Notice2022-19705
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; American Community Survey and Puerto Rico Community Survey
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Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 13, 2022
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentCensus Bureau
Abstract
The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment on the proposed revision of the American Community Survey and Puerto Rico Community Survey, prior to the submission of the information collection request (ICR) to OMB for approval.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 176 (Tuesday, September 13, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 176 (Tuesday, September 13, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55990-55993]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-19705]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Census Bureau
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment
Request; American Community Survey and Puerto Rico Community Survey
AGENCY: Census Bureau, Commerce.
[[Page 55991]]
ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, invites the general public and other
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment on the
proposed revision of the American Community Survey and Puerto Rico
Community Survey, prior to the submission of the information collection
request (ICR) to OMB for approval.
DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed
information collection must be received on or before November 14, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by
email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b3d2d0c0dc9dc3c1d2f3d0d6ddc0c6c09dd4dcc5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a0c1c3d3cf8ed0d2c1e0c3c5ced3d5d38ec7cfd6">[email protected]</span></a>. Please reference the American Community
Survey and the Puerto Rico Community Survey in the subject line of your
comments. You may also submit comments, identified by Docket Number
USBC-2022-0014, to the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. All comments received are part of the public
record. No comments will be posted to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> for
public viewing until after the comment period has closed. Comments will
generally be posted without change. All Personally Identifiable
Information (for example, name and address) voluntarily submitted by
the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential
Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information.
You may submit attachments to electronic comments in Microsoft Word,
Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed
to Dameka Reese, U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Office,
301-763-3804, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4f2b2e222a242e6122613d2a2a3c2a0f2c2a213c3a3c61282039"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f99d98949c9298d794d78b9c9c8a9cb99a9c978a8c8ad79e968f">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
Since its founding, the U.S. Census Bureau has balanced the demands
of a growing country requiring information about its people and economy
with concerns for respondents' confidentiality and the time and effort
it takes respondents to answer questions. Beginning with the 1810
Census, Congress updated the set of questions asked in the 1790 and
1800 Censuses by adding questions to support a range of public concerns
and uses. Over the course of a century, Federal agencies requested to
add questions about agriculture, industry, and commerce, as well as
individuals' occupation, ancestry, marital status, disabilities, place
of birth, and other topics. In 1940, the Census Bureau introduced the
long-form census questionnaire in order to ask more detailed questions
to a sample of the public.
In the early 1990s, the demand for current, nationally consistent
data from a wide variety of users led Federal government policymakers
to consider the feasibility of collecting social, economic, and housing
data continuously throughout the decade. The benefits of providing
current data, along with the anticipated decennial census benefits in
cost savings, planning, improved census coverage, and more efficient
operations, led the Census Bureau to plan the implementation of the
Continuous Measurement Survey, later called the American Community
Survey (ACS). After years of testing, the ACS was implemented in 2005
replacing the need for long-form data collection in future decennial
censuses. The ACS is conducted throughout the United States and in
Puerto Rico, where it is called the Puerto Rico Community Survey
(PRCS). The ACS samples approximately 3.5 million housing unit
addresses in the United States and about 36,000 housing unit addresses
in Puerto Rico each year. A housing unit is a house, an apartment, a
mobile home, a group of rooms, or a single room occupied or intended
for occupancy as separate living quarters. The ACS also collects
detailed socioeconomic data from a sample of about 170,000 residents
living in group quarters facilities in the United States and about 900
in Puerto Rico. Group quarters are places where people live or stay, in
a group living arrangement that is owned or managed by an entity or
organization providing housing and/or services for the residents.
People living in group quarters usually are not related to each other.
Group quarters include such places as college/university student
housing, residential treatment centers, skilled nursing facilities,
group homes, military barracks, correctional facilities, workers' group
living quarters and Job Corps centers, and emergency and transitional
shelters.
In 2024, the ACS plans to add an internet self-response option to
the group quarters data collection operation. The Census Bureau
believes there is value in offering a self-response option to people
living in certain types of group quarters--college/university student
housing, group homes, military barracks, workers' group living quarters
and Job Corps centers, and emergency and transitional shelters.
Beginning with the 2024 data collection year, the ACS will use
administrative data. The Census Bureau is obligated by law (title 13,
U.S. Code) to use existing information that has already been collected
by other government agencies, whenever possible and consistent with the
kind, timeliness, quality and scope of the statistics required, instead
of asking for such information directly from the public. The Census
Bureau is allowed to use these data for statistical purposes only and
may not use these records for enforcement purposes or to decide on
eligibility for a benefit. Additionally, Census Bureau research has
shown that using administrative data can reduce respondent burden and
improve the quality of the ACS data. The Census Bureau is focusing
initial efforts to supplement or replace ACS survey data for several
housing characteristics with administrative data from other sources,
such as property tax records. At a minimum, administrative data will be
used for the question asking about property acreage beginning in 2024.
Implementation for other housing items, such as agricultural sales and
year built, may start later.
In addition to using administrative records and in coordination
with the Office of Management and Budget Interagency Committee for the
ACS, the Census Bureau solicited proposals for question changes or
additions from more than 20 Federal agencies. Approved topics underwent
cognitive testing to verify that proposed question wording would be
understood by respondents. Based on cognitive testing results, the
Census Bureau proposes to update wording in 2024 for questions on three
topics: condominium fees, home heating fuel, and journey to work. The
Census Bureau proposes to implement these three topics without
additional testing; other topics are still undergoing testing.
The condominium fees question would be extended to include
homeowners' association (HOA) fees. Data sources continue to show
housing units that are part of HOAs outnumber housing units in
condominiums. In order to provide more comprehensive and accurate costs
of owning a home, the ACS needs to capture HOA fees for these homes.
Adding these fees to the existing condominium fees question
[[Page 55992]]
avoids adding a new question to the ACS and therefore minimizes
respondent burden.
The change to the home heating fuel question would update the
natural gas and bottled gas categories. This will aid respondents in
identifying the correct category more easily by using more commonly
used terminology.
The journey to work question would be updated to include ride-
sharing services as a mode of transportation to work to account for new
and growing travel trends. This will reduce ambiguity in the current
question about where respondents should report ride-sharing commutes
and will allow the government to monitor changes in transportation
patterns for planning purposes.
II. Method of Collection
To encourage self-response in the ACS, the Census Bureau sends up
to five mailings to housing unit addresses selected to be in the
sample. The first mailing, sent to all mailable addresses in the
sample, includes an invitation to participate in the ACS online and
states that a paper questionnaire will be sent in a few weeks to those
unable to respond online. The second mailing is a letter that reminds
respondents to complete the survey online, thanks them if they have
already done so, and informs them that a paper questionnaire will be
sent at a later date if we do not receive their response. In a third
mailing, the paper questionnaire is sent only to those sample addresses
that have not completed the online questionnaire within two weeks of
receipt of the first mailing. The fourth mailing is a postcard that
reminds respondents to respond and informs them that an interviewer may
contact them if they do not complete the survey. A fifth mailing is
sent to respondents who have not completed the survey within five
weeks. This letter provides a due date and reminds the respondents to
return their questionnaires to be removed from future contact. If a
respondent starts to answer the survey online and provides an email
address but does not complete the survey, an email will be sent to the
respondent to remind them to return to the survey to complete their
online questionnaire. If the Census Bureau does not receive a response
or if the household refuses to participate, the address may be selected
for an interview in-person or by telephone by a Census Bureau field
representative, which we call the nonresponse follow-up data collection
operation. Respondents also have the option to call the Telephone
Questionnaire Assistance line and complete the survey over the
telephone. A small sample of respondents from the nonresponse follow-up
data collection operation are recontacted for quality assurance
purposes.
Some addresses are deemed unmailable because the address is
incomplete or directs mail only to a post office box. The Census Bureau
currently collects data for these housing units using both online and
computer-assisted personal interviewing by a Census Bureau field
representative. During the person-level phase, a field representative
uses a computer-assisted personal interview automated instrument to
collect detailed information for each sampled resident. A small sample
of respondents from the nonresponse follow-up data collection operation
are recontacted for quality assurance purposes.
For sample housing units in the Puerto Rico Community Survey
(PRCS), a different mail strategy is employed. The Census Bureau
continues to use the previously used mail strategy with no references
to an internet response option. The Census Bureau sends up to five
mailings to a Puerto Rico address selected to be in the sample. The
first mailing includes a prenotice letter. The second and fourth
mailings include the paper survey. The third and fifth mailings are
postcards that serve as a reminder to respond to the survey. If the
Puerto Rico address is deemed unmailable because the address is
incomplete or directs mail only to a post office box, the address may
be selected for an interview in-person or by telephone. A small sample
of respondents from the nonresponse follow-up data collection operation
are recontacted for quality assurance purposes.
The Census Bureau employs a separate strategy to collect data from
group quarters. The Census Bureau collects data for sampled people in
group quarters through personal interview and telephone interview. The
Census Bureau will obtain the facility information by conducting a
telephone or personal visit interview with a group quarter contact.
During this interview, the Census Bureau obtains a roster of residents
and randomly selects them for person-level interviews. The facility
also has the option of uploading their facility roster to the Census
Bureau online listing application. During the person-level phase, a
field representative uses a computer-assisted personal interview
automated instrument to collect detailed information for each sampled
resident. The field representative also has the option to distribute a
bilingual (English/Spanish) questionnaire to residents for self-
response if they are unable to complete a computer-assisted personal
interview. Beginning in 2024, respondents in some group quarters will
have the option to self-respond to the survey online. A small sample of
facilities are recontacted for quality assurance purposes.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0607-0810.
Form Number(s): ACS-1, ACS-1(SP), ACS-1(PR), ACS-1(PR)SP, ACS-
1(GQ), ACS-1(PR)(GQ), GQFQ, ACS CAPI (HU), ACS RI (HU), AGQ QI, and AGQ
RI.
Type of Review: Regular submission, request for a revision of a
currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Individuals or households.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 3,576,000 for household
respondents; 20,100 for contacts in GQ; 170,900 people in GQ; 22,875
households for reinterview; and 1,422 GQ contacts for reinterview. The
total estimated number of respondents is 3,791,297.
Estimated Time per Response: 40 minutes for the average household
questionnaire; 15 minutes for a GQ facility questionnaire; 25 minutes
for a GQ person questionnaire; 10 minutes for a household reinterview;
10 minutes for a GQ-level reinterview.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,384,000 for household
respondents; 5,025 for contacts in GQ; 71,208 for GQ residents 3,813
households for reinterview; and 237 GQ contacts for reinterview. The
estimate is an annual average of 2,464,283 burden hours.
[[Page 55993]]
Table 1--Annual ACS and PRCS Respondent and Burden Hour Estimates
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Estimated
Annual minutes per
Forms or instrument used estimated respondent by Annual
Data collection operation in data collection number of data estimated
respondents collection burden hours
activity
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I. ACS Household Questionnaire, Online ACS-1, ACS 1(SP), ACS- 3,576,000 40 2,384,000
Survey, Telephone, and Personal Visit. 1PR, ACS-1PR(SP),
Online Survey,
Telephone, CAPI.
II. ACS GQ Facility Questionnaire CAPI GQFQ............... 20,100 15 5,025
CAPI--Telephone and Personal Visit.
III. ACS GQ CAPI Personal Interview or CAPI, ACS-1(GQ), ACS- 170,900 25 71,208
Telephone, and Paper Self-response. 1(GQ)(PR).
IV. ACS Household Reinterview--CATI/ ACS HU-RI............... 22,875 10 3,813
CAPI.
V. ACS GQ-level Reinterview--CATI/CAPI ACS GQ-RI............... 1,422 10 237
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Totals............................ ........................ 3,791,297 N/A 2,464,283
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Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0. (This is not the cost of
respondents' time, but the indirect costs respondents may incur for
such things as purchases of specialized software or hardware needed to
report, or expenditures for accounting or records maintenance services
required specifically by the collection.)
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. 141 and 193.
IV. Request for Comments
We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include, or summarize, each comment in our
request to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address,
phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information
in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--
including your personal identifying information--may be made publicly
available at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold
your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2022-19705 Filed 9-12-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P
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