[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 136 (Monday, July 16, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36997-36998]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-17637]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; 2002 Census of Governments--
Government Finance Phase

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 September 14, 
2001.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Madeleine Clayton, 
Departmental Paperwork 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(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Stephen Poyta, Chief, Census Management Staff, 
Governments Division, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC 20233-6800 
(301 457-1580).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    Title 13, Section 161, of the United States Code authorizes the 
Secretary of Commerce to conduct a Census of Governments every 5 years. 
The 2002 Census of Governments includes 3 phases--Organization, 
Employment and Finance. For the Finance phase, these authorizations 
include, but are not limited to, collecting and disseminating data on 
taxes, governmental receipts (revenues), expenditures by function and 
character, indebtedness, cash and security holdings, and insurance 
trust systems.
    The state and local government statistics produced cover national, 
state, local, and type-of-government aggregates on various financial 
transactions. They are aggregated by size-groups, and contain 
comparative detail for individual governments for the fiscal year 
ending periods between July 1, 2001 and June 30, 2002. Findings are 
produced as data files in both electronic and printed formats. The 
finance survey provides the only comprehensive accounting of financial 
activity in state and local governments. Comparable programs have made 
possible the dissemination of similar governmental statistics since 
1902.
    The Census Bureau provides these governmental finance data to the 
Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) for use in determining the Gross 
Domestic Product. Discontinuing this finance program would create a 
large gap in public sector economic statistics by: eliminating the 
Census of Governments results; nullifying the development of related 
sample-based annual governmental finance statistics; and making it 
impossible for the BEA to calculate the government sector of the 
national income and product accounts.
    The many users of these Census of Governments data include Federal 
agencies, State and local governments and related organizations, public 
interest groups, the academic community, and many business, market, and 
private research organizations.

II. Method of Collection

    Each of the 90,000 county governments, consolidated city-county 
governments, independent cities, towns, townships, special district 
governments, and public school systems designated for the census will 
be sent an appropriate form or the data will be collected through a 
data sharing arrangement between Census and the state government. State 
governments, as well as 50 of the largest local governments, are 
manually compiled by office staff from basic source information.
    The Census Bureau has concluded a wide variety of cooperative data 
collection and data sharing arrangements with offices in many states. 
These arrangements include: (1) Making use of state mandated reports on 
local government finances; (2) assisting states in establishing 
statewide uniform local government financial and employment reporting 
systems; (3) sharing Census Bureau collected and processed data with 
state officials; and (4) assisting in the development of state 
government automated reporting systems. These arrangements involve a 
variety of methodologies and technologies. In some cases, the data are 
shared by the state submitting state collected data in a variety of 
electronic formats. In other instances, the Census Bureau supplies data 
to the state in electronic formats. The Census Bureau also receives 
files from respondents and sends data to customers over the Internet.

[[Page 36998]]

    In the Finance Phase, the Census Bureau has established different 
cooperative data collection arrangements in 29 states for general 
purpose and special district governments, and 49 states for school 
systems. We are in the process of expanding the conversion of paper 
submissions into electronic formats, with a concentration on the 
largest governments. The finance central collection program has 
resulted in eliminating direct mail canvassing for approximately 1,100 
counties, 25,000 municipalities and townships, 8,000 special districts, 
and 16,000 local school systems.

III. Data

    OMB Number: None.
    Form Number: F-L1, F-11, F-12, F-13, F-21, F-22, F25, F-28, F-29, 
F-32, F-33L, F-42.
    Type of Review: Regular.
    Affected Public: State governments, county governments, 
consolidated city-county governments, independent cities, towns, 
townships, special district governments, and public school systems.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 51,534.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 2.27 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 116,982.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $ 1,923,350.45.


    Note: Based upon the average hourly pay for full-time equivalent 
employment for the financial administration function within the 
latest annual survey of state and local government employment.)

    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 United States Code, Section 161.

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: July 10, 2001.
Madeleine Clayton,
Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 01-17637 Filed 7-13-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P