4.2: Compliance
Ensure Compliance with Existing Requirements Other Information:
Many statutory responsibilities are applicable to Data.gov and should be considered when agencies are formulating their strategies
and tactics for data dissemination. The Dataset Management System does include the ability for agencies to self‐certify the
compliance of their data and tools. The following existing legislative requirements are highly applicable to Data.gov. Information
Quality -- In accordance with Section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (Public
Law 106‐554), OMB has published guidelines to help agencies ensure and maximize the quality, utility, objectivity, and integrity
of the information that they disseminate. In addition, all Federal agencies are required to issue their own implementing guidelines
that include administrative mechanisms allowing affected persons to seek and obtain correction of information maintained and
disseminated by the agency that does not comply with the OMB guidelines. Data.gov requires that agencies ensure that data
disseminated via Data.gov are consistent with their agency’s information quality guidelines. Security and Privacy -- Data.gov
maintains the President’s commitment to protecting the privacy of the American people. Therefore, all applicable privacy protections
are enforced when the public interacts with the Data.gov environment. Data.gov requires that data shared by agencies conform
to all applicable security and privacy requirements including the Privacy Act of 1974, the E‐Government Act of 2002, applicable
Federal security standards including NIST 800‐39, and other guidance as issued by OMB (See: Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs (OIRA) Information Policy). Paperwork Reduction Act -- The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)19 applied to Data.gov provides
functionality by which the public is solicited to provide ratings of datasets. Prior to Data.gov releasing this functionality,
OMB review and approval was obtained based upon an evaluation of the need to collect this information, the practical utility
of the information, and the minimal burden imposed on the public in responding to the requested ratings. Future PRA‐oriented
approvals could be sought for asking the public additional questions, engaging the public in new collaborative ways, and allowing
the public to self‐register for email and other notices. Further, the PRA lays out statutory requirements for agencies with
respect to information dissemination and, among other things, requires to the extent feasible, that each agency should, when
disclosing information in electronic format, provide timely and equitable access to the underlying data. E‐Government Act
-- The E‐Government Act of 200220, requires OMB to issue policies, identified previously in the document, requiring “the adoption
of standards, which are open to the maximum extent feasible, to enable the organization and categorization of Government information
in a way that is searchable electronically, including by searchable identifiers”. Accessibility -- Section 508 of the Rehabilitation
Act requires that Federal agencies provide individuals with disabilities who are either Federal employees or members of the
public seeking information or services with access to and use of information and data that are comparable to the access to
and use of the information and data by such Federal employees or members of the public who are not individuals with disabilities.
The Data.gov website is designed and tested accordingly to ensure conformance to the requirements for Section 508.
Indicator(s):
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