Policies
Privacy Policy
BEA's Web privacy policy Includes information on session cookies, BEA's Web satisfaction survey, information that is collected when you visit this site, information you provide voluntarily, and your rights. See BEA's Privacy Policy
Accessibility Policy
BEA is committed to making every effort to ensure that the information available on this site is accessible to everyone; specifically, we are committed to full and robust compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act as amended. See BEA's Accessibility Policy
Linking Policy
BEA's linking policies describing management controls for linking within and beyond the agency. See BEA's Linking Policy
Information Quality Guidelines
Section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (Public Law 106-554), hereinafter "Section 515," directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to issue government-wide guidelines that "provide policy and procedural guidance to Federal agencies for ensuring and maximizing the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information (including statistical information) disseminated by Federal agencies." See BEA's Information Quality Guidelines
Plain Writing at BEA
BEA is committed to complying with the Plain Writing Act of 2010. See a summary of BEA efforts
Priorities and Schedules for Posting Content
Section 207(f)(2) of the E-Government Act of 2002 requires Government agencies to develop an inventory of information to be published on their Web site. The purpose of Section 207(f)(2) is to improve the methods by which Government information, including information on the Internet, is organized, preserved, and made accessible to the public. See BEA's Priorities and Schedules for Posting Content
Data Dissemination Practices
BEA and the Department of Commerce have long-standing procedures that are designed to ensure that data dissemination to all interested members of the public occurs simultaneously. Furthermore, these procedures preserve the distinction between the policy-neutral release of data by statistical agencies and their interpretation by policy officials. The objectivity of BEA estimates is also fostered by the publication of methodologies and assumptions that allow a large number of economists and policy officials to replicate the estimates and thereby provide an independent check on the credibility and objectivity of the estimates. See BEA's Data Dissemination Practices
Correction Policy
BEA's correction policy statement describes how BEA will make a correction in the event a substantive error is detected in a disseminated estimate. See BEA's Correction Policy (PDF • 11KB)
Freedom of Information Act Policy
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provides the public a means to access Federal agency records except those that are excluded or protected under the Act. All BEA FOIA requests must be submitted in writing though the Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA), which is responsible for coordinating all U.S. Department of Commerce FOIA requests. See the ESA Freedom of Information Act Policy
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
BEA is the source of some of the Nation’s most important economic information used as the foundation for decisions made by policy and business leaders. BEA’s strength is in its people, a group of outstanding and committed individuals who have made BEA a leader in the field of economics. Our people are our greatest resource. See BEA's EEO Statement (PDF • KB)
No FEAR Act
On May 15, 2002, President Bush signed legislation called the No FEAR Act (Notification and Federal Anti-Discrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002). This act, which took effect on October 1, 2003, makes Federal agencies individually accountable for violations of anti-discrimination and whistleblower protection laws. See the DOC No FEAR Act Policy which dictates BEA policy.
Purchasers of BEA Products
Any information that we collect for the purpose of purchasing products will be handled in accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act and the Freedom of Information Act. The BEA collects customer information (name, address, phone number, and email address) to process orders for data products. Any information that would permit identification of individual customers is used only for this purpose and not shared with other agencies or organizations, or with other areas in the Bureau.
If you choose not to enter your e-mail address, you cannot complete your Regional Input-Output Multipliers (RIMS II) order online. However, you can call our RIMS II staff at (202) 606-5343 and place an order without providing an e-mail address.
The BEA does not capture credit card numbers on our servers; credit card, debit card, and check transactions are processed through to the U.S. Government's PAY.GOV system.
