The House of Representatives killed the American Community Survey (ACS)? Howard Fienberg Government Affairs 5/9/2012 7:27:00 PM Going into the House of Representatives floor debate on Census funding this week, MRA and our coalition partners in the Census Project knew we were in for trouble -- but not this much trouble. The House voted to shift some of the Census funding in the Commerce Justice State (CJS) Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2013 to other programs -- then voted to neuter, and ultimately kill, the American Community Survey (ACS).We were already concerned that the proposed funding for the Census in thi... Read More
Alcohol Taste Tasting? A Permit May Be Required Howard Fienberg Government Affairs 5/8/2012 7:20:00 PM Survey, opinion and marketing research companies that conduct alcohol taste tasting research should be aware that many states oblige companies to obtain a permit or license to serve alcoholic beverages, even for complimentary purposes. State regulatory agencies may also require registration prior to conducting taste testing studies. Read More
U.S. Regulator Shields Telephone Survey Research From Further Restrictions Howard Fienberg Government Affairs 2/15/2012 12:58:00 PM The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today unanimously approved new regulations under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) – the key law restricting telephone survey research across the U.S. – that will prohibit most telemarketing robocalls while continuing to permit survey research calls. Read More
Sugging: Sales Under the Guise of Research Howard Fienberg Government Affairs 1/13/2012 10:21:00 AM "Sugging" is a term used by survey researchers to describe the unethical practice of selling under the guise of research. Read More
How much does the federal government spend on survey and opinion research? Howard Fienberg Methods & Trends, Management & Operations 11/1/2011 7:12:00 PM Though it may be commonly cited that the government is the largest purchaser of survey and opinion research in the country, figures on how much the U.S. government actually spends on survey research are not readily apparent. Read More
Pharma MR wins in Maine and DC but loses in Vermont Howard Fienberg Government Affairs 8/28/2011 9:33:00 AM Recent wins for pharmaceutical marketing research in Maine and DC leave only West Virginia and Vermont as the jurisdictions currently restricting or prohibiting research with physicians and healthcare professionals. Read More
Michigan forbids collecting/sharing unpublished phone numbers - H.B. 4314 Howard Fienberg Government Affairs 8/22/2011 6:38:00 PM Michigan Governor Rick Snyder (R) signed H.B. 4314 into law as Public Act 58 of 2011 on June 14. Read More
Successful collaboration with AAPC yields victories in Alabama and Alaska for automated telephone research and political polling Howard Fienberg Government Affairs 8/11/2011 12:52:00 PM MRA's cooperative lobbying efforts with the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) bore fruit this year in Alabama and Alaska. Read More
MRA's amendments approved by House Subcommittee before passing the SAFE Data Act Howard Fienberg Government Affairs 7/20/2011 12:22:00 PM The Commerce Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee approved legislation yesterday that would strengthen the security of consumer data, while also making two important changes crucial to the conduct of marketing research in the United States. Read More
New Texas health privacy law H.B. 300 more expansive than HIPAA Howard Fienberg Government Affairs 7/14/2011 6:33:00 PM Texas governor, Rick Perry, has signed a new health bill, H.B. 300, into law that enforces new obligations in addition to the requirements of the HIPAA privacy rule. The law, which becomes effective September 1, 2012, provides an expansive definition of a covered entity and is likely to include non-covered entities under HIPAA, including survey researchers. Read More