[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 29, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31566-31567]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-12909]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

U.S. Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; 2012 Survey of 
Business Owners and Self-Employed Persons (SBO)

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 July 30, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, 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 Katherine Russell, U.S. Census Bureau, CSD, 
6K280A, Washington, DC 20233-6400, (301) 763-7094, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau plans to conduct the 2012 Survey of Business 
Owners and Self-Employed Persons (SBO). In the SBO, businesses are 
asked several questions about their business as well as several 
questions about the gender, ethnicity, race, and veteran status of the 
principal owner(s). This survey provides the only comprehensive, 
regularly collected source of information on the characteristics of 
U.S. businesses by ownership category, i.e., by gender, ethnicity, 
race, and veteran status. The survey is conducted as part of the 
economic census program. The economic census is required by law to be 
taken every 5 years under Title 13 of the United States Code, Sections 
131, 193, and 224.
    Businesses which reported any business activity on any one of the 
following Internal Revenue Service tax forms will be eligible for 
selection: 1040 (Schedule C), ``Profit or Loss from Business (Sole 
Proprietorship); 1065, U.S. Return of Partnership Income; 941, 
``Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return''; 944, ``Employer's Annual 
Federal Tax Return''; or any one of the 1120 corporate tax forms.
    The Survey of Business Owners was last conducted in 2007 as part of 
the 2007 Economic Census. The following changes have been made to the 
2012 SBO:
     To reduce the SBO sample size, mailing and processing 
costs, and respondent burden, the Census Bureau is expanding its use of 
direct data substitution from existing data sources.
     Select businesses will be mailed the new 2012 SBO-2 short 
form with 39 fewer questions to answer than the 2012 SBO-1 long form.
     Spanish versions of the SBO-1 and the SBO-2 forms will be 
available upon request.
     The first eight questions from the 2007 SBO-1 form have 
been reorganized into three questions on the 2012 SBO-1 and SBO-2 forms 
to improve navigation through the form.
     The veteran question has been revised and expanded to 
collect information on whether the veteran was service-disabled, served 
on active duty or as a reservist during the survey year, served on 
active duty at any time, and served on active duty after September 11, 
2001. The revised and expanded wording for the veteran categories and 
the collection of the additional service characteristics reflects input 
received during consultations with many leaders in the veteran 
community. Input was received from, among others, the Department of 
Defense, the Veterans Administration, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 
the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Veterans' Affairs, the 
Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, the Small Business 
Administration, the American Legion, VET-Force, and AMVETS.
     Interest from researchers on the possible correlation 
between intellectual

[[Page 31567]]

property rights and business success led to the addition of a question 
on whether the business owned a copyright, trademark, granted patent, 
or pending patent.
    We received separate clearance from the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) to test our proposed 2012 SBO questionnaire. We intend to 
conduct interviews with 83 businesses in three rounds. Cognitive 
interviews began in November 2011 and will continue through June 2012. 
Upon completion of each round of interviews, the interview team meets 
and decides on the recommended changes to the form. The form is revised 
after each round and the interview protocol is updated to reflect the 
new version of the form. The third round of testing is continuing as we 
submit this presubmission notice.

II. Method of Collection

    The Census Bureau will primarily use a mailout/mailback survey form 
to collect the data. Electronic reporting will be available for the 
return of both the SBO-1 and SBO-2 forms. The Spanish versions of these 
forms will only be available in paper format upon request. The 
questionnaires will be mailed from our National Processing Center in 
Jeffersonville, Indiana. Two mail follow-ups to nonrespondents will be 
conducted at approximately one-month intervals.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0943.
    Form Number: SBO-1, 2012 Survey of Business Owners and Self-
Employed Persons; SBO-2, 2012 Survey of Business Owners and Self-
Employed Persons (short version); SBO-1S, 2012 Survey of Business 
Owners and Self-Employed Persons (Spanish version of the long form); 
SBO-2S, 2012 Survey of Business Owners and Self-Employed Persons 
(Spanish version of the short form).
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Large and small businesses.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1.75 million--half will receive 
the long form and half will receive the short form.
    Estimated Time per Response: 12 minutes for the SBO-1 and 8 minutes 
for the SBO-2.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 291,667.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $8,814,177.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Sections 131, 193, 
and 224.

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: May 23, 2012.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-12909 Filed 5-25-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P