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1 [1] (August 8, 2025)

handle is hein.crs/grsiuee0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service ~ Informing the legislative debate since 1914 August 8, 2025 Administrative Data at the U.S. Census Bureau The U.S. Census Bureau is a federal statistical agency that is tasked with producing statistics on demographic and economic characteristics across the United States and, in some instances, its territories. The Census Bureau collects data using several methods, including surveying respondents directly and using administrative data (also referred to as administrative records). These data are then analyzed to produce federal statistics. Administrative data are data that were not generally collected for the purposes of producing federal statistics. Instead, these data are collected and maintained by federal agencies in order to administer (or run) programs and provide services to the public. The Census Bureau has increasingly used administrative data to reduce respondent burden and data-collection costs, create new data products, and increase the research potential of census data. Members of Congress may have an interest in how the Census Bureau uses administrative data as it pertains to cost savings, quality of data and its fitness for purpose, and confidentiality of the administrative data sources. Administrative Data Administrative data are generally not collected through surveys and are produced for nonstatistical purposes. Rather, administrative data are collected to support administering some kind of program or service, such as mailing addresses linked to individuals for the purpose of mail delivery by the United States Postal Service (USPS). Other examples of administrative data include but are not limited to individual data, such as social security data and income tax return data; business identifying information, such as descriptions of operating, financial, ownership, and other characteristics; and address data, such as latitude or longitude points, telephone numbers, and street addresses. Authority to Use Administrative Data The Census Bureau is authorized under Title 13, Section 6, of the U.S. Code to acquire and use administrative data from other federal departments, agencies, or establishments as well as private persons and agencies when these data are consistent with the kind, timeliness, quality, and scope of statistics required. Additionally, the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. §552a(b)(4)) permits federal agencies to share records concerning a U.S. citizen or lawful resident with the Census Bureau solely for statistical purposes. In 2014, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) established guidance for federal agencies to follow when working with administrative data for statistical purposes. Statistical Quality Standards for Using Administrative Data The latest release of the Census Bureau's statistical quality standards provides standards the agency follows when acquiring and using administrative data. These requirements are broadly that the Census Bureau 1. follow provisions of federal laws throughout the process of acquiring, using, and disposing of administrative data; 2. develop a study plan to evaluate the integrity and reliability of the administrative data provider; 3. ensure the acquired administrative data meet specified data-use agreements; 4. evaluate the quality of the administrative data by calculating missing data rates within the records, calculating coverage rates, and evaluating the accuracy of the records; and 5. produce documentation needed to replicate and evaluate projects that use administrative data, such as research reports to guide decisions and descriptions of processes. Additionally, the Census Bureau established some guiding principles to follow when considering using administrative data in the American Community Survey (ACS), one of the bureau's largest surveys, in a 2018 report. Below is a selection of those principles. Table I. Census Bureau Statistical Quality Standards for Using Administrative Data for Enhancing the ACS Requirement Description Coverage Quality How comprehensive is the coverage of the administrative data with respect to geographies and population subgroups? What is sufficient data quality for the published estimates? Do the administrative data meet these quality requirements? Conceptual Do the administrative data correspond to Alignment the concept the ACS currently intends to measure? Temporal Alignment Do the administrative data correspond to the time period referenced in the ACS? https://crsreports.congress.gc