Notice2025-20553
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
November 21, 2025
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentCensus Bureau
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 223 (Friday, November 21, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 223 (Friday, November 21, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52617-52618]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-20553]
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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
The Department of Commerce will submit the following information
collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice. We invite 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. Public comments were previously requested via the
Federal Register on July 11, 2025, during a 60-day comment period. This
notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.
Agency: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce.
Title: Special Census Program.
OMB Control Number: 0607-0368.
Form Number(s): SC-Q, SC-Q(S), SC-CQ, SC-CQ(S), SC-Q-TL, SC-Q-
TL(S), SC-CQ-TL, SC-CQ-TL(S), SC-Q-GE, SC-Q-GE(S), SC-RQ, SC-900 RCE,
SC-50.1a, SC-693.2(ETL), SC-QE-ISR 1, SC-688(TLAC).
Type of Request: Regular submission, Request for an Extension,
without Change, of a Currently Approved Collection.
Number of Respondents: 357,080.
Average Hours per Response: Approximately 10 minutes for the
Special Census data collection and 45 minutes for the Governmental Unit
Cost Estimate Request form.
Burden Hours: 59,560.
Needs and Uses: 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 GUs 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
because of 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. 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
[[Page 52618]]
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 may 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.
The Census Bureau uses an internet self-response instrument for
respondents to respond online to the 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 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 2 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 an
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 interviews at transitory
locations and group quarters. During the field operations, field
representatives also update the addresses of living quarters as needed,
based on their observation of housing units, transitory locations, and
group quarters.
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 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 a non-
substantive change can be submitted at that time.
To make it easier for commenters to identify all questionnaires and
other collection instruments, this 30-day Federal Register Notice
includes several form numbers that were omitted from the 60-day Federal
Register Notice.
Affected Public: Individuals or households; Business or other for-
profit organizations; Not-for-profit institutions.
Frequency: Once.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. 196.
This information collection request may be viewed at
<a href="http://www.reginfo.gov">www.reginfo.gov</a>. Follow the instructions to view the Department of
Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information
collection should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of
this notice on the following website <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>.
Find this particular information collection by selecting ``Currently
under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search
function and entering either the title of the collection or the OMB
Control Number 0607-0368.
Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Compliance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2025-20553 Filed 11-20-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on November 21, 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.