As previously reported by COSSA, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is in the process of revising and modernizing their race and ethnicity standards that were last updated in 1997. The Interagency Technical Working Group on Race and Ethnicity Statistical Standards is hosting a series of Town Halls to receive feedback from the public on the initial proposals. The Town Halls are scheduled for Tuesday, March 14 at 2pm ET, Friday, March 17 at 2pm ET, and Saturday, March 18, at 2pm ET. Registration has not yet opened but will be available here. OMB will also record the sessions for participants unable to attend in-person. Public comment on OMB’s initial proposal can be submitted here and is due April 12 (previous COSSA coverage).
As federal agency efforts continue, stakeholder organizations are holding events on OMB’s race and ethnicity standards to inform OMB and the public. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights held a webinar on the history and implications of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Race and Ethnicity Data Collection Standards on February 22, emphasizing the importance of a combined question format that allows people to self-identify their race and ethnicity. The conference also discussed the expansion of options, including additional Middle East and North African (MENA) categories. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights predicted that more detailed data collection will lead to better data on vaccination rates, child poverty reductions, and more.