Part A, Attachment D - Consolidated Comments Received for FRN

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OMB Control Number 0607-1013
JoVon Sotak
Fri 6/5/2020 4:18 PM
To: Cassandra Logan (CENSUS/ADDP FED)
Cc: Grant Office

Hello, Ms. Logan:
Thank you for the opportunity to provide commend re: on the poten al for extending data collec on for the
Household Pulse Survey During COVID‐19 Epidemic (OMB Control Number 0607‐1013). On behalf of the State
of Nevada Office of Grant Procurement, Coordina on, and Management, we’d like to request that this survey
be extended.
With a current unemployment rate of 28%, Nevada’s households will con nue to feel the effects of COVID‐19
long a er July 30. As it is highly likely that the pandemic will con nue and our country will experience one or
more waves of emergency response and recovery, the impact to our ci zens over a longer period of  me may
shi  during these waves, as well as in response to federal relief dollars (such as Coronavirus Relief Funds) that
haven’t yet been distributed to local governments throughout Nevada. We believe that grant professionals
throughout Nevada may benefit from using this data for future grant proposals related to workforce
development, economic diversifica on, food security, homelessness, emergency prepara on and resilience,
and more. To conclude the survey prematurely would limit the value of the data set as we will not yet know if
we are actually through the crisis un l we’re well into recovery.
Best regards,
JoVon Sotak, Administrator
Office of Grant Procurement, Coordina on, and Management
Department of Administra on
406 E. Second St.
Carson City, NV  89701
(w) 775.684.0252| (f) 775.684.0246
jsotak@admin.nv.gov | grants@admin.nv.gov | www.Grant.nv.gov
This communica on (including any a achments) is for the use of the intended recipient(s) only and may contain
informa on that is confiden al, privileged or otherwise legally protected. Any unauthorized use or
dissemina on of this communica on is prohibited. If you have received this communica on in error, please
immediately no fy the sender by return e‐mail message and delete all copies of the original communica on.
Thank you for your coopera on.

7/21/2020, 10:46 AM

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Fw: public comment on federal register
Jean Public
Sun 6/7/2020 7:50 PM
To: Cassandra Logan (CENSUS/ADDP FED)

----- Forwarded Message ----From: Jean Public
To: Cassandra.Loglan@census.gov ; PRAComments@doc.gov
; info@taxpayer.net ; media@cagw.org ;
info@njtaxes.org ; info@afphq.org
Sent: Sunday, June 7, 2020, 07:40:35 PM EDT
Subject: public comment on federal register
the problem with the govt collecting information is that whatever is collected can be so easily changed for politicial
reasons. the corruption in washington dc is enormous and everythign is reported to favor whoever wants to look
good. so that the us public is getting more and more misinformation and downright lies from our federal govt. the
cdc for example has been misleading the us public on flu information for years now with fake data. i have severe
concerns about this extra collection and do not think it will improve one iota the correct accurate information that
the us upblic needs so that i tthink we should just say goodbye tto this lates spending debacle.
this commetn is for the oublic record. jean publiee jean public1@yahoo.com

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 107 (Wednesday, June 3, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34178-34179]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-11966]

[[Page 34178]]
----------------------------------------------------------------------DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Census Bureau

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Household Pulse Survey
AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the
potential for extending data collection for the Household Pulse Survey
During COVID-19 Epidemic. The Household Pulse Survey was launched on
April 23, 2020 with approval from the Office of Management and Budget
to continue data collection through July 31, 2020 (OMB No. 0607-1013).
The Department of Commerce may determine it prudent to continue the

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7/21/2020, 10:20 AM

TO:
Sheleen Dumas
Department PRA Clearance Officer
Office of the Chief Information Officer
Department of Commerce
FROM:
Corinna Turbes, Policy Manager
corinna.turbes@datacoalition.org
202-573-7975

July 20th, 2020
RE: Continuation of the Household Pulse Survey
The Data Coalition is America’s premier voice on data policy. As a membership-based
business association, the Data Coalition advocates for responsible policies to make
government data high-quality, accessible, and usable. Our work unites data
communities that focus on data science, management, evaluation, statistics, and
technology in companies, nonprofit organizations, and academia.
The Data Coalition supports the continuation of the Household Pulse Survey because of
the tremendous utility of the information collected. As decision-makers consider
interventions to address the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, clear information on
what these effects are is crucial to making evidence-based policies. This survey will help
develop a clearer picture of the experiences of households in a timely manner and help
policymakers to develop more responsive interventions.
Research into the social well-being and mental health is already being conducted with
the support of private sector organizations, such as the ​COVID Impact Survey​. These
projects help to fill the information gaps while our official government data sources
worked to expand their products to cover new questions brought up by the pandemic.
However, the Census Bureau’s technical expertise and extensive reach mean it has a
unique ability to collect large amounts of information for statistical purposes, creating
official data that can be complemented by private sector efforts. The Household Pulse
Survey helped to demonstrate the Census Bureau’s ability to produce near real-time

data in times of need. It also showed how well the federal statistical system can work in
cooperation to help create a holistic picture of what households are experiencing in
these unprecedented times.
Thank you for the opportunity to submit comments on this important issue. If you or
your staff have any questions about the Data Coalition’s comments, please contact
Corinna Turbes at ​corinna.turbes@datacoalition.org​.
Respectfully,
Corinna Turbes
Data Coalition

July 20, 2020
Ms. Cassandra A. Logan
Survey Director, Household Pulse Survey
U.S. Census Bureau
4600 Silver Hill Road
Washington, DC 20233
Re: DOC Docket No. USBC-2020-0013 – Comments on Household Pulse Survey
Dear Ms. Logan:
On behalf of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials
(NALEO) Educational Fund, I am writing to comment on the U.S. Census Bureau’s
Household Pulse Survey During COVID-19 Epidemic (the “Household Pulse
Survey”), in response to the Notice published at 85 Fed. Reg. 29922 on May 19,
2020. We are concerned that the response mode and the contact strategy for the
Household Pulse Survey will not adequately capture responses from the Latino
population, and we offer recommendations to address our concerns.
NALEO Educational Fund is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization that
facilitates the full participation of Latinos in the American political process, from
citizenship to public service. Our Board members and constituency encompass
the nation’s more than 6,800 Latino elected and appointed official, and include
Republicans, Democrats and Independents. NALEO Educational Fund is a national
leader in Census outreach, community education and policy development. Since
the 1990 Census, our organization has conducted outreach campaigns to promote
the full and accurate count of the Latino community. Together with media and
community-based organizational partners, we have launched ¡HAGASE CONTAR!
(“Make Yourself Count!”) and ¡HAZME CONTAR! (“Make Me Count!) campaigns to
drive response to the 2020 Census through dissemination of community
education materials; promotion of a toll-free Census information hotline staffed by
bilingual operators; technical assistance for community groups; and direct
assistance to Latino residents with completing Census forms. NALEO Educational
Fund also conducted comprehensive research to inform its campaigns and
determine the best messages and messengers to reach the Latino community.
The research included a survey of a nationally-representative sample of Latino
adults, which allowed the organization to compare the perspectives of both
documented and undocumented residents. We also conducted focus groups with
diverse segments of the Latino population.
NALEO Educational Fund also has decades of experience working closely with its
Latino elected official constituency, other government officials and partner
organizations to promote public policies to achieve the most accurate count
possible of the nation’s population. NALEO Educational Fund served as a member
of the U.S. Census Bureau’s national advisory committees between 2000 and
August 2019, and continues to share its expertise with top Census Bureau officials.

Ms. Cassandra Logan
July 20, 2020
Page 2
NALEO Educational Fund is also the co-chair of the Leadership Conference on Civil and
Human Rights’ Census Task Force, and of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda’s
Census Task Force.
NALEO Educational Fund commends the Census Bureau for its effort to collect near realtime data about the social and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in a time of
urgent and unprecedented need. We also applaud the Bureau’s work in assessing
whether collaborative data collection between federal agencies can produce high quality
information to guide our nation during this crisis. However, NALEO Educational Fund
believes that the response mode and the contact strategies for the Household Pulse
Survey will not result in the survey including a representative sample of the Latino
population or other population groups.
Our first concern is regarding the response mode, the Qualtrics online data collection
platform. According to August 2019 research published by the Pew Research Center,
while the “digital divide” is narrowing, Latino adults are less likely than White adults to
own a computer or tablet, or have access to high speed internet at home. For example,
57% of Hispanic adults own a computer compared to 82% of White adults; 43% of
Hispanic adults own a tablet device compared to 53% of White adults; and 61% of
Hispanic adults have broadband access compared to 53% of White adults. Moreover,
while many Latinos have access to smartphones, there are disparities between
smartphone access between native-born and foreign-born Latinos, with 87% of nativeborn Latinos owning smartphones compared to 69% of foreign-born Latinos. Pew
research has also indicated that older adults, those with lower incomes, and those in rural
areas generally have less access to computers or broadband technology. Thus, the use
of an online response platform for the Household Pulse Survey will not capture a
representative sample of Latinos or other population groups – and it is unclear whether
weighting the sample will overcome this problem.
In addition, the Household Pulse Survey will contact potential respondents through
e-mail or SMS text. However, as noted above, there are disparities within and between
different population groups with respect to computer, broadband and smartphone
access. Moreover, e-mail and SMS text contact strategies are less effective in reaching
households where there is high mobility, or residential instability. Even before the
pandemic, according to Census Current Population Survey data, Latinos were a more
mobile population than non-Hispanic Whites. Data which examined mobility between
2018 and 2019 revealed that 10.6% of Latinos were “movers” compared to 8.6% of nonHispanic Whites. Within the Latino population and the population as whole, young
persons, persons living in poverty, renters, and non-citizens were among the groups with
the highest mobility rates. All of these groups would be harder to reach and capture with
the Household Pulse Survey’s contact strategies, because of the likelihood that they
would not have stable e-mail addresses or cellphone numbers.
After the advent of the pandemic, the mobility of the Latino population has likely
increased even more because of a variety of factors, including economic instability and
job losses, family care arrangements and responsibilities, and evictions or changes in
renter housing. Data analyses by Latino Decisions, UCLA’s Latino Policy and Politics
Initiative, the Centers for Disease Control and other entities suggest that COVID-19 is

Ms. Cassandra Logan
July 20, 2020
Page 3
disproportionately affecting Latinos, and Pew Research Survey data indicate that Latinos
are more likely than Americans overall to see coronavirus as a major threat to their health
and finances. The pandemic is also likely to disproportionately affect other population
groups with high mobility, such as youth, persons living in poverty, renters and noncitizens.
Thus, the contact strategies for the Household Pulse Strategy could result in a sample
which does not accurately represent Latinos and other groups who are experiencing
higher mobility and residential instability than the population as a whole. We
recommend that the Bureau consider the following to address possible sample bias in the
survey:



Conduct an evaluation of the Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey design and
methodology, including its weighting methodology, to better assess how
representative the Survey’s sample is, and the quality of the data produced.
Augment the collection of data and contact strategies by adopting approaches that
would better capture populations who lack access to online response platforms or are
experiencing residential instability. This should involve conducting interviews with
respondents using live telephone interviews.

We greatly appreciate the Bureau’s work to provide a new data source with timely and
relevant information about the impact of the pandemic on our nation’s households. We
believe our recommendations will enhance the Bureau’s ability to achieve this goal, and
we look forward to continuing our partnership with the Bureau as it proceeds with the
Household Pulse Survey and other data collection efforts.
Sincerely,

Arturo Vargas
Chief Executive Officer

From: Elizabeth Archambault
Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2020 8:56 PM
To: Cassandra Logan (CENSUS/ADDP FED)
Subject: Statement Supporting the Household Pulse Survey

Good Evening Cassandra and PRAcomments,
I am emailing you in support of keeping the Household Pulse Survey. Since this survey was
launched on April 23rd 2020, it has produced near real-time data that provides much needed
information for assessing services for those who need COVID19 assistance; such as Tenant
Eviction Protections on the Federal level.
The new data sources that the Household Pulse Survey is designed to produce supplement the
federal statistical system's traditional benchmark data and give new data sources that are
vital and pertinent and timely that is based on high quality sample frames, integration of data and
professional expertise based on changes over time of individuals' experiences both on social as
well as economic dimensions during this period.
The Household Pulse Survey is a new tool that is needed. We need to retain it for the insights
and current data critical to the creation of Federal Eviction protections to protect small business
owners as well as tenants.
Thank you for your consideration.
Elizabeth Archambault
Seattle WA 98109

July 29, 2020
United States Census Bureau,
We submit this comment in favor of extending data collection for the Household Pulse Survey during the
COVID-19 pandemic. We also propose updating current questions and adding important new questions
to better capture the effect of the pandemic on children and families.
New Mexico Voices for Children is a nonpartisan, statewide advocacy organization that works to make
systems-level changes to improve child well-being. We provide numerous grassroots and organizing
partners, state agencies, and lawmakers with data on New Mexico's children to help inform policy
positions and decisions. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have received many requests for data
regarding how children and families are faring. Data collected through the Household Pulse Survey
during the COVID-19 pandemic has been invaluable for our state's policymakers and advocates.
We ask that the Census Bureau extend data collection for the Household Pulse Survey during the COVID19 pandemic for at least another 14 weeks. State and local policymakers will continue to need to
determine, week by week, whether schools and businesses can open and whether people who have lost
jobs continue to need help. The information in this survey is essential in helping leaders decide which
policy interventions are most needed to protect the physical and financial health of American families.
The data collected through the Household Pulse Survey has been especially important to the child
advocacy community in our fight for better policy solutions for children and families. In particular,
questions about access to medical care, health insurance status, education, housing, employment, and
nutrition are critical to understanding the impacts of this pandemic on children. This survey is essential
because it provides statistically significant data for each state that reflects the rapid changes week by
week. We strongly support the continuation of this survey for at least 14 more weeks, and preferably
through at least the beginning of 2021, or until widespread vaccination has ended the pandemic and
allowed these critical indicators to stabilize.
We also recommend that the following questions be updated and/or added to improve upon the
survey.
The Household Pulse Survey collects data on the number of children living in a respondent’s household,
but it does not ask about the age of any children living in the home. The needs of children vary
drastically by age, which has consequences for families’ finances as well as school systems and plays a
large role in how both families and school administrators are thinking about education and child care
decisions. We suggest that the current question be updated to ask how many children in the household
are under 5, how many are 5 to 12, and how many are 13 to 17. This adjustment would give us insight
into families’ needs for full-time child care and part-time child care and whether education programs are
working well for elementary and secondary students.
We are also proposing that the Census Bureau add questions to the Household Pulse Survey about the
decisions families are making around child care. It should ask what kind of child care services they are
using (child care centers/preschool; before/after care; paid care in someone else’s home; paid or nocost care by friends and family; parental/guardian care at home; taking the child to work; child left
unattended at home.)In addition to asking about what child care setting families have chosen, there
should also be a question asking what their preferred child care setting would be, and if it’s different

than the one they are using, whether they have been unable to find such a program, unable to afford it,
or the hours do not match their needs.
Finding affordable child care is one of the greatest challenges facing parents and caretakers who work
outside the home. Child care programs have incurred significantly increased costs and reduced income
in order to meet COVID safety requirements, including reduced class size, new equipment, and
increased cleaning costs. Many programs have closed temporarily or permanently and others may be
raising their fees. For these working families, the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic could be
exacerbated by challenges in securing child care. Without data on this matter, policymakers are unable
to consider targeted solutions for families with young children.
Thank you for the opportunity to submit this comment. If you have any questions, you can reach me
at ewildau@nmvoices.org.
Sincerely,
Emily Wildau
(she, her, & why this matters)
Research & Policy Analyst/KIDS COUNT Coordinator
New Mexico Voices for Children
625 Silver Ave SW, Suite 195
Albuquerque, NM 87102