[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 17, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 7754]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-3775]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    DOC has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
clearance the following proposal for collection of information under 
the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: Bureau of the Census.
    Title: 1997 Survey of Minority-owned Business Enterprises (SMOBE) 
and 1997 Survey of Women-owned Business Enterprises (SWOBE).
    Form Number(s): MB-1, MB-2.
    Agency Approval Number: None.
    Type of Request: New collection.
    Burden: 416,666 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 2,500,000.
    Avg Hours Per Response: 10 minutes.
    Needs and Uses: The Census Bureau requests clearance for the 1997 
Survey of Minority-Owned Business Enterprises (SMOBE) and the 1997 
Survey of Women-Owned Business Enterprises (SWOBE). These surveys are 
the only comprehensive, regularly collected sources of information on 
businesses owned by minorities and women. They are conducted as part of 
the economic census program which is taken every 5 years.
    A sample of U.S. Businesses will be asked questions about the 
gender, race, and ethnicity of the person(s) owning majority interest 
in the business. The data are needed to evaluate the extent and growth 
of business ownership by minorities and women in order to provide a 
framework for assessing and directing Federal, state and local 
government programs designed to promote the activities of disadvantaged 
groups.
    The SMOBE/SWOBE surveys have been expanded to include all 
corporations in their sampling frame. In 1992, only subchapter S 
corporations in addition to partnerships and sole proprietorships were 
included for SMOBE. A small sample of ``C'' corporations was included 
in SWOBE to provide estimates at the industry division level only. A 
subchapter S corporation is a special IRS designation for a legally 
incorporated business with 35 or fewer shareholders who elect to be 
taxed as individual shareholders rather than as a corporation. 
Approximately 2.5 million ``C'' corporations, accounting for 75 percent 
of all U.S. business receipts, were not included in 1992. A ``C'' 
corporation is a legally incorporated business under state laws which, 
unlike a subchapter S corporation, has no restrictions on the number of 
shareholders required to qualify. While adding these corporations to 
the 1997 program will increase overall respondent burden, their 
inclusion will provide more complete coverage of women- and minority-
owned businesses.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit organizations.
    Frequency: Every 5 years.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C., Sections 131, 193, and 224.
    OMB Desk Officer: Nancy Kirkendall, (202) 395-7313.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Linda Engelmeier, DOC Forms Clearance Officer, 
(202) 482-3272, Department of Commerce, room 5312, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to Nancy Kirkendall, OMB Desk Officer, room 10201, New Executive Office 
Building, Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: February 10, 1998.
Linda Engelmeier,
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of Management and 
Organization.
[FR Doc. 98-3775 Filed 2-13-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P