[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 84 (Friday, April 30, 2004)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 23700-23701]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-9661]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of the Census

15 CFR Part 50

[Docket Number 040408109-4109-01]
RIN 0607-AA41


Amendment to the Age Search Fee Structure

AGENCY: Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is proposing to amend 
Title 15, Sec.  50.5, of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) to 
increase the fee for conducting an Age Search from $40.00 to $65.00. 
The Census Bureau also is proposing to add an additional charge of 
$20.00 per case for expedited requests requiring search results within 
one day. These changes are being made to recover the increase in 
operating costs associated with processing an Age Search request.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before June 1, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments on this proposed rule making to 
Mark T. Grice, Acting Chief, National Processing Center, U.S. Census 
Bureau, 1201 East 10th Street, Room 247, Building 66, Jeffersonville, 
IN 47132, by telephone on (812) 218-3344, or by fax on (812) 218-3293. 
You may also submit comments, identified by RIN number 0607-AA41, to 
the Federal e-rulemaking Portal: http:/www.regulations.gov. Please 
follow the instructions at that site for submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eileen Little, Chief, Survey 
Processing Branch, National Processing Center, U.S. Census Bureau, 1201 
East 10th Street, Building 64C, Jeffersonville, IN 47132, by telephone 
on (812) 218-3796, or by fax on (812) 218-3081.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The age and citizenship searching service is a self-supporting 
operation of the Census Bureau, conducted in accordance with 13 U.S.C. 
8(a). Under this statute, all expenses incurred in the retrieval of 
personal information from decennial census records and the preparation 
of census transcripts are covered by fees paid by individuals who 
request this service. The Age Search census transcript provides proof 
of age to qualify individuals for social security or other retirements 
benefits, proof of citizenship to obtain passports, proof of family 
relationships for rights of inheritance, or to satisfy other situations 
where a birth certificate is required but not available. Individuals 
request the Age Search service to qualify for social security/
retirement benefits, obtain passports, documentation for court 
litigation or insurance settlements, and genealogical research. The 
1910 through 2000 censuses in custody of the Census Bureau are 
confidential and protected from disclosure by 13 U.S.C. 9. No 
transcript of any record will be furnished that would violate statutes 
requiring that information furnished to the Census Bureau be held 
confidential and not used to the detriment of the person to whom it 
relates.

Program Requirements

    There has not been an Age Search fee increase since February 1, 
1993. Due to an increase in operating costs over this 11-year period 
and in order to help maintain the self-supporting financial status, the 
Census Bureau proposes the following amendment to 15 CFR part 50:
     Amend Sec.  50.5 to update the fee structure and 
add a fee charge for expedited requests. The Census Bureau proposes 
increasing the fee structure from $40.00 to $65.00 on searches of one 
census for one person and one transcript. The Census Bureau also is 
proposing to add an additional charge of $20.00 per case for expedited 
requests requiring search results within one day. The additional $20.00 
charge for expedited cases represents the estimated cost to the Census 
Bureau for this service.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Chief Counsel for Regulation of the Department of Commerce 
certifies to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business 
Administration that this proposed rule, if adopted, would not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
Most, if not all, respondents affected by the proposed fee increase are

[[Page 23701]]

individuals, not small or large businesses.
    A unique characteristic of the Age Search service is its self-
supporting status. Congress passed a law in 1952 that stipulated that 
this service be funded by the individuals requesting the service. By 
enactment of this law, the National Processing Center does not receive 
any federal appropriations or tax monies for the Age Search service. 
Consequently, the searching process of the census records and 
associated operating costs are funded by the fees received with the 
applications.
    Due to an increase in operating costs since the last Age Search fee 
increase on February 1, 1993, and in order to help maintain the self-
supporting financial status, it has become necessary to propose a fee 
increase from $40 to $65 per search of one census year for one person 
only. The projected number of individual Age Search cases is 2,620 for 
fiscal year 2004. Most, if not all, of these requests are authorized 
and initiated by individuals. In addition, we are requesting an 
additional charge of $20 for expedited cases (results within one day), 
typically for a small percentage of individuals requesting proof of 
citizenship for passports. The additional $20.00 charge for expedited 
cases represents the estimated cost to the Census Bureau for this 
service.

Executive Orders

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

Paperwork Reduction Act

    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required 
to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure 
to comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) unless that collection of 
information displays a current Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
control number. The Census Bureau proposes to increase the fee 
structure from $40.00 to $65.00 on searches of one census for one 
person and one transcript, and to add an additional charge of $20.00 
per case for expedited requests requiring search results within one 
day. The form used to request age searches, Form BC-600, has been 
cleared under OMB Control Number 0607-0117.
    On March 24, 2004, the Census Bureau published in the Federal 
Register (69 FR 13810) a proposed collection and comment request on the 
change. As discussed in that notice, the estimated total number of 
respondents affected by this proposed change is 2,620 individuals. The 
estimated time per response is estimated at 12 minutes.

List of Subjects in 15 CFR Part 50

    Census data, Population census, Statistics.
    For reasons set out in the preamble, part 50 is proposed to be 
amended as follows:

PART 50--SPECIAL SERVICES AND STUDIES BY THE BUREAU OF THE CENSUS

    1. The authority citation for 15 CFR Part 50 is revised to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1525-1527; and 13 U.S.C. 3 and 8.

    2. Revise Sec. 50.5 to read as follows:


Sec.  50.5  Fee structure for age search and citizenship information.

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                        Type of service                            Fee
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Searches of one census for one person and one transcript......    $65.00
Each additional copy of census transcript.....................      2.00
*Each full schedule requested.................................    10.00
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* The $10.00 for each full schedule requested is in addition to the
  $65.00 transcript fee.


    Note: An additional charge of $20.00 per case is charged for 
expedited requests requiring search results within one day.


    Dated: April 23, 2004.
Charles Louis Kincannon,
Director, Bureau of the Census.
[FR Doc. 04-9661 Filed 4-29-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P