Notice2024-09794
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Redistricting Data Program
Primary source
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
May 6, 2024
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 Redistricting Data Program (RDP), prior to the submission of the information collection request (ICR) to OMB for approval.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 88 (Monday, May 6, 2024)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 88 (Monday, May 6, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37172-37174]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-09794]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Census Bureau
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Redistricting Data Program
AGENCY: Census Bureau, Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 Redistricting Data Program (RDP), 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 July 5, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by
email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bbdfd8d6df95cbc9dafbd8ded5c8cec895dcd4cd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="97f3f4faf3b9e7e5f6d7f4f2f9e4e2e4b9f0f8e1">[email protected]</span></a>. Please reference ``Redistricting Data
Program'' in the subject line of your comments. You may also submit
comments, identified by Docket Number USBC-2024-0011, to the Federal e-
Rulemaking Portal: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. All comments received
are part of the public record. No comments will be posted to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://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
[[Page 37173]]
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 Michael S. Snow, Program Manager, Decennial Census Management
Division, by phone at 301-763-9912 or by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ec888f8188c29c9e8dac8f89829f999fc28b839a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d6b2b5bbb2f8a6a4b796b5b3b8a5a3a5f8b1b9a0">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The Redistricting Data Program (RDP) is one of many voluntary
geographic partnership programs that collects boundaries and attributes
to update the U.S. Census Bureau's geographic database of addresses,
streets, and boundaries. The Census Bureau uses its geographic
database, i.e., the Master Address File/Topologically Integrated
Geographic and Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) System, to link
demographic data from surveys and the decennial census to locations and
areas, such as cities, congressional and legislative districts, and
counties. To tabulate statistics by localities, the Census Bureau must
have accurate addresses, streets, boundaries, and attributes.
The RDP is executed under the provisions of title 13, section
141(c) of the United States Code (U.S.C.). Under the provisions of
Public Law 94-171, as amended (title 13, United States Code (U.S.C.),
section 141(c)), ``[t]he officers or public bodies having initial
responsibility for the legislative apportionment or districting of each
State may, not later than 3 years before the decennial census date,
submit to the Secretary a plan identifying the geographic areas for
which specific tabulations of population are desired.''
The Census Bureau is requesting a clearance to continue activities
included in the RDP. As the current OMB Control Number 0607-0988
clearance will expire in November 2024, the new clearance will allow
the Census Bureau to provide RDP-specific materials and procedures to
participants during the fiscal years (FY) 2025, 2026, and 2027. These
activities include:
<bullet> Solicitation of Non-Partisan Liaisons (2025)
<bullet> Collection of Post-2020 Census Congressional and State
Legislative District Plans (2025-2026)
<bullet> Block Boundary Suggestion Project (2026-2027)
II. Method of Collection
Solicitation of Non-Partisan Liaisons (2025)
Legislative leadership of all fifty states, the District of
Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico will be asked to provide
a non-partisan liaison who will serve for the entirety of the 2030
Census RDP and who will create and submit geographic updates and
perform verification as a part of the RDP.
Solicitation of Non-Partisan Liaisons Schedule
Legislative leadership will be contacted by mail beginning in
January 2025 asking for a non-partisan liaison from each state to be
designated to work on the RDP. Contacts will continue through mail,
email, and phone until at least one liaison has been assigned from
every state, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico.
Collection of Post-2020 Census Congressional and State Legislative
District Plans (2025-2026)
The Census Bureau collaborates with the designated non-partisan
liaisons to collect any newly enacted congressional or state
legislative districts plans since the collection of the 119th
Congressional and 2024 State Legislative Districts plans in 2024. The
Census Bureau provides guidelines for submitting their plans. Those
that have changes provide a block equivalency file, split block
shapefiles (if any), district population, and legislation to the Census
Bureau. The Census Bureau processes the new plans into the MAF/TIGER
System and provides a new block equivalency file and split block
shapefiles (if any) to verify that the districts were inserted
correctly.
Collection of Post-2020 Census Congressional and State Legislative
District Plans Schedule
<bullet> The Census Bureau collects plans from November 2025
through April 2026.
<bullet> The verification phase occurs from February 2026 through
April 2026.
Block Boundary Suggestion Project (2026-2027)
The Census Bureau collaborates with the designated non-partisan
liaisons to collect and verify suggestions for the 2030 Census
tabulation blocks as part of the Block Boundary Suggestion Project
(BBSP). Liaisons are also able to submit suggested legal boundary
updates as well as updates to other geographic areas and features.
These actions allow for the construction of the small area geography
needed for legislative redistricting. Digital copies of the features
and boundaries the Census Bureau has in the MAF/TIGER System are
provided to the liaisons. The liaisons can choose to use a free
customized geographic information system (GIS) application provided by
the Census Bureau, i.e., the Geographic Update Partnership Software
(GUPS), or their own GIS mapping software to submit updates and block
boundary suggestions.
The BBSP is conducted in two parts, an initial delineation of
updates, i.e., delineation phase, and a verification phase to ensure
the suggested updates are accurately applied. The verification phase
also has the option for liaisons to make additional block suggestions.
Those that choose to participate in BBSP receive guidelines and
training for providing their suggestions.
BBSP Schedule
<bullet> The delineation phase begins in January 2026 and ends in
May 2026.
<bullet> The verification phase begins in January 2027 and ends in
May 2027.
Feedback
The Census Bureau is adding a feedback component to its geographic
partnership programs to allow for the solicitation of feedback to
improve the administration of the respective program and potentially
reduce the future burden. Liaisons may be asked to provide their
feedback on materials, method(s) of data collection, manner of
communications, and the usability of the program applications and
tools.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0607-0988.
Form Number(s): Certification Forms (4) and Verification Forms (2).
<bullet> 2026 State Legislative Boundary Certification Form for
states with a Single Congressional District (Alaska, Delaware, North
Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming).
<bullet> District of Columbia 2026 Wards Certification Form.
<bullet> 120th Congressional District Boundary and 2026 State
Legislative District Boundary Certification Form.
<bullet> Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 2026 Legislative District
Boundaries Certification Form.
<bullet> 2026 State Legislative District Boundaries Verification
Form.
<bullet> 120th Congressional District Boundaries Verification Form.
Type of Review: Regular submission, request for a revision of a
currently approved collection.
Affected Public: All fifty states, the District of Columbia, and
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
[[Page 37174]]
Estimated Number of Respondents:
<bullet> Solicitation of Non-Partisan Liaisons: 52.
<bullet> Collection of Post-2020 Census Congressional and State
Legislative District Plans: 52.
<bullet> BBSP Delineation Phase: 52.
<bullet> BBSP Verification Phase: 52.
<bullet> Feedback: 52.
Estimated Time per Response:
<bullet> Solicitation of Non-Partisan Liaisons: 6 hours.
<bullet> Collection of Post-2020 Census Congressional and State
Legislative District Plans: 8 hours.
<bullet> BBSP Delineation Phase: 124 hours.
<bullet> BBSP Verification Phase: 62 hours.
<bullet> Feedback: 1 hour.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 10,452.
<bullet> Solicitation of Non-Partisan Liaisons: 312 hours.
<bullet> Collection of Post-2020 Census Congressional and State
Legislative District Plans: 416 hours.
<bullet> BBSP Delineation Phase: 6,448 hours.
<bullet> BBSP Verification Phase: 3,224 hours.
<bullet> Feedback: 52 hours.
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: Voluntary.
Legal Authority: Public Law 94-171, as amended (title 13, United
States Code (U.S.C.), section 141(c)).
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 Under Secretary for
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2024-09794 Filed 5-3-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on May 6, 2024.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.