Notice2025-13009
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Special Census 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
July 11, 2025
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 extension, without change, of the Special Census Program, prior to the submission of the information collection request (ICR) to OMB for approval.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 131 (Friday, July 11, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 131 (Friday, July 11, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30840-30842]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-13009]
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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; Special Census Program
AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce.
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 extension,
[[Page 30841]]
without change, of the Special Census Program, 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 September 9, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by
email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#81c5c2ccc5afd2f1e4e2e8e0edafc2e4eff2f4f2c1e2e4eff2f4f2afe6eef7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5612151b1278052633353f373a781533382523251635333825232578313920">[email protected]</span></a>. Please reference the Special
Census Program in the subject line of your comments. You may also
submit comments, identified by Docket Number USBC-2025-0002 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 the U.S. Census Bureau's Office of Special Censuses at:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection" class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ce8a8d838ae0bdbeabada7afa2e0adaba0bdbbbd8eadaba0bdbbbde0a9a1b8">[email protected]</a> or (301) 763-4636.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The Census Bureau is requesting an extension of the Special Census
Program without change.
A Special Census is an enumeration of population, housing units,
group quarters, and transitory locations, conducted by the Census
Bureau at the request of a Governmental Unit (GU). The Special Census
questionnaires will collect the same information that was gathered
during the 2020 Census. Title 13, United States Code, Section 196
authorizes the Census Bureau to conduct Special Censuses on a cost
reimbursable basis for the government of any state, county, city, or
other political subdivision within a state. This includes the District
of Columbia, American Indian Reservations, Alaskan Native villages,
Puerto Rico, the Island Areas (e.g., American Samoa, the Commonwealth
of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands),
and other governmental units that require current population data
between decennial censuses. Local officials frequently request a
Special Census when there has been a significant population change in
their community due to annexation, growth, or the addition of new group
quarters facilities. Communities may also consider a Special Census if
there was a significant number of vacant housing units during the
previous decennial census that are now occupied.
A full Special Census is a basic enumeration of population, housing
units, and group quarters for the entire area within the jurisdiction
of a local GU requesting the Special Census. A partial Special Census
is conducted using the same methodologies and procedures as a regular
or full Special Census, but it is for an area or section within the
jurisdiction of the local GU. For example, GUs may choose to conduct a
partial Special Census for just those areas that might have experienced
a large population growth or a boundary change.
Many states use Special Census population statistics to determine
the distribution of state funds to local jurisdictions. The local
jurisdictions may also use the data to plan new schools, transportation
systems, housing programs, or water treatment facilities. GUs that
request a Special Census will receive the data files containing housing
unit and population counts by email when data processing and disclosure
avoidance have been completed for the Special Census. The data will
also be posted at <a href="http://data.census.gov">data.census.gov</a> for public use. These data will not
be used to update official 2020 Census data products and apportionment
counts, but they will be used to update data in the Census Bureau's
Population Estimates Program.
The Special Census Program accepts requests for cost estimates from
GUs with the Request for Cost Estimate form (SC-900 RCE), which is
available on the Census Bureau website. There is no fee to submit a
request form. Once this form has been reviewed by the Census Bureau,
the GU and the Census Bureau coordinate to identify the exact
geographic boundaries for the Special Census. Then the Special Census
Program coordinates with participating divisions within the Census
Bureau and regional offices to determine a cost estimate and timeline
for the Special Census and presents them to the GU. The cost of a
Special Census varies depending on the GU's housing and population
counts and whether a government requests a full or partial Special
Census. The cost estimate outlines the anticipated costs to the
sponsoring government for staffing, materials, data processing and
tabulation. Included with the cost estimate is a Memorandum of
Agreement (MOA). Once a signed MOA and initial payment are transmitted
to the Census Bureau, the Special Census process will begin. When data
collection, processing, disclosure avoidance, and tabulation have been
completed, the GU will receive official census statistics on the
population and housing unit counts for the entire jurisdiction or parts
of the jurisdiction, as defined in the MOA at the beginning of the
Special Census process. All Special Census statistics will be subject
to disclosure avoidance using differential privacy methods, consistent
with the processes and methods used for 2020 Census data products,
prior to their release to the public. Requests for cost estimates from
GUs will be accepted through May 2027.
II. Method of Collection
The Census Bureau uses an internet self-response instrument for
respondents to respond online to the Special Census questionnaire. At
the start of the Special Census, the Census Bureau will send an
invitation letter to housing units in the GU's Special Census area with
information needed to respond online. Respondents will have a number of
weeks to respond to the Special Census questionnaire using the internet
self-response instrument. Reminder letters and postcards will be sent
to each housing unit to encourage self-response and provide information
needed to do so.
Approximately two weeks after the end of the Special Census self-
response period, the Census Bureau will conduct follow-up operations in
the field to enumerate housing units that did not respond using the
internet self-response instrument. Housing units that do not respond
online will be contacted by a field representative who will conduct a
Special Census interview using a paper questionnaire. Additionally,
nonresponding housing units may be contacted by telephone for their
response.
The field operations will also enumerate group quarters and
transitory locations in the GU's Special Census area. The Census Bureau
uses a paper questionnaire to conduct Special Census interviews at
transitory locations and group quarters. During the field operations,
Special Census field representatives also update the addresses of
living quarters as needed, based on their observation of housing units,
transitory locations, and group quarters.
[[Page 30842]]
Several quality assurance measures are implemented for each Special
Census to ensure that high quality data are gathered using the most
efficient and cost-effective procedures. These include edits
incorporated into the online questionnaire and the ability to validate
potentially erroneous responses in the field. Independent quality
assurance checks and a reinterview of a sample of field questionnaires
will also be implemented to ensure the quality of the data collected in
the field.
At this time, the Special Census Program does not plan on
implementing additional automated tools and methods for data
collection. If anything changes in the future, a Revision or an NSC can
be submitted at that time.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0607-0368.
Form Number(s): SC-Q, SC-CQ, SC-Q-TL, SC-CQ-TL, SC-Q-GE, SC-RQ, SC-
900 RCE, SC-50.1a.
Type of Review: Regular submission, Request for an Extension,
without Change.
Affected Public: Individuals or households; State, Local, or Tribal
government.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 357,080.
Estimated Time per Response: Approximately 10 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 59,560.
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: Title 13 U.S.C. 196.
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,
Departmental PRA Compliance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2025-13009 Filed 7-10-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on July 11, 2025.
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.