[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 137 (Monday, July 19, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42965-42966]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-16267]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Government Employment Forms

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 September 17, 
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 instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Ellen Thompson, Chief, Employment Branch, 
Governments Division, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC 20233-6800 
(301-763-1531) (or via the Internet at [email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau plans to request clearance for the forms 
necessary to conduct the public employment program which consists of an 
annual collection of information and a quinquennial collection in a 
census environment in years ending in ``2'' or ``7''. During the 
upcoming three years, we intend to conduct the 2005 and 2006 Annual 
Survey of Government Employment and the 2007 Census of Government 
Employment.
    Under Title 13, Section 161, of the United States Code, the 
Secretary of Commerce is authorized to conduct the public employment 
program, which collects and disseminates data by function for full-time 
and part-time employees, payroll, and number of part-time hours worked. 
The number and content of the data items collected are the same in the 
annual and census cycles.
    The burden hours we will request are based on the expected 2005 
annual survey mail-out of 16,369 forms. During the Census survey, the 
mail-out is expected to increase to approximately 87,500 local 
governments and approximately 6,500 state agencies. The respondent 
burden hours for a Census cycle would increase to 67,000 hours.
    The state and local government statistics produced cover national, 
state, and local aggregates on various functions with comparative 
detail for individual governments for the pay period that includes 
March 12. The public employment program provides the only comprehensive 
count of employees and payrolls in state and local governments. 
Government employees constitute approximately one-sixth of the entire 
U.S. workforce and their salaries are a major source of personal 
income.
    The Census Bureau provides this employment data to the Bureau of 
Economic Analysis for constructing the functional payrolls in the 
public sector Gross Domestic Product, payroll being the single largest 
component of current operations. Other government users include the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics, as a benchmark for its monthly employment 
programs, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, to 
establish payroll guidelines for local public housing authorities.
    The public employment program has increasingly been used as the 
base for reimbursable programs of other Federal agencies such as: (1) 
The government portion of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 
commissioned by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to 
provide timely, comprehensive information about health care use and 
costs in the United States; (2) The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) 
survey Criminal Justice Expenditure and Employment Survey which 
provides criminal justice expenditure and employment data on spending 
and personnel levels; and (3) The BJS Justice Assistance Data Survey, 
in sample verification and the existence of contracted services. 
Statistics are produced as data files in both electronic and printed 
formats. The program has made possible the dissemination of 
comprehensive and comparable governmental statistics since 1940.
    The many users of the public employment program data include 
Federal agencies, state and local governments and related 
organizations, public interest groups, and many business, market, and 
private research organizations.

[[Page 42966]]

II. Method of Collection

    Approximately 16,300 county governments, consolidated city-county 
governments, independent cities, towns, townships, special district 
governments, and public school systems designated for the annual survey 
will be sent an appropriate form or the data will be collected through 
a data sharing arrangement between the Census Bureau and the state 
government.
    We developed cooperative agreements with state and large local 
government officials to collect the data from their dependent agencies 
and report to us as one central respondent. These arrangements reduce 
the need for a mail canvass of approximately 3,250 state agencies and 
700 school systems. Currently we have central collection agreements 
with 38 states, four local school district governments, and two state 
university systems. We continue to work at expanding the conversion of 
paper submissions into electronic formats, for both individual units 
and central collection units.
    In 2001, the public employment program collected data for certain 
form types through a Web-based instrument. Beginning with the 2003 
annual collection cycle, all form types can be completed on the 
Internet. For the 2003 annual survey, 3,470 governments responded using 
our Web site.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0607-0452.
    Form Number: E-1, E-2, E-3, E-4, E-5, E-6, E-7, E-9.
    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: 16,369.
    Estimated Time Per Response: The average for all forms is 51 
minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 13,865.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $262,464.

(Note--Based upon the average hourly pay for full-time employment 
for the financial administration function within the 2002 census of 
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 13, 2004.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 04-16267 Filed 7-16-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P