[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 246 (Thursday, December 22, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79650-79651]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-32796]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

U.S. Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Survey of 
Income and Program Participation (SIPP) Wave 13 of the 2008 Panel

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau.

ACTION: Notice.

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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: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before February 21, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 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 Patrick J. Benton, Census Bureau, Room HQ-6H045, 
Washington, DC 20233-8400, (301) 763-4618.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau conducts the SIPP, which is a household-based 
survey designed as a continuous series of national panels. New panels 
are introduced every few years with each panel having durations of one 
to six years. Respondents are interviewed at 4-month intervals or 
``waves'' over the life of the panel. The survey is molded around a 
central ``core'' of labor force and income questions that remain fixed 
throughout the life of the panel. The core is supplemented with 
questions designed to address specific needs, such as obtaining 
information on household members' participation in government programs 
as well as prior labor force patterns of household members. These 
supplemental questions are included with the core and are referred to 
as ``topical modules.''
    The SIPP represents a source of information for a wide variety of 
topics and allows information for separate topics to be integrated to 
form a single, unified database so that the interaction between tax, 
transfer, and other government and private policies can be examined. 
Government domestic-policy formulators depend heavily upon the SIPP 
information concerning the distribution of income received directly as 
money or indirectly as in-kind benefits and the effect of tax and 
transfer programs on this distribution. They also need improved and 
expanded data on the income and general economic and financial 
situation of the U.S. population, which the SIPP has provided on a 
continuing basis since 1983. The SIPP has measured levels of economic 
well-being and permitted changes in these levels to be measured over 
time.
    The 2008 panel is currently scheduled for approximately 6 years and 
will include 16 waves of interviewing beginning in September 2008. 
Approximately 65,300 households were selected for the 2008 panel, of 
which 45,000 households were interviewed. We estimate that each 
household contains 2.1 people, age 15 years or older, yielding 
approximately 94,500 person-level interviews in Wave 1 and subsequent 
waves. Interviews take 30 minutes on average. Three waves will occur in 
the 2008 SIPP Panel during FY 2012. The total annual burden for 2008 
Panel SIPP interviews would be 141,750 hours in FY 2012.
    The topical module for the 2008 Panel Wave 13 collects information 
about Educational Certificates and Industry Recognized Certifications. 
Wave 13 interviews will be conducted from September 1, 2012 through 
December 31, 2012.
    A 10-minute re-interview of 3,100 people is conducted at each wave 
to ensure the accuracy of responses. Reinterviews require an additional 
1,553 burden hours in FY 2012.

II. Method of Collection

    The SIPP is designed as a continuing series of national panels of 
interviewed households that are introduced every few years with each 
panel having durations of one to six years. All household members 15 
years old or over are interviewed using regular proxy-respondent rules. 
During the 2008 panel, respondents are interviewed a total of 16 times 
or 16 waves at 4-month

[[Page 79651]]

intervals making the SIPP a longitudinal survey. Sample people (all 
household members present at the time of the first interview) who move 
within the country and reasonably close to a SIPP primary sampling unit 
will be followed and interviewed at their new address. Individuals 15 
years old or over who enter the household after Wave 1 will be 
interviewed; however, if these individuals move, they are not followed 
unless they happen to move along with a Wave 1 sample individual.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0944.
    Form Number: SIPP/CAPI Automated Instrument.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 94,500 people per wave.
    Estimated Time per Response: 30 minutes per person on average.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 143,303.\1\
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    \1\ (94,500 x .5 hr x 3 waves + (3,100 x .167 hr x 3 waves))
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    Estimated Total Annual Cost: The only cost to respondents is their 
time.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Section 182.

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) methods to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) methods to minimize the burden of 
the collection of information on respondents, including 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 19, 2011.
Lenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011-32796 Filed 12-21-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P