The Business Formation Statistics could be the first measure to receive the distinction since 2004, as the bureau looks to innovate beyond traditional surveys.

Take a peek at the government's data to-do list for the coming year.

Advocates hope that the CDOs will be able to help agencies overcome a "natural bureaucratic aversion to openness."

Data standardization, sharing and use has improved in the past year and will continue on this upward trajectory, expert interviewees say.

The open data taxonomy bill is back after time ran out on it in the Senate in the 115th Congress.

The legislation will require that all non-sensitive government data is made available in machine readable formats by default.