[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 196 (Tuesday, October 13, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52449-52451]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-24481]


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 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

 Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Generic 
Clearance for Master Address File (MAF) and Topologically Integrated 
Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) Update Activities

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau.

ACTION: Notice.

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[[Page 52450]]

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: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before December 14, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 7845, 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 M. Adele Hilton, U.S. Census Bureau, 5H028B, 
Washington, DC 20233, 301-763-7943 (or via the Internet at 
[email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau presently operates a generic clearance covering 
activities involving respondent burden associated with updating our 
Master Address File (MAF) and Topologically Integrated Geographic 
Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) system. The MAF is the Census Bureau's 
address database and the TIGER is the geographic database. We now 
propose to extend the generic clearance to cover update activities we 
will undertake during the next three fiscal years.
    Under the terms of the generic clearance, we plan to submit a 
request for OMB approval that will describe, in general terms, all 
planned activities for the entire period. We will provide information 
to OMB at least two weeks before the planned start of each activity 
giving more exact details, examples of forms, and final estimates of 
respondent burden. We also will file a year-end summary with OMB after 
the close of each fiscal year giving results of each activity 
conducted. The generic clearance enables OMB to review our overall 
strategy for MAF and TIGER updating in advance, instead of reviewing 
each activity in isolation shortly before the planned start.
    The Census Bureau used the MAF for mailing and delivering 
questionnaires to households during the Census 2000 and will do so for 
the Census 2010. The MAF is also used as a sampling frame for our 
demographic current surveys. In the past, the Census Bureau built a new 
address list for each decennial census. The MAF built for Census 2000 
and 2010 is designed to be kept up-to-date, thereby eliminating the 
need to develop a completely new address list for future censuses and 
surveys. The Census Bureau plans to use the MAF for post-Census 2010 
evaluations and as a sampling frame for the American Community Survey 
and our other demographic current surveys. The TIGER is a geographic 
system that maps the entire country in Census Blocks with applicable 
address ranges or living quarter location information. Linking MAF and 
TIGER allows us to assign each address to the appropriate Census Block, 
produce maps as needed and publish results at the appropriate level of 
geographic detail. The following are descriptions of activities we plan 
to conduct under the clearance for the next three fiscal years. The 
Census Bureau has conducted these activities (or similar ones) 
previously and the respondent burden remains relatively unchanged from 
one time to another.

Demographic Area Address Listing (DAAL)

    The Demographic Area Address Listing (DAAL) program encompasses the 
geographic area updates for the Community Address Updating System 
(CAUS), the area and group quarters frame listings for many ongoing 
demographic surveys (the Current Population Survey, the Consumer 
Expenditures Survey, etc.), and any other operations which choose to 
use the Automated Listing and Mapping System (ALMI) for evaluations, 
assessments, or to collect updates for the MAF and TIGER. The CAUS 
program was designed to address quality concerns relating to areas with 
high concentrations of noncity-style addresses, and to provide a rural 
counterpart to the update of city-style addresses the MAF will receive 
from the U.S. Postal Services's Delivery Sequence File. The ongoing 
demographic surveys, as part of the 2000 Sample Redesign Program, use 
the MAF as one of several sources of addresses from which they select 
their samples. In fiscal year 2010, the DAAL program will also be used 
to assess a job aid used in the 2010 Address Canvassing operation to 
identify units in small multi-unit structures. The DAAL program is a 
cooperative effort among many divisions at the Census Bureau; it 
includes automated listing software, systems, and procedures that will 
allow us to conduct listing operations in a dependent manner based on 
information contained in the MAF.
    The DAAL operations will be conducted on an ongoing basis in 
potentially any county across the country. Field Representatives (FRs) 
will canvass selected Census 2000 tabulation blocks in an effort to 
improve the address list in areas where substantial address changes may 
have occurred that have not been added to the MAF through regular 
update operations, and/or in blocks in the area or group quarters frame 
sample for the demographic surveys. FRs will update existing address 
information and, when necessary, contact individuals to collect 
accurate location and mailing address information. In general, contact 
will occur only when the FR is adding a unit to the address list, and/
or the individual's address is not posted or visible to the FR. There 
is no pre-determined or scripted list of questions asked as part of 
this listing operation. If an address is not posted or visible to the 
FR, the FR will ask about the address of the structure, the mailing 
address, and, in some instances, the year the structure was built. If 
the occupants of these households are not at home, the FR may attempt 
to contact a neighbor to determine the best time to find the occupants 
at home and/or to obtain the correct address information.
    DAAL is an ongoing operation. Listing assignments are distributed 
quarterly with the work conducted throughout the time period. We expect 
that DAAL listing operation will be conducted throughout the entire 
time period of the extension.
    The list above is not exhaustive of all activities, which may be 
performed under this generic clearance. We will follow the approved 
procedure when submitting any additional activities not specifically 
listed here.

II. Method of Collection

    The primary method of data collection for most operations/
evaluations will be personal interview by Census Listers, Verifiers, 
Enumerators or Field Representatives using the operation/evaluation's 
listing form or questionnaire. In some cases, the interview could be by 
telephone callback if no one was home during the initial visit.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0809.
    Form Number: Some form numbers for activities have not yet been 
assigned.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents:

[[Page 52451]]

FY10: 65,300 HH
    1,294 GQs
FY11: 70,543 HH
    2,138 GQs
FY12: 71,236 HH
    1,781 GQs
    Estimated Time per Response: 3 min/HH; 10 min/GQ.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours:
FY10: 3,481
FY11: 3,883
FY12: 3,859
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: The only cost to respondents is that 
of their time to respond.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 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: October 6, 2009.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-24481 Filed 10-9-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P