population, geographic
mobility, poverty population, school enrollment, voting registration
patterns, and fertility behavior.
USES OF THE SURVEY OF INCOME
AND PROGRAM PARTICIPATION
------------------------------------------------------- Appendix III:4
The Survey of Income and Program Participation, which Census is
authorized to conduct under 13 U.S.C. 182, provides data on the
economic situation of persons and families in the United States.
Survey data on sources of money and nonmoney income, taxes, assets,
and liabilities help policymakers (1) analyze the efficiency of
federal and state transfer and services programs; (2) estimate future
program costs and coverage; and (3) assess the effects of welfare,
tax, Social Security, and other proposed policy changes. The survey
provides longitudinal data that planners can use to determine the
life events that force some persons and families to go on government
assistance programs or that permit them to leave such programs.
Table III.4 shows selected uses of the Survey of Income and Program
Participation.
Table III.4
Agency-Identified Uses of the Survey of
Income and Program Participation
Agency or
department Use
------------------ --------------------------------------------------
Congressional Study the low-income population, the elderly
Budget Office and population, and health insurance coverage.
Congressional
Research Service
Agriculture Analyze food stamp and school lunch programs,
including the effect of assets on food stamp
eligibility.
Labor Study market-related hardship measures and changes
in labor force and dependency status through time.
Social Security Study social security beneficiaries, by reason,
Administration for benefits, levels of income, and demographic/
economic characteristics such as asset holdings
and pension coverage.
Health and Human Analyze child care patterns and costs, and effects
Services of family child care decisions.
National Center Examine the characteristics of the Medicare
for Health elderly who also have private health insurance.
Services Research
Small Business Study labor force mobility by size of firm.
Administration
Office of Child Determine the amounts of savings that could be
Support realized if child support were included in the
Enforcement income test for Aid to Families with Dependent
Children, food stamps, and Medicaid.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition, academic researchers use survey of income and program
participation data to examine subjects such as changes in family
structure over time, school enrollment, geographic mobility, labor
force mobility, poverty duration, characteristics of pensions,
characteristics of government program participants, asset levels,
changes in marital status, economic returns to education, and school
financing patterns.
MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS REPORT
========================================================== Appendix IV
GENERAL GOVERNMENT DIVISION,
WASHINGTON, D.C.
James M. McDermott, Assistant Director
Patrick R. Mullen, Evaluator-in-Charge
Anthony L. Hill, Senior Evaluator
Angelia L. Collier, Evaluator
Michael A. Tovares, Evaluator
Kiki Theodoropoulos, Communications Analyst
OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL,
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Nancy Finley, Senior Attorney
RELATED GAO PRODUCTS
=========================================================== Appendix 0
Government Statistics: Proposal to Form a Federal Statistical
Service (GAO/T-GGD-96-93, Mar. 22, 1996).
Statistical Agencies: Adherence to Guidelines and Coordination of
Budgets (GAO/GGD-95-65, Aug. 9, 1995).
Economic Statistics: Status Report on the Initiative to Improve
Economic Statistics (GAO/GGD-95-98, July 7, 1995).
Economic Statistics: Measurement Problems Can Affect the Budget and
Economic Policymaking (GAO/GGD-95-99, May 2, 1995).
Implementation of the National Performance Review's Recommendations
(GAO/OCG-95-1, Dec. 5, 1994).
Measuring U.S.-Canada Trade: Shifting Trade Winds May Threaten
Recent Progress (GAO/GGD-94-4, Jan. 19, 1994).
Management Reform: GAO's Comments on the National Performance
Review's Recommendations (GAO/OCG-94-1, Dec. 3, 1993).
Decennial Census: Focused Action Needed Soon to Achieve Fundamental
Breakthroughs (GAO/T-GGD-93-32, May 27, 1993).
Gross Domestic Product: No Evidence of Manipulation in First Quarter
1991 Estimates (GAO/GGD-93-58, Mar. 10, 1993).
Congressional Reports: OMB and Other Agency Reporting Requirements
(GAO/GGD-92-90FS, Aug. 31, 1992).
Decennial Census: Opportunities for Fundamental Reform
(GAO/T-GGD-92-51, June 10, 1992).
Decennial Census: 1990 Results Show Need for Fundamental Reform
(GAO/GGD-92-94, June 9, 1992).
After Six Years, Legal Obstacles Continue to Restrict Government Use
of the Standard Statistical Establishment List (GAO/GGD-79-17, May
25, 1979).
*** End of document. ***