[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 4, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 262-263]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-33701]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Geographic 
Partnership Programs

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 March 5, 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 Gregory Hanks, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC 
20233-7400, (301) 763-3093 (or via email at 
[email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The mission of the Geography Division within the Census Bureau is 
to plan, coordinate, and administer all geographic and cartographic 
activities needed to facilitate Census Bureau statistical programs 
throughout the United States and its territories. The Geography 
Division manages programs to continuously update features, boundaries, 
addresses, and geographic entities in the Master Address File/
Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing System 
(MAF/TIGER) database (MTDB). The Geography Division also conducts 
research into geographic concepts, methods, and standards needed to 
facilitate Census Bureau data collection and dissemination programs.
    Geographic Partnership Programs (GPPs) allow designated 
participants, following Census Bureau guidelines, to review, update, 
and suggest modifications to addresses, features, boundaries, and 
geographic entities to maintain the Census Bureau MTDB and to ensure 
the accurate reporting of data from censuses and surveys. Because 
tribal, state, and local governments have address data, spatial data, 
and current knowledge about where growth and change are occurring in 
their jurisdictions, their input into the overall development of a 
continually maintained address list for censuses and surveys makes a 
vital contribution. Similarly, the Census Bureau recognizes that 
tribal, state, and local governments usually have the most 
authoritative data for addresses, features, and geographic boundaries 
in their jurisdictions. The benefits to local jurisdictions in sharing 
that information as part of the Census Bureau's geographic programs are 
realized in more accurate results of censuses and surveys.

II. Method of Collection

    This pre-submission notice is for a generic clearance that will 
cover a number of activities required for updating the MTDB with 
participant-provided address and other geographic information, or 
obtaining address and spatial data for research and evaluation 
purposes. The information collected in these programs in cooperation 
with tribal, state, and local governments and other partners is 
essential to the mission of the Census Bureau and directly contributes 
to the successful outcome of censuses and surveys conducted by the 
Census Bureau. The generic clearance allows the Census Bureau to focus 
its limited resources on actual operational planning, development of 
procedures, and implementation of programs to update and improve the 
geographic information maintained in the MTDB.
    The Census Bureau will develop guidelines and procedures for 
tribal, state, and local government submissions of address data and 
geographic boundaries, and will outline the mutual roles and 
responsibilities of each party within each Geographic Partnership 
Program. The list below includes typical geographic partnership 
programs, but is not exhaustive of all activities that may be performed 
under this generic clearance. The Census Bureau will follow the 
approved procedure when submitting any additional activities not 
specifically listed here.

A. Geographic Support System Initiative (GSS-I)

    The GSS-I is an integrated program designed to improve address 
coverage, obtain continual spatial feature updates, and enhance the 
quality assessment and measurement for the MTDB. The GSS-I builds on 
the accomplishments of the last decade's MAF/TIGER Enhancement Program 
(the MTEP) which redesigned the MTDB, improved the positional accuracy 
of TIGER spatial features, and emphasized quality measurement. The 
Census Bureau plans on a continual update process for the MAF/TIGER 
throughout the decade to support current surveys, including the 
American Community Survey. Major participants are the U.S. Census 
Bureau with tribal, state, and local governments. The Census Bureau 
will contact tribal, state, and local governments to obtain files 
containing their address and spatial data, to explore data exchange 
opportunities, and share best practices.

B. Redistricting Data Program

    The 2010 Census Redistricting Data Program is established in 
accordance with the provisions of Title 13 U.S.C. 141(C) and provides 
the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto 
Rico the opportunity to specify the small geographic areas for which 
they wish to receive decennial census population totals for the purpose 
of reapportionment and redistricting. The law requires that the Census 
Bureau allow those having responsibility for apportionment or 
districting of each State be given the opportunity to specify 
geographic areas for which they wish to receive decennial census 
population counts. The law also requires that by April 1 of the year 
following the decennial census the Secretary of Commerce will furnish 
State officials or their designee(s) with population counts for 
standard census tabulation areas (e.g., counties, cities, census 
blocks, and Congressional districts) and if provided by the states, 
legislative districts and voting districts.
    The States had the opportunity to verify the inclusion of their 
voting districts and suggested tabulation block boundary features 
during 2009 and early 2010, to ensure the voting district boundaries 
that were used by the Census Bureau are consistent with their 
submissions. In Phase 4 of the 2010 Redistricting Data Program, 
scheduled

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to extend through 2012 and into 2013, States submit new plans for 
updated congressional and state legislative districts that will be used 
for retabulating the 2010 Census data to these new redistricted 
boundaries.

C. School District Review Program (SDRP)

    The Census Bureau conducts the SDRP every two years under contract 
from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. 
Department of Education. The Census Bureau invites state education 
officials to participate in the review and update of its national 
inventory of school district boundaries and district information. State 
education officials collaborate with local superintendents on their 
responses. The participants review and provide updates and corrections 
to the elementary, secondary, and unified school district names and 
Federal Local Education Agency (LEA) identification numbers, school 
district boundaries, and the grade ranges for which a school district 
is financially responsible. The participants submit updated digital 
spatial files back to the Census Bureau.
    The Census Bureau uses the updated school district information 
along with the most current Census population and income data, current 
population estimates, and tabulations of administrative records data, 
to form the Census Bureau's estimates of the number of children aged 5 
through 17 in low-income families for each school district. These 
estimates of the number of children in low-income families residing 
within each school district are the basis of the funding allocation for 
each school district under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 
Public Law (Pub. L.) 107-110.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0795.
    Form Number: Not available at this time.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: State, local, and tribal governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 39,109.
    Estimated Time per Response: 5-50 Hours (the 5 hours of burden is 
for 39,000. governments and the 50 hours is for 100 respondents).
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 200,450.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: No monetary cost to the respondent.
    Respondent Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. 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: December 28, 2011.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011-33701 Filed 1-3-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P