[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 238 (Monday, December 13, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72164-72165]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-27205]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


2005 National Census Test Coverage Follow Up

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 February 11, 
2005.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, 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 instruments and instructions 
should be directed to Frank Vitrano, U.S. Census Bureau, Building 2, 
Room 2012, Washington, DC 20233-9200, 301-763-3961.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

I. Abstract

    Improved coverage (See Definition of Terms) is one of the four 
major goals for Census 2010. In preparation for the 2010 Census, the 
U.S. Census Bureau plans to conduct a series of tests. In September 
2005, the Census Bureau will conduct the 2005 National Census Test 
(NCT) to evaluate a variety of short form questionnaire content and 
design modifications, and the effect of a bilingual questionnaire on 
response rates and data quality. The results of this test will help 
guide the Census Bureau as it develops the final short form 
questionnaire design and content for the 2010 Census.
    In support of the 2005 NCT, the Coverage Followup (CFU) is intended 
to develop and evaluate new procedures to improve coverage and reduce 
duplication. We want to determine whether respondents included all the 
appropriate persons on their form and excluded persons who should have 
been counted elsewhere. The CFU will collect data to evaluate different 
versions of the coverage questions and

[[Page 72165]]

different presentations of the residence rules instructions (See 
Definition of Terms) included on the 2005 NCT questionnaire. We also 
will create, test and analyze an automated version of the paper 
coverage followup questionnaire used in the 2004 Census Test.
    The Census Bureau will conduct the CFU operation from November 1, 
2005 through March 6, 2006.

II. Method of Collection

    Approximately 60,000 households will be included in the followup 
sample for this operation. The sample is broken down into five 
categories:
     Households that responded ``yes'' to either coverage 
question;
     A sample of households that responded ``no'' to both 
coverage questions;
     Households that contain at least one match between the 
StARS database (see Definition of Terms) and 2005 NCT data and at least 
one nonmatch in StARS. This will identify households with potentially 
missed people.
     Households containing more than six persons; and
     Households that were not asked any coverage questions.
    The coverage questions for the 2005 CFU operation will be chosen 
based on the results of cognitive tests using four revised versions of 
the 2004 Census Test undercount question (Question 2) and overcount 
question (Question 10). These questions are designed to ensure that 
each individual is counted once and only once and in the right place.
    The CFU interviewers will attempt to contact, via telephone, all 
the households that fall in the CFU sample. The followup interview will 
be conducted at the Census Bureau telephone call centers by U.S. Census 
Bureau staff. These questions will be conducted using computer-assisted 
telephone interviewing (CATI). The results will be used to further 
improve and enhance the questionnaire for the 2010 Census. For this 
operation, there will be no field followup (i.e personal visits by 
enumerators) for those households that refuse to give information over 
the telephone and those households that telephone interviewers are 
unable to reach.
    The purpose of the CFU telephone contact is to identify those 
persons who may have been counted in more than one household or 
erroneously excluded from any household. The items included in the 2005 
CFU questionnaire are probes that are intended to indicate whether 
respondents understood and properly applied the residence rules 
instructions on the 2005 NCT questionnaire.

Definition of Terms

    Coverage--How well the Census Bureau counts people and housing 
units in the census.
    Residence Rules Instructions--Instructions that respondents use to 
determine who should be counted in that household. They are meant to 
insure that everyone is counted once and in the right place for the 
primary purposes of apportionment and redistricting.
    StARS--The Statistical Administrative Records System (StARS) is an 
administrative records database built from six national level data 
files.

III. Data

    OMB Number: Not available.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 60,000.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 10,000 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: There is no cost to respondents except 
for their time to respond.
    Respondent Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 of the United States Code, Sections 141 
and 193.

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: December 7, 2004.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 04-27205 Filed 12-10-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P