[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 100 (Friday, May 23, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28443-28444]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-13547]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of the Census


Census 2000 Dress Rehearsal

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before July 22, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Linda Engelmeier, 
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 
5327, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Robert W. Marx, Bureau of the Census, DMD Room 
2031 Building 3, Washington, DC 20233-0001, telephone (301) 457-2131.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The objective of the Census 2000 Dress Rehearsal is to provide an 
operational demonstration of procedures and systems planned for use in 
Census 2000. From the dress rehearsal we will produce prototype 
redistricting products (Public Law 94-171) as well as other 100 percent 
and sample data products. The dress rehearsal will include some 
procedures and systems that have not been demonstrated operationally in 
any prior field or processing activity because they are needed to meet 
new requirements.
    The dress rehearsal is a full-scale demonstration of all data 
collection and processing systems planned for Census 2000. New 
procedures being considered for Census 2000, such as user friendly 
forms easily available in many locations, multiple contacts with each 
household, digital capture of forms, and statistical estimation 
techniques have all been tested individually in earlier operations. The 
dress rehearsal will provide a census-like environment to demonstrate, 
simultaneously, the efficacy of these procedures planned for use in 
Census 2000.
    The Census Bureau also plans to have an unprecedented partnership 
effort for the Census 2000 Dress Rehearsal and Census 2000. The Bureau 
plans to work closely with state, local, and tribal governments, 
community organizations, and others to conduct a wide range of census 
activities.
    The key to any dress rehearsal is making it as much like the real 
thing as possible. The three dress rehearsal sites were chosen for just 
that reason. These sites will allow for a thorough demonstration of our 
procedures and methods for Census 2000.

Sites and Features

Sacramento, California

    This site consists of the city of Sacramento, which had a resident 
population of 369,365 and 153,362 total housing units according to the 
1990 census. The Census Bureau's official 1994 population estimate 
showed an increase in the city's population to 373,964.
    Sacramento contains a great diversity among the racial and ethnic 
groups, including significant African American, Hispanic, and Asian and 
Pacific Islander populations. This will allow us to demonstrate Census 
2000 methods designed to reduce the differential in the count and 
produce an accurate census for all components of the population. 
Sacramento is a primary media market, which will allow us to implement 
a prototype of the Census 2000 advertising program. The site represents 
the size of typical urban Local Census Offices (LCOs) planned for 
Census 2000 and will allow us to understand the effectiveness of census 
operations and systems in this environment.

Columbia, South Carolina

    This site contains the city of Columbia in its entirety, including 
a small portion in Lexington County, the town of Irmo in its entirety, 
which is in Richland and Lexington Counties; and the following 
contiguous counties in north central South Carolina:
    Chester, Chesterfield, Darlington, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, 
Lee, Marlboro, Newberry, Richland, Union.
    The 1990 census found that the 11 counties comprising the Columbia 
site had a resident population of 650,035 and 251,874 total housing 
units. Our 1995 official population estimate showed an increase in the 
population of the 11 counties to 666,534.
    This site exhibits the characteristics of a small city-suburban-
rural area, and contains living situations and socioeconomic 
characteristics that we do not find in a predominately urban 
environment. The Columbia, South Carolina site provides our only 
opportunity to demonstrate procedures for developing our address list 
in an area containing both city style (house number/street name) and 
non-city style (rural route and box number) addresses. The site offers 
a mix of difficult and presumably cooperative areas in a suburban and 
rural setting. In addition, the relatively high proportion of African 
Americans in this site allows a demonstration of methods designed to 
reduce the differential in the count for this population group and 
produce an accurate census for all components of the population.

[[Page 28444]]

Menominee American Indian Reservation, Wisconsin

    The Menominee American Indian Reservation is located in 
northeastern Wisconsin. Based on the 1990 census, the Menominee 
American Indian Reservation had a resident population of 3,397 and 
1,176 total housing units. Menominee County, which includes the 
entirety of the reservation, had a 1990 resident population of 3,890 
and 1,742 housing units. (The Menominee American Indian Reservation and 
Menominee County share the same outer boundary, but the reservation 
does not include all territory within the county; the dress rehearsal 
will include the entire county, however.) The Census Bureau's 1995 
official population estimate for Menominee County showed an increase in 
the county's population to 4,601.
    Conducting the dress rehearsal on an American Indian reservation 
allows the Census Bureau to demonstrate Census 2000 methodologies for 
reducing the differential in the count among this component of the 
population. The Menominee American Indian Reservation has a high 
proportion of American Indians living on the reservation and was 
recommended by the Census Advisory Committee on the American Indian and 
Alaska Native Populations.

II. Method of Collection

    The Census 2000 Dress Rehearsal will conduct a complete census in 
the three dress rehearsal sites. In areas containing city style 
addresses, we will mail the following independent mailing pieces: an 
advance letter, an original questionnaire with postage-paid return 
envelope, a reminder card, and a replacement questionnaire with 
postage-paid return envelope. In areas containing non-city style 
addresses, enumerators will deliver a questionnaire to each household, 
to be returned in a postage-paid envelope. Households in these areas 
also will receive an advance letter before questionnaire delivery and a 
reminder card following questionnaire delivery. In all areas of the 
sites, we will visit and collect information from a sample of 
households that did not return a questionnaire by mail or report their 
census information by other means, such as by telephone. We will also 
conduct a reinterview of a small portion of respondents during 
nonresponse follow-up.

III. Data

    OMB Number: Not available.
    Form Numbers: Short Form: DX-1, DX-1(S).
    Long Form: DX-2, DX-2(S).
    Enumerator Forms: DX-1E, DX-2E.
    Household Follow-up: DX-1(HF).
    Be Counted Forms: DX-10, DX-10(S), DX-10(C), DX-10(M), DX-10(V), 
DX-10(T).
    Individual Census Questionnaires: DX-15A, DX-15B, DX-20A, DX-
20A(S), DX-20B, DX-20B(S).
    Military Census Report: DX-21.
    Letters/Cards/Notices: DX-5(L), DX-5(L)(S), DX-9, DX-1E(S), DX-
2E(S), DX-1F, DX-26, DX-28, DX-31.
    Reinterview: DX-806.
    Type of Review: Regular Submission.
    Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 450,000 households (approx.) 
(Short Form: 83% Long Form: 17%) Reinterview: 3,000 households.
    Estimated Time Per Response: Short Form: 10 minutes.
    Long Form: 38 minutes.
    Reinterview: 5 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours:
    Short Form: 62,250 hours.
    Long Form: 48,450 hours.
    Reinterview: 250 hours.
    Total: 110,950 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: The only cost to respondents is that 
of their time.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. Sections 141 and 193.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: May 19, 1997.
Linda Engelmeier,
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of Management and 
Organization.
[FR Doc. 97-13547 Filed 5-22-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P