[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 36 (Thursday, February 23, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 9308]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-2526]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    DOC has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
clearance the following proposal for collection of information under 
the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
    Title: Survey of Construction--Questionnaire for Building Permit 
Official.
    Form Number(s): SOC-QBPO.
    Agency Approval Number: 0607-0125.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Burden: 225 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 900.
    Average Hours per Response: 15 minutes.
    Needs and Uses: The U.S. Census Bureau requests an extension of the 
currently approved collection for the Questionnaire for Building Permit 
Official (SOC-QBPO) form. The information collected on the SOC-QBPO is 
necessary to carry out the sampling for the Survey of Housing Starts, 
Sales and Completions (OMB number 0607-0110), also known as the Survey 
of Construction (SOC). Government agencies and private companies use 
statistics from SOC to monitor and evaluate the large and dynamic 
housing construction industry.
    The Census Bureau field representatives (FRs) use the SOC-QBPO to 
obtain information on the operating procedures of a permit office. This 
enables them to locate, classify, list, and sample building permits for 
residential construction. These permits are used as the basis for the 
sample selected for SOC. The Census Bureau also uses the information to 
verify and update the geographic coverage of permit offices.
    Failure to collect this information would make it difficult, if not 
impossible, to classify accurately and sample building permits for the 
SOC. The SOC produces data for two principal economic indicators. They 
are: New Residential Construction (housing starts and housing 
completions) and New Residential Sales.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C., section 182.
    OMB Desk Officer: Susan Schechter, (202) 395-5103.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance 
Officer, (202) 482-0266, Department of Commerce, room 6625, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at 
[email protected]).
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to Susan Schechter, OMB Desk Officer either by fax (202-395-7245) or e-
mail ([email protected]).

    Dated: February 16, 2006.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. E6-2526 Filed 2-22-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P