Notice2026-02206
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; 2026 Operational Test in Support of the 2030 Census
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
February 3, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentCensus Bureau
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 22 (Tuesday, February 3, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 3, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4864-4866]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-02206]
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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; 2026 Operational Test in Support of the 2030 Census
AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce.
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. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 30 days of
public comment on the proposed request to OMB to update the ACS Methods
Panel 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 March 5, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by
email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#56373232357864666566783533382523257826372633242139243d1635333825232578313920"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="56373232357864666566783533382523257826372633242139243d1635333825232578313920">[email protected]</span></a>. Please reference ``2026
Operational Test in Support of the 2030 Census'' in the subject line of
your comments. You may also submit comments, identified by Docket
Number USBC-2026-0034, 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 Christopher Denno, Program Manager,
[[Page 4865]]
Decennial Census Management Division, by phone at 301.763.4092 or by
email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cdaca9a9aee3fffdfefde3aea8a3beb8bee3bdacbda8bfbaa2bfa68daea8a3beb8bee3aaa2bb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8beaefefe8a5b9bbb8bba5e8eee5f8fef8a5fbeafbeef9fce4f9e0cbe8eee5f8fef8a5ece4fd">[email protected]</span></a>.
Title: 2026 Operational Test in Support of the 2030 Census.
OMB Control Number: 0607-0936.
Form Number(s): Electronic Instruments (Draft Content
Specifications for them): Internet Self-Response Instrument--D6-QE-ISR,
In-Field Enumeration Instrument--D6-QE-IFE.
Type of Request: Regular submission, Request for Comment.
Number of Respondents: 154,600 for all operations.
Average Hours per Response: 25 minutes.
Total Burden Hours: 64,417.
2026 Operational Test in Support of the 2030 Census
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Estimated time
Operation or category Estimated number per response Total burden
of respondents (minutes) hours
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Self-Response............................................. 77,300 40 51,533
In-Field Enumeration...................................... 77,300 10 12,883
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Totals................................................ 154,600 ................ 64,417
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Needs and Uses: The 2026 Operational Test in Support of the 2030
Census (hereafter, ``Test'') is an American Community Survey (ACS) test
using the ACS Methods Panel that is planned to help the Census Bureau
prepare for the 2030 Census. The Test is not an end-to-end test of all
operational work. Instead, it is a scaled-down version with appropriate
adjustments of the selected aspects of the census. The Test will be
conducted in two test sites--Spartanburg, SC and Huntsville, AL--which
allows for testing in real world situations and on a larger scale than
research simulations allow. The Test will test the viability of new and
revamped systems and methods researched and developed for the census;
to identify, document, and address potential challenges. Additionally,
the Test will evaluate and assess the use of United States Postal
Service (USPS) staff to increase efficiency in various capacities
typically performed by temporary Census Bureau field workers. Some
decisions, including names of operations and workload estimates for
those operations, have yet to be made; however, at this time, the
Census Bureau can present aspects of the test that affect the public.
Administrative Enhancements
The Test will focus on evaluating how well improved processes and
solutions work for Recruit Applications and Selecting and Hiring
Applicants. Specifically, the test will evaluate the effectiveness of a
new online job application and onboarding solution for recruiting, a
virtual hiring process and revised supervisory assessment for selecting
and hiring applicants.
The Test will also test new Office Management, Payroll, and HR
Administration procedures which involves running the offices and
providing the following support functions:
<bullet> Personnel and payroll administration
<bullet> Administration of claims related to occupational health,
employee assistance, safety, worker's compensation, and personal
property
<bullet> Staffing
<bullet> Management and supervision
<bullet> Offboarding temporary staff when their employment period ends
(i.e., separate from federal service)
Self-Response
Self-Response collects respondent information via the internet. A
housing unit (HU) is a private residence for a person or small group of
people (such as a family or group of roommates). Each HU must have a
separate entrance that provides direct access to the outdoors or to a
common space within a building (such as a hall, lobby, or stairwell)
without having to pass through the living quarters of any other people.
A living quarter (LQ) is typically a structure that is intended for
residential use. However, any structure or place where someone is
living (or where someone is sleeping without having a usual home
elsewhere) is also considered a LQ, even if it is not intended for
residential use.
Internet Self-Response
Internet Self-Response (ISR) allows the public to respond online.
ISR was available in a decennial census for HUs for the first time in
the 2020 Census. For the Test, ISR will be available in English.
In-Field Enumeration
In-Field Enumeration (IFE) is a field activity that collects
responses in person. IFE captures the status of HUs and enumerates HUs
through in-person interviews. IFE also includes follow-up with
nonmailable addresses. For the Test, IFE will be collecting information
to create cost and staffing estimates to help inform 2030 Census IFE
estimates. For the Test, USPS staff will support the IFE operation. The
purpose of the USPS Pilot is to study the feasibility of using Postal
Participants in the capacity of Census Bureau enumerators during the
Test. USPS staff will contact households and conduct interviews in the
same manner as Census Bureau enumerators. Additionally, the Test IFE
will implement numerous enhancements to streamline data collection,
reduce time in the field, and improve data accuracy. These capabilities
(on a mobile device) include functionality that provide field staff an
address list with a map, allows users to add and delete addresses, view
surrounding addresses, and flag addresses as duplicates.
Affected Public: Individuals or households.
Frequency: One-time.
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: Title 13, U.S. Code, Sections 23(c), 141, 193,
221, and 223.
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
[[Page 4866]]
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. 2026-02206 Filed 2-2-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P
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