[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 6, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5416-5417]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-1823]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit 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: Report of Privately-Owned Residential Building or Zoning 
Permits Issued.
    Form Number(s): C-404.
    Agency Approval Number: 0607-0094.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Burden: 17,568 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 19,450.
    Average Hours Per Response: 9 minutes.
    Needs and Uses: The U.S. Census Bureau is requesting an extension 
of a currently approved collection of the Form C-404, ``Report of 
Privately-Owned Residential Building or Zoning Permits Issued'' 
otherwise known as the Building Permits Survey (BPS).
    The Census Bureau produces statistics used to monitor activity in 
the large and dynamic construction industry. Given the importance of 
this industry, several of the statistical series are key economic 
indicators. Two such series are (a) Housing Units Authorized by 
Building Permits and (b) Housing Starts. These statistics help state, 
local, and federal governments, as well as private industry, analyze 
this important sector of the economy. All of these series are available 
monthly based on a sample of building permit offices, and annually 
based on the entire universe of permit offices.
    The Census Bureau collects these data primarily by mail using the 
Form C-404. Data are also collected via Internet Web pages and receipt 
of electronic files.
    The Census Bureau uses the Form C-404 to collect data that will 
provide estimates of the number and valuation of new residential 
housing units authorized by building permits. About one-half of the 
permit offices are requested to report monthly. The remainder are only 
surveyed once per

[[Page 5417]]

year. We use the data, a component of the index of leading economic 
indicators, to estimate the number of housing units started, completed, 
and sold, if single-family. The Census Bureau also uses these data to 
select samples for its demographic surveys. Policymakers, planners, 
businessmen/women, and others use the detailed geographic data 
collected from state and local officials on new residential 
construction authorized by building permits to monitor growth and plan 
for local services, and to develop production and marketing plans. The 
BPS is the only source of statistics on residential construction for 
states and smaller geographic areas.
    Affected Public: State, local or tribal government.
    Frequency: Monthly and annually.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Section 182.
    OMB Desk Officer: Brian Harris-Kojetin, (202) 395-7314.
    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 Brian Harris-Kojetin, OMB Desk Officer either by fax (202-395-7245) 
or e-mail ([email protected]).

    Dated: January 31, 2007.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. E7-1823 Filed 2-5-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P