[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 56 (Friday, March 22, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13313-13314]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-6963]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


2002 Company Organization Survey

ACTION: Proposed Collection; Comment Request.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing efforts 
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 May 21, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Madeleine Clayton, 
Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 
6608, 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 Paul Hanczaryk, Bureau of the Census, Room 2747, 
Federal Building 3, Washington, DC 20233-6100; telephone (301) 457-
2600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau conducts the annual Company Organization Survey 
(COS) in order to update and maintain a central, multipurpose Business 
Register (BR), formerly known as the Standard Statistical Establishment 
List (SSEL). In particular, the COS supplies critical information on 
the composition, organizational structure, and operating 
characteristics of multi-establishment companies.
    The BR serves two fundamental purposes:

--First and most important, it provides sampling populations and 
enumeration lists for the Census Bureau's economic surveys and 
censuses, and it serves as an integral part of the statistical 
foundation underlying those programs. Essential for this purpose is the 
BR's ability to identify all known United States business 
establishments and their parent companies. Further, the BR must 
accurately record basic business attributes needed to control sampling 
and enumeration. These attributes include industrial and geographic 
classifications, and contact information (for example, name and 
address).
--Second, it provides establishment data that serve as the basis for 
the annual County Business Patterns (CBP) statistical series. The CBP 
reports present data on number of establishments, first quarter 
payroll, annual payroll, and mid-March employment summarized by 
industry and employment size class for the United States, the District 
of Columbia, Puerto Rico, counties, and county-equivalents. No other 
annual or more frequent series of industry statistics provides 
comparable detail, particularly for small geographic areas.

II. Method of Collection

    The Census Bureau will conduct the 2002 COS in conjunction with the 
2002 Economic Census and will coordinate these collections so as to 
minimize response burden. The consolidated COS/census mail canvass will 
direct inquiries to the entire BR universe of multiestablishment 
enterprises, which comprises some 182,000 parent companies and more 
than 1.6 million establishments. The primary collection medium for the 
COS and census is paper questionnaire; however, many large enterprises 
will submit automated/electronic COS reports. COS data content is 
identical for all reporting modes.
    Primary COS inquiries to each of the 182,000 multiestablishment 
enterprises will include questions on ownership or control by a 
domestic parent, ownership or control by a foreign parent, and 
ownership of foreign affiliates. Additional COS inquiries will apply to 
approximately 5,000 enterprises that operate some 25,000 establishments 
classified in industries that are out-of-scope to the economic census. 
The additional inquiries will list an inventory of those out-of-scope 
establishments and request updates to the inventory, including 
additions; deletions; and changes to Federal employer identification 
number, name and address, and industrial classification. Further, the 
additional inquiries will collect the following basic operating data 
for each listed establishment: end-of-year operating status, mid-March 
employment, first quarter payroll, and annual payroll. The economic 
census will collect data for all other establishments of 
multiestablishment enterprises, including those items listed above.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0607-0444.
    Form Number: NC-99001.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit, not-for-profit 
institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 182,000 enterprises.
    Estimate Time Per Response: .5 hour.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 91,255.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: Included in the total annual cost of 
the BR, which is estimated to be $10.2 million for fiscal year 2002.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 of United States Code, Sections 131, 182, 
224 and 225.

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 of this notice will be summarized 
and/or

[[Page 13314]]

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

    Dated: March 19, 2002.
Madeleine Clayton,
Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 02-6963 Filed 3-21-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P