[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 17 (Friday, January 25, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 3631-3632]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-1815]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of the Census

15 CFR Part 70

[Docket Number 020103004-2004-01]


Cutoff Dates for Recognition of Boundary Changes for Census 2000 
and for the Intercensal Period

AGENCY: Bureau of the Census, Commerce.

ACTION: Proposed rule and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is establishing 
cutoff dates for recognition of boundary changes to geographic entities 
for which the Census Bureau reports data in various surveys, estimates, 
censuses, programs, compilations, and publications throughout the 
period between decennial censuses (years 2001 through 2009). These 
operations include, but are not limited to, the American Community 
Survey, the Population Estimates Program, and the 2002 and 2007 
Economic Censuses. The Census Bureau establishes cutoff dates for 
including boundary changes to be used in tabulating data from these 
operations; such cutoff dates were last established for Census 2000. 
For the tabulation and dissemination of data from its intercensal 
operations, the Census Bureau will recognize only those boundaries 
legally in effect on January 1 of the survey, estimate, or census year 
that have been reported officially to the Census Bureau no later than 
April 1 of the same year.

DATES: Any comments, suggestions, or recommendations concerning this 
proposed rule should be submitted in writing by February 25, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Address all written comments to the Director, U.S. Census 
Bureau, Room 2049, Federal Building 3, Washington DC 20233-0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert W. Marx, Chief, Geography 
Division, 4700 Silver Hill Road, Stop 7400, U.S. Census Bureau, 
Washington, DC 20233-7400, telephone (301) 457-2131, or e-mail 
([email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Census Bureau proposes to amend Title 
15, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), part 70, to establish cutoff 
dates for recognition of boundary changes for all geographic data 
operations throughout the intercensal period (years 2001 through 2009). 
This amendment is necessary because the dates established for Census 
2000 on March 3, 1998, (63 FR 10303) do not cover the intercensal 
period. For the intercensal period, the Census Bureau will recognize 
only those boundaries legally in effect on January 1 of the survey, 
estimate, or census year that have been reported officially to the 
Census Bureau no later than April 1 of the same year.

Administrative Procedure Act

    Because this rule makes only procedural changes to Title 15, CFR, 
part 70, the Administrative Procedure Act does not require the Census 
Bureau to issue a proposed rule and request for comments (Title 5, 
United States Code (U.S.C.), section 553(b)(3)(A)). Nevertheless, the 
Census Bureau is doing so in order to ensure that the public is given a 
forum to provide any comments or raise any issues.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    Prior notice and an opportunity for public comment are not required 
by 5 U.S.C. 553, or any other law, so a Regulatory Flexibility Analysis 
is not required and has not been prepared (5 U.S.C. 603(a)).

Executive Orders

    This rule has been determined to be not significant for purposes of 
Executive Order 12866. It has been determined that this rule does not 
contain policies with Federalism implications as that term is defined 
in Executive Order 13132.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This rule does not contain a collection of information subject to 
the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, Title 44, U.S.C., 
Chapter 35.

List of Subjects in 15 CFR Part 70

    Census data.

    For the reasons set forth in the preamble, Part 70 is amended as 
follows:

PART 70--CUTOFF DATES FOR RECOGNITION OF BOUNDARY CHANGES FOR 
CENSUS 2000 AND FOR THE INTERCENSAL PERIOD

    1. The authority citation for Part 70 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 13 U.S.C. 4 and Department of Commerce Organization 
Order 35-2A (40 FR 42765).


[[Page 3632]]


    2. Revise the heading of Part 70 to read as set forth above.
    3. Amend Sec. 70.1 by revising the second sentence and by adding a 
third sentence to read as follows:


Sec. 70.1  Cutoff dates and effect on enumeration and data tabulation.

    * * * The Bureau of the Census enumerates respondents on the date 
of the decennial census as residing within the legal limits of 
municipalities, county subdivisions, counties, states, federal and 
state American Indian reservations and federal off-reservation trust 
land, Alaska Native Regional Corporations, Hawaiian home lands, and 
equivalent entities as those limits legally exist on January 1, 2000. 
For the tabulation and publication of data from its surveys, estimates, 
censuses, and other operations during the intercensal period (years 
2001 through 2009), the Bureau of the Census will recognize only those 
boundaries legally in effect on January 1 of the survey, estimate, or 
census year that have been reported officially to the Bureau of the 
Census no later than April 1 of the same year.
    4. Amend Sec. 70.2 by revising the second sentence and by adding a 
third sentence to read as follows:


Sec. 70.2  ``Municipality and ``county subdivision'' defined for census 
purposes.

    * * * A more complete description appears on pages A-13, A-14, A-18 
and A-19 of Appendix A, Geographic Terms and Concepts, which appear in 
the Census 2000 printed reports (PHC-1, Summary Population and Housing 
Characteristics; PHC-2, Summary Social, Economic, and Housing 
Characteristics; and PHC-3, Population and Housing Unit Totals). The 
same text (Appendix A, Geographic Terms and Concepts) also is available 
online under Technical Documentation, Summary File 1, 2000 Census of 
Population and Housing.
    5. Amend Sec. 70.3 by adding both a third and fourth sentence to 
read as follows:


Sec. 70.3  Effect of boundary changes occurring or reported after the 
cutoff dates.

    * * * For the tabulation and publication of data from surveys, 
estimates, censuses, and other operations during the intercensal period 
(years 2001 through 2009), the Census Bureau will not recognize changes 
in boundaries that become effective after January 1 of the survey, 
estimate, or census year. The Census Bureau will not recognize changes 
in boundaries occurring on or before January 1 of the survey, estimate, 
or census year, if reported officially to the Census Bureau after April 
1 of the same year.

    Dated: January 8, 2002.
William G. Barron, Jr.,
Acting Director, Bureau of the Census.
[FR Doc. 02-1815 Filed 1-24-02; 8:45 am]
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