[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 76 (Wednesday, April 19, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 20946]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-9826]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of the Census


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: U.S. Census Bureau.
    Title: Census 2000 Test Program Supplement.
    Form Number(s): These computer based survey instruments will have 
no form number.
    Agency Approval Number: 0607-0862.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Burden: 1,680 hours (added to the current total of 8,013 hours).
    Number of Respondents: 6,660 (added to the current total of 
200,300).
    Avg Hours Per Response: Residence Rules Survey-20 minutes; Internet 
Usage Survey-5 minutes.
    Needs and Uses: The Census Bureau will test several methodologies, 
techniques, and strategies during Census 2000. We received Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) approval to conduct four separate tests, 
which are collectively referred to as The Census 2000 Test Program. We 
now request approval for supplemental collections associated with two 
of the tests, which are the Alternative Questionnaire Experiment in 
2000 (AQE2000) Residence Rules Survey, and the Response Mode and 
Incentive Experiment (RMIE) Internet Usage Survey. Results of these 
tests will help in the planning of the 2010 Census.
    One component of the AQE2000 tests the effectiveness of alternative 
presentation formats of residence rules. A sub sample of the AQE2000 
sample households that returned the experimental (alternate version of 
the presentation format) and control (current versions of the 
presentation format) short forms that also provided telephone contact 
information will be reinterviewed. The Residence Rules Survey will be 
conducted by telephone with the person in the household who signed the 
census form, or a knowledgeable other person. Topics addressed in the 
reinterview include obtaining an independent listing of all household 
members on April 1st (including potentially omitted persons), and 
determining whether these members are classified as residents according 
to the Census Bureau's residence rules. Other issues to be explored 
include respondents' ability to comprehend the residence rules, and 
possible sources of misconceptions stemming from experimental or 
control versions of the presentation format.
    In the RMIE, sample households will receive an invitation in the 
census short-form mail package inviting them to respond by one of three 
experimental response modes rather than by mail--CATI, interactive 
voice response (IVR), and an Internet Questionnaire (IQ). An incentive 
of a calling card worth 30 minutes of free long distance calls will 
also be tested. The RMIE Internet Usage Survey (IUS) will determine why 
households that were given the option to respond by Internet instead 
responded by mail. The IUS also will enable analysis of households that 
received the incentive and those that did not. The IUS will consist of 
follow-up telephone interviews with a sub sample of RMIE households 
invited to respond by the Internet but who actually respond by mail. 
The purpose of these interviews is to assess the barriers to responding 
to the census by the Internet. Topics to be covered by the interview 
include whether or not the respondent has access to the Internet, why 
they did not use the Internet to respond (if they have access) and if 
the respondent was aware of the incentive offered (of those in the 
incentive group).
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Frequency: One time.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 USC, Sections 141 and 193.
    OMB Desk Officer: Susan Schechter, (202) 395-5103.
    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 5033, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at 
[email protected]).
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to Susan Schechter, OMB Desk Officer, room 10201, New Executive Office 
Building, Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: April 14, 2000.
Linda Engelmeier,
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-9826 Filed 4-18-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P