[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 93 (Monday, May 15, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25884-25885]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-11490]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of the Census
[Docket No. 950426115-5115-01]


2000 Census Public Law 94-171 Program

AGENCY: Bureau of the Census, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of program.

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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of Public Law 94-171 (Title 13, United 
States Code, Section 141 (c)), the Director of the Census Bureau is 
required to provide the ``officers or public bodies with initial 
responsibility for legislative apportionment or districting of each 
state . . .'' with the opportunity to specify the small geographic 
areas (for example, election precincts, voting districts, wards) for 
which they wish to receive decennial census population totals for the 
purpose of reapportionment or redistricting.
    By April 1 of the year following the decennial census, the Director 
is required to furnish these state officials or their designees with 
population totals for standard census areas (for example, counties, 
cities, census tracts, and blocks) and for state-specified voting 
districts (for example, election precincts, wards) that meet Census 
Bureau technical criteria as established [[Page 25885]] under the 
provisions of Public Law 94-171. Therefore, in accordance with these 
provisions of Public Law 94-171 (Title 13, United States Code, Section 
141 (c)), the Director of the Census Bureau is announcing the 
establishment of the 2000 Census Redistricting Data Program.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marshall L. Turner, Jr., Chief, Census 
2000 Redistricting Data Office, U.S. Bureau of the Census, Washington, 
DC 20233. Telephone (301) 457-4039; fax (301) 457-4348; email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As in the 1990 census, the 2000 Census 
Redistricting Data Program will have three phases.

Phase 1

    Block Boundary Suggestion Project (BBSP). Beginning in late summer 
1995, states choosing to participate will begin to receive, on a flow 
basis, new census map sheets showing natural (for example, rivers, 
streams) and constructed (for example, streets, highways, canals) 
features that are visible on the ground. States will be asked to 
specify which of these features they wish the Census Bureau to ``hold'' 
as outer boundaries of census blocks to be used in the 2000 census.
    If states do not take part in the BBSP, the Census Bureau cannot 
ensure that the 2000 census blocks can be cumulated to provide census 
population totals for local voting districts (VTDs) used by the state 
to redistrict the legislature or other elective bodies.

Phase 2

    Voting District Project (VTDP). Beginning in mid-1998, the Census 
Bureau will provide requesting states with map sheets outlining the 
boundaries of blocks to be used in the 2000 census. Participating 
states can specify which whole blocks make up each designated VTD. 
States cannot subdivide whole census blocks during the VTDP.

Phase 3

    Delivery of Census 2000 Redistricting Data. By the legal deadline 
of April 1, 2001 (Title 13, United States Code, Section 141(c)), the 
Census Bureau will provide to the governor, legislature, or other 
bodies having initial responsibility for redistricting/reapportionment, 
census 2000 population totals for the state, each county, city, town, 
census tract, census block, and any state-specified VTDs that meet the 
technical criteria established by the Census Bureau under the 
provisions of this law.
    In accordance with the provisions of Public Law 94-171 (Title 13, 
United States Code, Section 141 (c)), the Director of the Census Bureau 
is announcing the commencement of Phase 1, the Block Boundary 
Suggestion Project, of the 2000 Census Redistricting Data Program. The 
Census Bureau has provided technical guidelines for state participation 
in the BBSP to the governor, secretary of state, and majority and 
minority legislative leaders of each state legislature. Copies of these 
guidelines are available on request from the Director, U.S. Bureau of 
the Census, Washington, DC 20233.
    If a state plans to participate in the BBSP, the Census Bureau asks 
the governor and the majority and minority legislative leaders (as well 
as any other state officials with initial responsibility for 
reapportionment/redistricting) to designate jointly a contact person or 
persons with whom Census Bureau staff will communicate for this 
Program. The deadline for states to notify the Census Bureau that they 
wish to participate in the BBSP is June 30, 1995. In late summer of 
1995 the Census Bureau will begin to transmit census maps to the 
participating states for BBSP.
    In mid-1997 the Census Bureau will announce the technical and other 
criteria for participation in Phase 2, the Voting District Project. The 
VTDP will take place in 1998-1999. Participation in the BBSP is not a 
prerequisite for participation in Phases 2 or 3 of the Public Law 94-
171 Program. A state may decide not to participate in the BBSP 
activities but later participate in the VTDP and submit VTD boundaries 
using groups of whole \1\ census blocks as shown on census maps.

    \1\ States may not split whole census blocks. However, states 
may use any parts of blocks that are shown on census maps. These 
``parts'' result from Census Bureau splits required to recognize 
standard census tabulation areas such as counties, cities, and 
towns.
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    Phase 3 will begin in early 2001. By April 1 of 2001, the Director 
of the Census Bureau will, in accordance with Public Law 94-171, 
furnish the governor and state legislative leaders, both majority and 
minority, with 2000 census population totals for standard census 
tabulation areas (for example, counties, cities, towns, census tracts, 
and blocks) and for any VTDs that the state submitted and the Census 
Bureau accepted during Phase 2. If the state does not participate in 
Phase 2, the state need take no further action. The Director of the 
Census Bureau will provide these nonparticipating states with 2000 
census population totals for standard census tabulation areas (for 
example, counties, cities, towns, and so forth) and census blocks 
statewide by April 1, 2001.
    State participation in Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the 2000 Census 
Redistricting Data Program under Public Law 94-171 is voluntary. A 
state may choose to limit its participation to only Phase 1 or Phase 2 
and may elect to include only selected areas (that is, whole counties 
or parishes) when participating. Address questions concerning any 
aspect of the 2000 Census Redistricting Data Program to the Director, 
U.S. Bureau of the Census, Washington, DC 20233.

    Dated: May 2, 1995.
Martha Farnsworth Riche,
Director, Bureau of the Census.
[FR Doc. 95-11490 Filed 5-12-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P