[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 172 (Tuesday, September 5, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53699-53700]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-22595]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Survey of Program Dynamics--2001

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 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)).

[[Page 53700]]


DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before November 6, 2000

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Madeleine Clayton, 
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 
6086, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230 (or via 
the Internet at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Michael McMahon, Census Bureau, FOB 3, Room 3375, 
Washington, DC 20233-0001, (301) 457-1616.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The SPD is a household-based survey designed as a data collection 
vehicle that can provide the basis for an overall evaluation of how 
well welfare reforms are achieving the aims of the Administration and 
the Congress and meeting the needs of the American people.
    The SPD is a large, longitudinal, nationally-representative study 
that measures participation in welfare programs, including both 
programs that are being reformed and those that remain unchanged. The 
SPD measures other important social, economic, demographic, and family 
changes that will allow analysis of the effectiveness of the welfare 
reforms.
    With the August 22, 1996, signing of the Personal Responsibility 
and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Pub L. 104-193), the 
Census Bureau is required to conduct the SPD, using as the sample the 
households from the 1992 and 1993 Survey of Income and Program 
Participation (SIPP). The information obtained will be used to evaluate 
the impact of this law on a sample of previous welfare recipients and 
future recipients of assistance under new state programs funded under 
this law as well as assess the impact on other low-income families. 
Issues of particular attention include welfare dependency, the length 
of welfare spells, the causes of repeat welfare spells, educational 
enrollment and work training, health care utilization, out-of-wedlock 
births, and the status of children.
    The 2001 SPD is the fourth year of data collection using the same 
core questions. The inclusion of an adolescent self-administered 
questionnaire is also planned. In the 2000 SPD, a one-time topical 
module collected the residential histories of children. The 1999 SPD 
collected core data plus extended measures of child well-being. The 
1998 SPD included an adolescent self-administered questionnaire similar 
to the one planned for 2001. A bridge survey using the Current 
Population Survey March questionnaire was conducted in the spring of 
1997 to provide a link to baseline data for the period prior to the 
implementation of the welfare reform activities.

II. Method of Collection

    The SPD is a longitudinal study of welfare-related activities with 
the sample respondents originally selected from 1992 and 1993 SIPP 
panels. Interviews were conducted in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000. 
Subsequent data collections are scheduled for 2001 and 2002. Data are 
collected using a computer-assisted interviewing (CAI) instrument from 
a nationally representative sample of the noninstitutionalized resident 
population living in the United States for all individuals, families, 
and households. Individuals who are at least 15 years of age at the 
time of the interview will be eligible to be in the survey. A separate 
paper interview will be obtained for each adolescent member, ages 12+, 
of the sample households. The adolescent interview is administered 
either by audio cassette, while the adolescent records the answers in a 
paper answer booklet or by a field representative asking the questions 
using a paper questionnaire.
    A small sample of households is scheduled for reinterview. The 
reinterview process assures that all households were properly contacted 
and that the data are valid.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0607-0838.
    Form Number: CAI Automated Instrument.
    Type of Review: Regular.
    Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 52,000 household respondents; 
9,600 adolescent respondents; 1,500 reinterview respondents.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 30 minutes per respondent; 30 minutes 
per adolescent, aged 12+ years; 10 minutes per reinterview.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 31,050.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: No costs to the respondents other than 
their time.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Section 182; and 
Title 42, United States Code, Section 614 (Public Law 104-193, Section 
414, signed August 22, 1996).

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 are summarized or 
included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: August 28, 2000.
Madeleine Clayton,
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-22595 Filed 9-1-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P