Race and Ethnicity Statistical Standards Town Hall

March 10, 2023  

Race and Ethnicity Statistical Standards Town Hall

On Tuesday, March 14 at 2pm ET, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Federal Interagency Technical Working Group on Race and Ethnicity Standards (Working Group), of which HUD is a member, will host the first of three Town Halls to hear directly from the American public about the initial proposals to revise Statistical Policy Directive No. 15: Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity (SPD 15).

OMB maintains government-wide standards for federal race and ethnicity data that ensures our ability to compare information and data across federal agencies, and to understand how well federal programs serve a diverse America.

On June 15, 2022, the Chief Statistician of the United States identified updating the standards as a top priority to ensure that the standards better reflect the diversity of the American people. The Working Group was created to lead this effort and was charged with proposing recommendations for improving the quality and usefulness of federal race and ethnicity data. The group released an initial set of revisions on January 26, 2023.

OMB invites the public to provide feedback on the proposed revisions directly at the Town Halls and / or through the Federal Register Notice by April 12, 2023.

The Working Group is also asking for public comment on how best to revise SPD 15’s:

• Terminology, definitions, and question wording.

• Guidance on implementation and adoption of revised standards.

• Guidance on how to collect and report administrative and proxy data.

The Town Hall will be accessible via Webex and audio through Verizon. To participate, please follow these instructions on Tuesday, March 14 at 2pm ET:

1. Access the following WebEx link:

   • https://uscensusevents.webex.com/uscensusevents/j.php?MTID=ma2c4fb243cc59ffd29a9cf4c36f38c5a

2. Enter this information if requested:

   • WebEx Password: Spd15#1

   • WebEx Number: 2762 421 4713

3. Call the Verizon Attendee Line: 1-888-810-9162, Passcode: 6969766

Participants will have 2 minutes maximum to provide comments.

Note: The Town Hall is also being simulcast on the U.S. Census Bureau’s YouTube channel and on spd15revision.gov. A recording of the Town Hall will be made available on spd15revision.gov.

OMB will host additional Town Halls on Friday, March 17 at 2pm ET and Saturday, March 18 at 2pm ET.

OMB is also hosting a Tribal Consultation on March 16 from 2 pm - 4 pm ET. Tribal leaders were sent a formal letter on February 14 and information is being shared by the National Indian Health Board and the National Congress of American Indians.