[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 28 (Wednesday, February 11, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6640-6641]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-2980]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)

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 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 April 12, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 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 forms and instructions should be 
directed to Nancy Goodman, Geography Division, U.S. Census Bureau, 
Washington, DC 20233-7400, or call (301) 763-1099.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau conducts the BAS to collect and maintain 
information about the inventory of the legal boundaries for and the 
legal actions affecting the boundaries of: counties and equivalent 
entities, incorporated places, minor civil divisions, and federally 
recognized legal American Indian and Alaska Native areas. This 
information provides an accurate identification of geographic areas for 
the Census Bureau to use in conducting the decennial and economic 
censuses and ongoing surveys, preparing population estimates, and 
supporting other statistical programs of the Census Bureau, and the 
legislative programs of the Federal government.
    Through the BAS, the Census Bureau asks each government to review 
materials for its jurisdiction to verify the

[[Page 6641]]

correctness of the information portrayed. Each government is asked to 
update the boundaries, supply information documenting each legal 
boundary change, and provide changes in the inventory of governments.
    The BAS universe and mailing materials vary depending upon the 
needs of the Census Bureau in fulfilling its censuses and household 
surveys. Counties or equivalent entities, federally recognized American 
Indian reservations, off-reservation trust lands, and tribal 
subdivisions are included in every survey.
    In the years ending in 8, 9, and 0, the BAS includes all 
governmentally active counties and equivalent entities, incorporated 
places, and legally defined minor civil divisions, and legally defined 
federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native areas (including 
the Alaska Native Regional Corporations). Each governmental entity 
surveyed will receive materials covering its jurisdiction and one or 
more forms. These three years coincide with the Census Bureau's 
preparation for the decennial census.
    In the years ending with 2 and 7, the BAS includes all legally 
defined federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native areas, 
all governmental counties and equivalent entities, minor civil 
divisions in the six New England States and those with a population of 
10,000 or greater in the States of Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New 
York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and those incorporated places that 
have a population of 2,500 or greater in all States.
    The remaining years of the decade years ending in 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 
the BAS includes all legally defined federally recognized American 
Indian and Alaska Native areas, all governmental counties and 
equivalent entities, minor civil divisions in the six New England 
States, and incorporated places that have a population of 5,000 or 
greater in all States.
    In the years ending in 1 through 7 the Census Bureau may enter into 
agreements with individual States to modify the universe of minor civil 
divisions and/or incorporated places to include additional entities 
that are known by that State to have had boundary changes, without 
regard to population size. In addition, the Census Bureau will include 
in the BAS each newly incorporated place in the year following 
notification of its incorporation. The BAS also will include each year 
a single respondent request for municipio, barrio, barrio-pueblo, and 
subbarrio boundary and status information in Puerto Rico and Hawaiian 
homeland boundary and status information in Hawaii.
    No other Federal agency collects these data nor is there a standard 
collection of this information at the State level. The Census Bureau's 
BAS is a unique survey providing a standard result for use by Federal, 
State, local, and tribal governments and by commercial, private, and 
public organizations.

II. Method of Collection

    The Census Bureau has developed an electronic response option. 
During the next 3 years, the Census Bureau will be developing 
additional electronic response options.
    The first electronic response option was implemented during the 
2003 survey. The respondents were issued a user name and password and 
given the opportunity to update the BAS forms via the Internet.
    A second electronic response option, Web BAS is still in 
development. During the 2003 survey we tested an application in a pilot 
program that allowed the respondent to update both their forms and maps 
using the Internet. The feasibility of and methodology for this option 
is under development.
    The third electronic response option is the Digital BAS. This 
option will provide a way for governments to submit digital files that 
represent the spatial location of their boundaries and associated 
information. Upon receipt and verification of these files, the Census 
Bureau will integrate the information into our database. The digital 
submission option is under development.
    A BAS package that includes the following items is provided to each 
respondent:
    1. An introductory letter from the Director of the Census Bureau.
    2. The appropriate BAS Survey Form(s) that contains entity-specific 
identification information:

BAS-1--Incorporated Places;
BAS-2--Counties, Parishes, Boroughs, City and Boroughs, Census Areas;
BAS-3--Minor Civil Divisions;
BAS-4--Newly Incorporated Places or Newly Activated Places;
BAS-5--American Indian and Alaska Native Areas.
    3. A unique user name and password for each entity so the 
respondents can respond electronically via the Internet.
    4. A BAS Users Guide for Annotating the Maps.
    5. A set of maps or other media showing the current boundaries of 
the entity.
    6. A return envelope and postcards for respondents.
    An official in each government is asked to verify the legal 
boundaries and provide boundary changes. The official is then asked to 
sign the materials and verify the forms and return the information to 
the Census Bureau.
    The Census Bureau inserts the boundary and feature changes into the 
TIGER system, the Census Bureau's geographic database and associated 
data files.

III. Data

    Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Number: 0607-0151.
    Form Numbers: BAS-1, BAS-2, BAS-3, BAS-4, and BAS-5.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: State, local and tribal governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents:
2005 BAS--12,000 respondents per year;
2006 BAS--13,500 respondents per year;
2007 BAS--14,000 respondents per year.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 3 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours:
2005 BAS--36,000 burden hours;
2006 BAS--40,500 burden hours;
2007 BAS--42,000 burden hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: The estimated total annual cost is 
$5,347,019 for 2005, $6,014,780 for 2006 and $6,247,072 for 2007.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, U.S.C. section 6.

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 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: February 6, 2004.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 04-2980 Filed 2-10-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P