[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 68 (Monday, April 11, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18356-18359]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-7120]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


2006 Census Test Group Quarters Advance Visit

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 June 10, 2005.

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 Annetta C. Smith, U.S. Census Bureau, Building 2, 
Room 2102, Washington, DC 20233-9200, telephone number (301) 763-1348.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau strives to provide everyone in the United 
States--including persons who live or stay in group quarters (GQs--see 
Definition of Terms)--the opportunity to be counted in the decennial 
census. For the 2010 Census, we plan to implement an integrated series 
of operations that are designed to improve upon Census 2000 methodology 
by:
     Developing a comprehensive list of all GQs, such as 
nursing homes, college residence halls, jails, and shelters for people 
experiencing homelessness. We plan to accomplish this goal by (1) using 
administrative records to update the current list of group quarters, 
(2) implementing the Address Canvassing (see Definition of Terms) 
operation, and (3) implementing the Group Quarters Validation Operation 
(see below for a description of this operation),
     Conducting an Advance Visit to every GQ in order to 
provide information about the upcoming enumeration and to obtain 
information that will enable the Census Bureau to prepare to enumerate 
the residents of the GQ, and
     Conducting the actual enumeration of the GQ population.

Background

    During Census 2000, the Census Bureau conducted the Special Place 
(see Definition of Terms) Facility Questionnaire operation to develop 
an inventory of special place/group quarters facilities. This operation 
was designed to identify, verify, classify, and obtain pertinent 
enumeration information about every group quarters. After the Special 
Place Facility Questionnaire operation, crew leaders made an Advance 
Visit to each identified Special Place except for T-Night (Transient 
Enumeration--see Definition of Terms) and Targeted Non-Sheltered 
Outdoor Locations (see Definition of Terms) to speak to the contact 
person about conducting the enumeration at each identified group 
quarters. The Advance Visit was designed to:
     Inform the Special Place contact person about Census 2000 
and explain how the enumeration would be conducted,
     Verify that all GQs in the Special Place were identified,
     Update existing information about each GQ (e.g., facility 
name, address, geocode, and GQ contact person's name),
     Update the expected population count for each GQ so that 
sufficient materials could be prepared. The expected count also served 
as one quality check on the actual enumeration,
    As a result of lessons learned from Census 2000, we have developed 
the following plans toward improving data quality and coverage for GQs 
in the 2010 Census:
     Address Canvassing--An operation that identifies the Other 
Living Quarters (see Definition of Terms) for inclusion in the Group 
Quarters Validation operation. This operation will ensure the 
integration of GQ addresses and housing units address into a single 
Master Address File. In contrast, in Census 2000, we developed two 
separate address lists--one for GQs and one for housing units--which 
sometimes resulted in address duplication.
     Group Quarters Validation--We developed the Group Quarters 
Validation operation to classify the Other Living Quarters as either 
housing units or GQs. A questionnaire was designed for this purpose, to 
assign a GQ type code, and to collect basic contact information about 
the GQ. This operation was implemented for the first time as part of 
the 2004 Census Test. See Federal Register: May 7, 2003 (Volume 68, 
Number 88) for more information. In 2006, we will implement a revised 
Group Quarters Validation operation that includes an improved and 
simplified questionnaire. See Federal Register: February 8, 2005 
(Volume 70, Number 25) for more information about this operation;
    Advance Visit--The 2006 Census Test Group Quarters Advance Visit 
operation will incorporate lessons learned from Census 2000 and the 
2004 Group Quarters Validation operation. Changes to the Group Quarters 
Advance Visit operation that we will implement as part of the 2006 
Census Test Group Quarters Advance Visit include:
    [cir] Focusing on the GQ, rather than the Special Place. In Census 
2000, the location of GQs was not verified, since the Special Place was 
the point of contact. As a consequence, the populations of some GQs 
were allocated to the wrong jurisdiction. We believe that validating GQ 
location will reduce geocoding errors;
    [cir] Maintaining a control file so that the history of each GQ is 
available in order to reduce duplication of GQs. We believe that 
history of the GQ, which includes information such as the date of 
address updates will allow cross-checks for duplicated addresses.
    The 2006 Census Test Group Quarters Advance Visit also will collect 
additional information about Service Based Enumeration facilities.
    The 2006 Census Test Group Quarters Advance Visit, which supports 
the special place/group quarters test objectives and related research 
questions, will be conducted between February 15, 2006 and March 17, 
2006.

II. Method of Collection

    The universe for the 2006 Group Quarters Advance Visit will consist 
of the updated file records of GQs validated during the 2006 Census 
Test Group Quarters Validation operation. The universe for Group 
Quarters Validation will include all Other Living Quarters identified 
by the Address Canvassing operation, as well as GQs from Census 2000, 
Administrative records, and the Demographic Areas Address Listing (see 
Definition of Terms) that were not identified as other living quarters 
during the 2006 Address Canvassing operation. The Group Quarters 
Validation file, and therefore the 2006 Group Quarters Advance Visit 
file, will not include regularly scheduled mobile food vans or targeted 
non-sheltered outdoor locations. These locations are not in scope for 
the 2006 Census Test.
    Each record in the 2006 Group Quarters Advance Visit file will 
contain information such as the GQ name, address, contact name, GQ type 
code, and maximum capacity. Some cases in this file will be marked 
``Management Attention''. This notation will indicate a GQ that is 
likely to require specialized

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procedures (e.g., a case in which the GQ contact person refused to 
provide required information during the 2006 Census Test Group Quarters 
Validation Operation), which we plan to test as part of the 2006 Group 
Quarters Advance Visit operation field procedures.
    Enumerators for the 2006 Group Quarters Advance Visit will use the 
paper maps from the 2006 Census Test Group Quarters Validation 
operation to help them locate GQs, particularly those with non-city 
style address that were added by the Group Quarters Validation 
operation. When they have located a GQ, they will use the Advance Visit 
Interview Record to verify and collect information from the contact 
person. The Advance Visit Interview Record will contain the GQ name and 
address, geographic codes, and the contact's name and phone number. It 
will be used to set up an appointment for the actual GQ enumeration 
between April 3, 2006 to May 19, 2006 (if the facility will be open at 
that time) and to obtain an expected Census Day population.
    In contrast to Census 2000, we plan to conduct two actual 
enumeration visits to each shelter and soup kitchen during the 2006 
Service Based Enumeration operation. Consequently, in addition to the 
basic information collected for all GQs, enumerators for the 2006 
Census Test Group Quarters Advance Visit operation who visit these 
types of facilities will ask the contact person which two days within 
the Service Based Enumeration time frame (March 20, 2006 to March 31, 
2006) will be best for enumerating clients. The enumerator will 
document (with signature) the contact person's agreement to those 
dates. If the contact person does not want the Census Bureau to make 
the second visit, the enumerator will document (with signature) the 
reason for the refusal. If the contact person refuses permission for 
both visits, that information will be documented accordingly.
    During the 2006 Census Test, the purpose of allowing a maximum of 
two visits to shelters and soup kitchens during the pre-determined 
enumeration time frame is to increase opportunities for the population 
that frequents these locations to be included in the census. However, 
doing so means that some persons may be counted twice (possibly at more 
than one location). As a consequence, we must study our ability to 
unduplicate these persons

Definition of Terms

    Address Canvassing--A data collection operation designed to support 
the Census Bureau's efforts to compile the most accurate and 
comprehensive residential (housing units and group quarters) address 
list possible. For 2006, listers will verify, update, add, and delete 
address records in each census block within the Assignment Area, while 
also updating map features on the electronic map where Global 
Positioning System (GPS) is available. They also will capture 
coordinates for each living quarters via GPS or a manual method when 
GPS is not available, link duplicate addresses when they identify them 
and determining if a living quarters should be coded as a housing unit 
or as another living quarters for further review in the GQV operation.
    Demographic Areas Address Listing--DAAL is a post-Census 2000 
program designed to update the sample universe of housing units and 
group quarters for various demographic surveys. DAAL also is intended 
to update the inventory of housing units and features for selected 
areas of the country in order to improve the coverage and completeness 
of the MAF in preparation for the ACS sample selection.
    Group Quarters (GQs)--Group quarters are places where people can 
live or stay that are normally owned or managed by an entity or 
organization providing housing and/or services for the residents. These 
services may include custodial or medical care, as well as other types 
of assistance, and residency is commonly restricted to those receiving 
these services. People living in them are usually not related to each 
other. Group quarters include such places as residential treatment 
centers, college residence halls, military barracks, skilled nursing 
facilities, correctional facilities, group homes, juvenile facilities, 
workers' dormitories, and facilities for people experiencing 
homelessness.
    Housing Unit--A housing unit is a living quarters in which the 
occupants live separately from any other individuals in the building 
and have direct access to their living quarters from outside the 
building or through a common hall. Housing units are usually houses, 
apartments, mobile homes, groups of rooms or single rooms that are 
occupied as separate living quarters. They are residences for single 
individuals, groups of individuals, or families who live together. 
Although housing units may be vacant or occupied, non-traditional 
living quarters such as boats, RVs, and tents are considered to be 
housing units ONLY if someone is living in them and they are either the 
occupant's usual residence or the occupant has no usual residence. 
These non-traditional living arrangements are not considered to be 
housing units if they are vacant.
    Other Living Quarters--Any address that does not meet the 
definition of a housing unit and has living quarters or has the 
potential of having living quarters. These could potentially be GQs of 
housing units requiring special enumeration procedures. Other living 
quarters include correctional facilities, college and university 
housing, religious group living quarters, dormitories for migrant 
workers, assisted living facilities, juvenile facilities, hotels/
motels, RV parks, and campgrounds.
    Special Place--In Census 2000, Special Places were defined as 
facilities containing one or more GQs where people live or stay, such 
as a college or university, hospitals, prisons, hotels, migrant or 
seasonal farm worker camps, or military installations or ships. While a 
special place usually consists of one or more group quarters, and may 
contain embedded or freestanding housing units, it may consist entirely 
of housing units (e.g., a campground that has only trailer, RV, and/or 
tent sites). Special Places also were establishments that are 
administratively responsible for one or more GQs.
    Targeted Nonsheltered Outdoor Location--A geographically 
identifiable outdoor location, open to the elements, where there is 
evidence that people might be living without paying to stay and without 
receiving services at soup kitchens, shelters, or mobile food vans. The 
sites must have a specific location description that allows a census 
enumeration team to physically locate the site; for example, ``under 
Brooklyn Bridge at the corner of Bristol Drive'' or ``700 block of 
Taylor Street behind Smith Warehouse.'' These locations were enumerated 
during service-based enumeration for Census 2000. The following are not 
considered Targeted Nonsheltered Outdoor Locations: Pay-for-use 
campgrounds, drop-in centers, post offices, hospital emergency rooms, 
and commercial sites (including all-night theaters and all-night 
diners).
    Transient Enumeration Places--Living quarters for people who have 
no usual home elsewhere. They were enumerated during Transient Night 
Enumeration. Examples include YMCAs, YWCAs, campgrounds at racetracks, 
recreational vehicle campgrounds and parks.

III. Data

    OMB Number: None.
    Form Number: DD-352.
    Type of Review: Regular.
    Affected Public: Individuals, businesses or other for-profit or 
not-for-

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profit institutions and small businesses or organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 700 GQs in Travis County, Texas, 
and 20 GQs on the Cheyenne River Reservation.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 20 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 240 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: There is no cost to respondents except 
for their time to respond.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. 141 & 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: April 5, 2007.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 05-7120 Filed 4-8-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P