[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 59 (Tuesday, March 27, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18203-18205]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-7332]


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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: The American Community Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 0607-0810.
    Form Number(s): Various.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Burden Hours: 2,455,868.
    Number of Respondents: 3,760,000.
    Average Hours per Response: The ACS Household questionnaire takes 
40 minutes on average to complete.
    Needs and Uses: The U.S. Census Bureau requests authorization from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for revisions to the American 
Community Survey (ACS). The Census Bureau has developed a methodology 
to collect and update every year demographic, social, economic, and 
housing data that are essentially the same as the ``long-form'' data 
that the Census Bureau traditionally has collected once a decade as 
part of the decennial census. Federal and state government agencies use 
such data to

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evaluate and manage federal programs and to distribute funding for 
various programs that include food stamp benefits, transportation 
dollars, and housing grants. State, county, and community governments, 
nonprofit organizations, businesses, and the general public use 
information like housing quality, income distribution, journey-to-work 
patterns, immigration data, and regional age distributions for 
decision-making and program evaluation.
    Using the Master Address File (MAF) from the decennial census, that 
is updated each year, we will select a sample of addresses, mail survey 
forms each month to a new group of potential households, and attempt to 
conduct interviews over the telephone with households that have not 
responded. Upon completion of the telephone follow-up, we will select a 
sub-sample of the remaining households, which have not responded, 
typically at a rate of one in three, to designate a household for a 
personal interview. We will also conduct interviews with a sample of 
residents at a sample of group quarters (GQ) facilities. Collecting 
these data from a new sample of housing unit (HU) and GQ facilities 
every month provides more timely data and lessened respondent burden in 
the Decennial Census.
    We release a yearly microdata file, similar to the Public Use 
Microdata Sample file of the Census 2000 long-form records. In 
addition, we produce total population summary tabulations similar to 
the Census 2000 tabulations down to the block group level. The 
microdata files, tabulated files, and their associated documentation 
are available through the Internet.
    Historically the ACS has employed a tri-modal data collection 
strategy for household data collection--mail, telephone and personal 
visit. In 2011 the Census Bureau conducted two tests to assess the 
feasibility of providing an Internet response option to households that 
receive survey materials by mail. These tests evaluated various methods 
for providing an Internet response option. Based on the results of 
these tests, the ACS will add an Internet response option in 2013. If 
during the course of our preparation activities in 2012 to implement an 
Internet response option in 2013 we encounter challenges that might 
delay the Internet implementation after the start of 2013, we may 
consider continuing the current 2012 mail strategy into early 2013 with 
the incorporation of the 2013 content changes described later in this 
document. If the Census Bureau decides to pursue this as a contingency, 
we will submit a non-substantive change request for OMB approval which 
would include the modified mail materials. Based on concerns with the 
results of the 2011 testing in Puerto Rico, we will be delaying the 
implementation of an Internet response option there until a later date 
while we assess better alternatives.
    For the 2013 ACS, we will use modified data collection materials 
based upon results of the 2010 ACS Content Test. The content of the 
proposed 2013 ACS questionnaire and data collection instruments for 
both HU and GQ operations reflect changes to content, instructions, and 
forms design that were tested in 2010.
    The 2010 ACS Content Test resulted in recommendations to OMB to 
modify five (one housing and four population) question series on the 
ACS. The modified housing question is the food stamp question, which at 
the request of the Food and Nutrition Service is being revised to 
incorporate the program name change to the Supplemental Nutrition 
Assistance Program (SNAP). The new version will be used in all 
collection modes. The modified population questions are: veteran status 
and period of service, and property income and wages. The Census Bureau 
revised the property income and wage questions to improve response by 
breaking up these questions into shorter pieces to improve 
comprehension when the questions are asked by an interviewer. This 
change will be incorporated into the interviewer-administered modes 
only. At the request of the Department of Veteran Affairs, the Census 
Bureau revised the veteran status and period of service questions to 
simplify the reporting categories. The new version will be used by all 
collection modes.
    The Census Bureau proposes including two new subjects on the ACS: 
computer and Internet usage and parental place of birth. As authorized 
by the Broadband Data Improvement Act of 2008, the Federal 
Communications Commission sponsored the computer and Internet usage 
topic; it is comprised of three questions with a mix of fixed choice 
and open-ended responses. The Census Bureau sponsored the parental 
place of birth topic; it includes two open-ended questions.
    The Census Bureau believes there is added value in collecting 
information about parental place of birth, though some may feel that 
this topic is somewhat duplicative when collected in connection with 
existing survey questions on race, Hispanic origin, and ancestry. 
Adding the parental place of birth questions to the questionnaire in 
2013 would be done as part of a multi-year process to further examine 
the relationship of the data for these topics. The ACS data would also 
be evaluated in connection with results from the 2010 Census 
Alternative Questionnaire Experiment, and this combined research would 
be used in determining recommendations for which questions would remain 
on the ACS at the conclusion of this process. The Census Bureau plans 
to provide various opportunities for public comment as well as dialogue 
with groups that are especially interested in these data as we refine 
the plans and share results on this cross-topical research.
    There is one proposed change that would be unique to the Puerto 
Rico Community Survey (PRCS) that was not tested during the 2010 ACS 
Content Test. Concerns with data for Puerto Rico related to the changes 
implemented to the plumbing questions in 2008 led to further 
investigation of how these questions were being interpreted in Puerto 
Rico. Cognitive testing conducted with Puerto Rico residents confirmed 
that confusion was common related to how to respond to the question 
``Does this house, apartment or mobile home have hot and cold running 
water?'' because it is common for housing units in Puerto Rico to not 
have a water heater. After discussions with the Puerto Rico Planning 
Board, the Census Bureau proposes modifying the PRCS version of this 
question by replacing it with two separate questions: ``Does this 
house, apartment or mobile home have running water?'' and ``Does this 
house, apartment or mobile home have a water heater?''
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Frequency: The ACS is an ongoing survey conducted monthly. 
Respondents are asked to provide a one-time response.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C., Sections 141, 193, and 221.
    OMB Desk Officer: Brian Harris-Kojetin, (202) 395-7314.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance 
Officer, (202) 482-0336, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 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 email ([email protected]).


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    Dated: March 22, 2012.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-7332 Filed 3-26-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P