Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 245 / Friday, December 20, 2024 / Notices 104229 

III. EEA–C ITWG Interim Report— 

Chapter Content 

Each of the six account chapters in 

the Interim Report begins with an 

introduction of the account topic area, 

followed by an overview of the relevant 

conceptual history and an exploration of 

other countries’ or intergovernmental 

organizations’ relevant work in the 

account topic area that may be 

considered for application in the United 

States (e.g., ‘‘United Nations,’’ 

‘‘Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development,’’ or 

‘‘European Union’’). Any relevant U.S. 

work is also described, in order to 

promote efficiency when the application 

of past U.S. or international approaches 

is feasible and desirable (section 2). 

Each account chapter then proposes a 

classification framework and guidance 

particular to that account (which is 

usually a set of accounts within that 

topic area (section 3); discusses current 

data gaps and limitations to be 

considered when attempting consistent 

national quantification within the 

proposed classification framework 

(section 4); and closes with a conceptual 

discussion of connections to other 

accounts, and guidance for using the 

proposed account in its current form 

(section 5). 

IV. Request for Information 

The National Strategy recommends 

that environmental-economic accounts 

be pragmatic and useful for a wide range 

of decision-making (Recommendation 

1), comparable through time and across 

accounts (Recommendation 2), and 

align with international accounting 

standards as our national economic 

accounts do (Recommendation 3). The 

accounts have been developed thus far 

with beneficial input from 27 U.S. 

departments and agencies. In order to 

improve the utility of these accounts to 

users as the accounts are further 

developed over time, it is important to 

seek feedback across a broad range of 

perspectives. We therefore focus this 

request for public comment on the 

following questions. The questions 

posed below are those the EEA–C ITWG 

deemed most significant and relevant to 

its recommendations and do not 

indicate positions of OMB or the 

agencies participating in the EEA–C 

ITWG. The questions have been sorted 

into broad categories for ease of review. 

Responses should be concise, and if 

summarizing or depending on 

published works, please include 

citations and electronic links to 

reference materials, studies, research, 

and other empirical data that are not 

widely available. 

1. Is the overall U.S. approach to 

environmental-economic accounting, as 

proposed through this initial set of 

classifications, consistent with the 

principles of environmental-economic 

accounting and economic statistics? Is 

there pertinent information or are there 

key priorities that the EEA–C ITWG 

should consider when improving the 

recommendations for classifications? 

Does the overall approach adhere to 

national economic accounting concepts, 

and reasonably balance these with the 

goals of simplicity, feasibility, and 

reproducibility? If noting a break from 

the Interim Report’s methods or current 

recommendations, please cite sources 

and be specific as to anticipated 

consequences of not making the change. 

2. Are the specific approaches— 

framing of accounts, which account 

tables are recommended in each 

environmental-economic account type— 

taken in these six account chapters and 

any related supplemental materials 

clear, logical, and consistent with (a) the 

precepts of national economic 

accounting (SEEA–CF as supplemental 

to SNA); (b) the environmentaleconomic accounting needs of U.S. 

agencies and other domestic 

stakeholders; and (c) the need for 

international comparability of 

environmental-economic accounts? If 

there are concerns with any specific 

approaches, please note how the overall 

approach or specific accounting 

structures as recommended in the 

Interim Report may be improved, being 

as specific as possible. 

3. Considering first what agencies can 

currently measure, what relevant 

categories or subcategories are missing 

from the initial set of accounts? Or, are 

there categories included in this draft 

that should not be included? Please 

name or describe them, and reasons for 

changing the proposal. Where metrics 

are discussed that may fill account table 

cells, comment on the appropriateness 

of these metrics, and whether specific 

changes may improve the usefulness of 

the accounts to specific stakeholders. 

4. Are there additional, alternative, or 

forthcoming data sources that should be 

considered to (a) improve classifications 

in these chapters; or (b) facilitate how 

these accounts accurately measure the 

components and subcomponents of 

these accounts? Please explain why or 

why not, and how specific data sources 

would improve the utility of specific 

accounts. 

5. As the EEA–C ITWG moves to 

consider metrics that cannot yet be 

measured, but that may serve 

stakeholder needs, are there 

recommendations for specific categories 

and metrics not presently measurable 

but that should be targeted for inclusion 

in the future, or general 

recommendations for how to expand on 

that list? If a metric or classification has 

not been considered to date in the 

United States nationally, is there an 

example of its feasibility (sub-nationally 

in the United States or elsewhere 

internationally)? 

V. Timing for Developing This New 

OMB Statistical Classification 

Guidance 

Following this public comment 

period, the EEA–C ITWG will review 

the comments and revise draft statistical 

classification guidance on the Phase I 

accounts. Then OMB will publish the 

EEA–C ITWG’s proposed 

recommendations for public comment 

in a subsequent Federal Register Notice. 

The EEA–C ITWG will then review the 

comments and develop final 

recommendations to the Chief 

Statistician of the United States at OMB 

on the statistical classification guidance 

on the Phase I accounts in a Final 

Report. The EEA–C ITWG will follow a 

similar process to make 

recommendations for the Phase II and III 

accounts (i.e., the remaining 10 

environmental sector accounts) in the 

National Strategy. OMB will review the 

culminative recommendations and 

make decisions for Phases I–III. It is 

expected that OMB would be issuing 

final guidance in an EnvironmentalEconomic Accounting Classifications 

Manual in 2028. 

Karin A. Orvis, 

Chief Statistician of the United States. 

[FR Doc. 2024–30058 Filed 12–19–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND 

BUDGET 

Statistical Policy Directive No. 8 North 

American Industry Classification 

System (NAICS)—Request for 

Comments on Possible Revisions for 

2027 

AGENCY: Office of Information and 

Regulatory Affairs, Office of 

Management and Budget, Executive 

Office of the President. 

ACTION: Notice of Solicitation for 

Proposals to Revise Portions of the 

NAICS for 2027. 

SUMMARY: The Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB), on behalf of the 

Economic Classification Policy 

Committee (ECPC), announces the 

review of the 2022 North American 

Industry Classification System (NAICS) 

for potential revisions to be made to the 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
104230 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 245 / Friday, December 20, 2024 / Notices 

structure and content of the NAICS for 

2027 and solicits public comment. 

Details about these topics are 

available in the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section below. 

DATES: To ensure consideration of 

comments on this notice, they must be 

received no later than February 18, 

2025. Because of delays in the receipt of 

regular mail related to security 

screening, respondents are encouraged 

to send comments electronically (see 

ADDRESSES, below. 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments through 

www.regulations.gov—a Federal EGovernment website that allows the 

public to find, review, and submit 

comments on documents that agencies 

have published in the Federal Register 

and that are open for comment. Simply 

type ‘‘USBC–2024–0032’’ (in quotes) in 

the Comment or Submission search box, 

click Go, and follow the instructions for 

submitting comments. Comments 

received by the date specified above 

will be included as part of the official 

record. Please include the Docket ID 

(USBC–2024–0032) and the phrase 

‘‘2022 North American Industry 

Classification System (NAICS)— 

Revisions for 2027 Comments’’ at the 

beginning of your comments. 

Privacy Act Statement: OMB is 

issuing this solicitation of input on the 

2027 NAICS revision pursuant to its 

authorities under 31 U.S.C. 1104(d) and 

5 U.S.C. 3504(e). Submission of 

comments in response to this request is 

voluntary. Comments may be used to 

inform sound decision making on topics 

related to this request, including 

potential revisions to the NAICS. Please 

note that submissions received in 

response to this notice may be posted on 

www.regulations.gov or otherwise 

released in their entirety, including any 

personal information, business 

confidential information, or other 

sensitive information provided by the 

commenter. Do not include in your 

submissions any copyrighted material; 

information of a confidential nature, 

such as personal or proprietary 

information; or any information you 

would not like to be made publicly 

available. Comments and commenter 

information are maintained under the 

OMB Public Input System of Records, 

OMB/INPUT/01; the system of records 

notice is accessible at 88 FR 20913 

(www.federalregister.gov/documents/ 

2023/04/07/2023-07452/privacy-act-of1974-system-of-records) and includes a 

list of routine uses associated with the 

collection of this information. 

Electronic Availability: Federal 

Register notices are available 

electronically at 

www.federalregister.gov. This document 

is also available on the NAICS website 

at www.census.gov/naics. This site 

contains previous NAICS United States 

Federal Register notices, ECPC Issues 

Papers, ECPC Reports, the structure and 

industry definitions for all NAICS 

United States versions, and related 

documents. 

Public Review Procedure: All 

comments and proposals received in 

response to this notice will be available 

for public inspection. OMB will publish 

all ECPC recommendations for changes 

to NAICS for 2027 resulting from this 

notice in the Federal Register for review 

and comment prior to final action. 

For general inquiries email: 

Statistical_Directives@omb.eop.gov. The 

NAICS classification staff may be 

reached by email at econ.naics2027@

census.gov. Please note: Communication 

through this email will not be included 

in the record for USBC–2024–0032. 

Comments should be submitted through 

https://www.federalregister.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the 

authority of the Budget and Accounting 

Procedures Act of 1950 (31 U.S.C. 

1104(d)) and the Paperwork Reduction 

Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3504(e)), OMB, 

on behalf of the ECPC, announces the 

review and potential revision of the 

structure and content of the 2022 

NAICS. OMB solicits public comment 

on all aspects of the NAICS, with an 

emphasis on new and emerging 

industries. However, in soliciting 

comments about revising NAICS, the 

ECPC does not intend to open the entire 

classification structure for substantial 

change in 2027. The ECPC will consider 

public comments and proposals for 

changes or modifications that are 

consistent with the principles guiding 

the development of NAICS as outlined 

in the ‘‘BACKGROUND’’ section below. 

This is the first Federal Register 

Notice requesting public comment in 

the process leading up to the potential 

2027 NAICS revision. More information 

on the NAICS, including information on 

past revision processes, is available at 

www.census.gov/naics. 

I. Background 

The Chief Statistician of the United 

States at OMB coordinates the Federal 

statistical system by developing and 

overseeing the implementation of 

Government-wide principles, policies, 

standards, and guidelines concerning 

the presentation and dissemination of 

statistical information. These 

coordination efforts promote the 

efficiency and effectiveness of the 

Federal statistical system. More 

information on the Federal statistical 

system, including its structure and 

policies that govern it, is available at 

www.statspolicy.gov. 

One such standard for statistical data 

classification established by OMB is 

Statistical Policy Directive No. 8: North 

American Industry Classification 

System: Classification of Establishments 

(NAICS). NAICS is a system for 

classifying establishments (individual 

business locations) by type of economic 

activity. Its purposes are (1) to facilitate 

the collection, tabulation, presentation, 

and analysis of data relating to 

establishments; and (2) to promote 

uniformity and comparability in the 

presentation and analysis of statistical 

data describing the North American 

economy. The OMB-Recognized 

Statistical Agencies and Units use 

NAICS to collect and publish data by 

industry, and NAICS is also widely used 

by State agencies, trade associations, 

private businesses, and other 

organizations. 

Mexico’s Instituto Nacional de 

Estadı ́stica y Geografı ́a (INEGI), 

Statistics Canada, and the United States 

Office of Management and Budget, 

through the ECPC, collaborate on NAICS 

to make the industry statistics produced 

by the three countries comparable. 

NAICS is an industry classification 

system developed in accordance with a 

single principle of aggregation: 

producing units that use similar 

production processes should be grouped 

together in the classification. NAICS 

also reflects changes in technology and 

in the growth and diversification of 

services in recent decades. Industry 

statistics presented using NAICS 2022 

are extensively comparable with 

statistics compiled according to the 

latest revision of the United Nations’ 

International Standard Industrial 

Classification of All Economic Activities 

(ISIC, Revision 5). For the three North 

American countries, NAICS provides a 

consistent framework for the collection, 

tabulation, presentation, and analysis of 

industry statistics used by government 

policy analysts, academics and 

researchers, the business community, 

and the public. 

Please note that NAICS is designed 

and maintained solely for statistical 

purposes, in order to improve and keep 

current the statistical rigor of this 

Federal statistical standard. 

Consequently, although the 

classification may also be used for 

various nonstatistical purposes (e.g., for 

administrative, regulatory, or taxation 

functions), the requirements of 

government agencies or private users 

that choose to use NAICS for 

nonstatistical purposes play no role in 

its development or revision. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 245 / Friday, December 20, 2024 / Notices 104231 

Four principles guide NAICS 

development: 

(1) NAICS is erected on a productionoriented conceptual framework. This 

means that producing units that use the 

same or similar production processes 

are grouped together in NAICS. 

(2) NAICS gives special attention to 

developing production-oriented 

classifications for (a) new and emerging 

industries, (b) service industries in 

general, and (c) industries engaged in 

the production of advanced 

technologies. 

(3) Time series continuity is 

maintained to the extent possible. 

(4) The system strives for 

compatibility with the two-digit level 

(see below) of the International 

Standard Industrial Classification of All 

Economic Activities (ISIC, Rev. 5) of the 

United Nations. 

The ECPC is committed to 

maintaining the principles of NAICS as 

it develops recommendation for further 

refinements. 

NAICS uses a hierarchical structure to 

classify establishments from the 

broadest level to the most detailed level 

using the following format: 

Sector ........................ 2-digit ............... Sectors represent the highest level of aggregation. There are 20 sectors in NAICS. 

Subsector .................. 3-digit ............... Subsectors represent the next, more detailed level of aggregation. There are 96 subsectors in 

NAICS 2022. 

Industry Group ......... 4-digit ............... Industry groups are more detailed than subsectors. There are 308 industry groups in NAICS 

2022. 

NAICS Industry ........ 5-digit ............... NAICS industries, in most cases, represent the lowest level of three-country comparability. There 

are 689 five-digit industries in NAICS 2022. 

National Industry ..... 6-digit ............... National industries are the most detailed level and represent the national level detail. There are 

1,012 national industries in NAICS United States 2022. 

To ensure the accuracy, timeliness, 

and relevance of the classification, 

NAICS is reviewed every five years to 

determine what, if any, changes are 

required. The 2027 review will be the 

sixth since OMB adopted the NAICS as 

an official standard statistical 

classification in 1997. The ECPC 

recognizes the potential costs involved 

when adopting, implementing, and 

tracking the impacts of industry 

classification revisions in statistical 

programs. The ECPC also recognizes the 

economic, statistical, and policy 

implications that arise when the 

industry classification system does not 

identify and account for important 

economic developments. Balancing the 

costs of change against the potential for 

more accurate and relevant economic 

statistics requires significant input from 

data producers, data providers, and data 

users. 

NAICS version Date published Federal Register 

1997 .................................................................... April 9, 1997 ..................................................... 62 FR 17288. 

2002 .................................................................... January 16, 2001 ............................................. 66 FR 3826. 

2007 .................................................................... May 16, 2006 ................................................... 71 FR 28532. 

2012 .................................................................... August 17, 2011 ............................................... 76 FR 51240. 

2017 .................................................................... August 8, 2016 ................................................. 81 FR 52584. 

2022 .................................................................... December 21, 2021 ......................................... 86 FR 72277. 

The ECPC solicits and welcomes 

comments across all of the NAICS 

sectors, and also seeks comments 

concerning the following items: new 

and emerging industries and 

recommended revisions for measuring 

elements of the bioeconomy. 

II. New and Emerging Industries 

NAICS is a dynamic industry 

classification. Every five years, the 

classification is reviewed to determine 

the need to identify new and emerging 

industries. The ECPC is soliciting public 

comments on the advisability of revising 

NAICS for new and emerging industries 

in 2027 and soliciting proposals for 

these new industries. 

When developing proposals for new 

and emerging industries, please note 

that there are two separate but related 

economic classifications in the United 

States. NAICS, the industry 

classification, is the subject of this 

notice, while the North American 

Product Classification System (NAPCS) 

is product classification. The NAPCS 

product system described below 

complements the NAICS industry 

system and provides an alternate way of 

classifying output. 

NAICS classifies units according to 

their production function. NAICS 

industries group units undertaking 

similar activities using similar resources 

but does not necessarily group all 

similar products or outputs. NAPCS, on 

the other hand, classifies the outputs of 

units, or in other words their products 

or transactions, within a demand-based 

conceptual framework. For example, the 

hypothetical product of a flu shot can be 

provided by a doctor’s office, a hospital, 

or a walk-in clinic. Because these three 

units are classified to three different 

NAICS industries, data users who want 

information about all flu shots provided 

must be able to identify the individual 

products coming out of the units, which 

NAPCS is designed to do. Thus, in 

many cases, the need for specific 

statistical data can be met by aggregating 

product data across industries as 

NAPCS does, rather than by creating a 

new industry. This cross-sector 

measurement level is particularly true 

with NAICS, which groups 

establishments into industries based on 

their primary production function. 

NAPCS was initiated in 1999, followed 

by a lengthy development and 

collaborative harmonizing efforts. The 

first NAPCS revision cycle began in 

2022, concurrent with the NAICS. This 

cycle will continue on the same 5-year 

revision cycle as NAICS. 

Proposals for new industries in 

NAICS for 2027 will be evaluated 

within the context of the industry and 

product classification systems to 

determine the most appropriate 

resolution. For a detailed description of 

the NAPCS initiative, see the April 16, 

1999, Federal Register notice (64 FR 

18984), available at www.census.gov/ 

naics/napcs. 

Proposals for new industries will be 

evaluated using a variety of criteria. As 

previously mentioned, each proposal 

will be evaluated based on the 

application of the production function 

concept, its impact on comparability 

within North America and with other 

regions, and its impact on time series. 

For any proposals that cross threecountry levels of agreement, 

negotiations with Canada and Mexico, 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
104232 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 245 / Friday, December 20, 2024 / Notices 

1 Interagency Tech. Working Grp. on Developing, 

Recommending and Assessing Current Indus. & 

Product Classifications for the Emerging 

Bioeconomy, Measuring the Bioeconomy: 

Recommended Revisions to the NAICS and NAPCS 

(Sept. 12, 2023), available at www.usda.gov/sites/ 

default/files/documents/OCE-Measuring-theBioeconomy.pdf. 

our partners in NAICS, will also 

influence the ECPC’s recommendations 

on those proposals. 

In addition, other criteria may affect 

recommendations for adoption. From a 

practical standpoint, industries must be 

of appropriate size. At the national 

level, this is generally not a major 

concern, but there are a variety of 

statistical programs that produce 

industry data at the regional, State, 

metropolitan area, or even county or 

local level. A proposed industry must 

include a sufficient number of 

establishments so that Federal agencies 

can publish industry data without 

disclosing information about the 

operations of individual firms. 

The ability of government agencies to 

classify, collect, and publish data on the 

proposed basis will also be taken into 

account. Proposed changes must be 

such that they can be applied by 

agencies within their normal processing 

operations. Any recommendations for 

change by the ECPC for consideration 

will also take into account the cost of 

making the changes. These costs can be 

considerable and the availability of 

funding to make changes is critical. The 

budgetary environment will be 

considered when the ECPC makes 

recommendations. As mentioned above, 

certain proposals may be more 

adequately addressed through the 

identification and collection of product 

data. 

Proposals for new or revised 

industries should be consistent with the 

production-oriented conceptual 

framework incorporated into the 

principles of NAICS. When formulating 

proposals, please note that an industry 

classification system groups the 

economic activities of producing units, 

which means that the activities of 

similar producing units cannot be 

separated in the industry classification 

system. 

Proposals must include the following 

information: 

(1) Specific economic activities to be 

covered by the proposed industry, the 

proposed industry’s production 

processes, its specialized labor skills, 

and any unique equipment and 

materials used. This detail should 

demonstrate that the proposed industry 

will group establishments with similar 

production processes that are unique 

and clearly separable from the 

production processes of other 

industries. 

(2) Relationship of the proposed 

industry to existing NAICS United 

States 2022 six-digit national industries 

and whether the proposed industry 

would impact trilateral NAICS levels (as 

specified by ‘‘T’’ superscripts in the 

2022 NAICS structure). 

(3) Documentation of the size and 

recent and projected growth of the 

proposed industry in the United States. 

(4) Information about the size and 

importance of the proposed industry in 

Canada and Mexico, if available. 

Proposals will be collected, reviewed, 

and analyzed by the ECPC. As 

necessary, proposals for change will be 

negotiated with our partners in Canada 

and Mexico. When this process is 

complete, OMB will publish a Federal 

Register notice that contains the ECPC 

recommendations for revisions for 

additional public comment prior to a 

final OMB determination of any changes 

to NAICS for 2027. 

III. Improve Measures of Emerging/ 

Innovative Industrial Activity, 

Including the Bioeconomy 

Consistent with Executive Order 

14081, Advancing Biotechnology and 

Biomanufacturing Innovation for a 

Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American 

Bioeconomy, the Interagency Technical 

Working Group on Developing, 

Recommending and Assessing Current 

Industry and Product Classifications for 

the Emerging Bioeconomy submitted a 

report to OMB with recommendations 

for revisions to NAICS for advancing 

measurement in this area.1 In this 

report, the Working Group stated that 

there has been sustained growth and 

diversification in biotechnology, 

biomanufacturing, and the related use of 

biological resources to supplement, and 

in some industries, replace more 

traditional production methods. The 

report also discussed several challenges 

with measuring this part of the 

economy, and included 

recommendations for revisions to both 

the NAICS and NAPCS. As mentioned 

above, especially in this area, some 

proposals may be more adequately 

addressed through the identification 

and collection of product versus 

industry data. 

The ECPC is soliciting public 

comments regarding the 

recommendations included in the 

report, to support development of 

related final ECPC recommendations to 

OMB. In particular, ECPC is interested 

in the following issues: What impact 

might these potential changes to the 

NAICS have on existing industry 

measurements, for example economic 

output and employment, continuity of 

time series measures? What 

methodologies should compilers of 

Federal economic data apply to 

differentiate bioeconomic processes 

from current production processes to 

enable measurement? What potential 

bioeconomy measurement strategies 

might be considered other than 

revisions to and inclusion in the 

NAICS? 

IV. Errors and Omissions in NAICS 

No significant errors or omissions 

have been identified in NAICS 2022. 

Any errors or omissions that are 

identified in NAICS in the future will be 

corrected and posted on the official 

NAICS website at www.census.gov/ 

naics. 

V. Timing for the 2027 NAICS Revision 

Process 

Following this public comment 

period, the ECPC will review the 

comments and develop any proposed 

revisions for the 2027 NAICS. Then 

OMB will publish ECPC’s proposed 

revisions for public comment in a 

subsequent Federal Register Notice. The 

ECPC will then review the comments 

and develop final recommendations to 

the Chief Statistician of the United 

States at OMB on the proposed revisions 

for the 2027 NAICS. OMB will consider 

the final recommendations from the 

ECPC and will publish the updated 

classification for 2027 NAICS in 

calendar year 2026. The NAICS 2027 

will be available on the Census Bureau 

website in January 2027. 

Karin A. Orvis, 

Chief Statistician of the United States. 

[FR Doc. 2024–30060 Filed 12–19–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY 

COMMISSION 

[NRC–2024–0172] 

Information Collection: Human 

Performance Test Facility 

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission. 

ACTION: Proposed information 

collection; request for comment. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission (NRC) invites public 

comment on this proposed information 

collection. The information collection is 

entitled, ‘‘Human Performance Test 

Facility.’’ 

DATES: Submit comments by February 

18, 2025. Comments received after this 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1