[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 61 (Friday, March 29, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19190-19191]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-07330]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

U.S. Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; 2013 Company 
Organization Survey

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce.

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 May 28, 2013.

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 Joy P. Pierson, Economic Planning and 
Coordination Division, U.S. Census Bureau, Room 8K319, Washington, DC 
20233-6100 (or by email at [email protected])

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau conducts the annual Company Organization Survey 
(COS) to update and maintain a central, multipurpose Business Register 
(BR) database. In particular, the COS supplies critical information on 
the composition, organizational structure, and operating 
characteristics of multi-location companies.
    The BR serves two fundamental purposes:
    First and most important, it provides sampling populations and 
enumeration lists for the Census Bureau's economic surveys and 
censuses, and it serves as an integral part of the statistical 
foundation underlying those programs. Essential for this purpose is the 
BR's ability to identify all known United States business 
establishments and their parent companies. Further, the BR must 
accurately record basic business attributes needed to control sampling 
and enumeration. These attributes include industrial and geographic 
classifications, and name and address information.
    Second, it provides establishment data that serve as the basis for 
the annual County Business Patterns (CBP) statistical series. The CBP 
publications present data on number of establishments, first quarter 
payroll, annual payroll, and mid-March employment summarized by 
industry and employment size class for the United States, the District 
of Columbia, island areas, counties, and country-equivalents. No other 
annual or more frequent series of industry statistics provides 
comparable detail, particularly for small geographic areas.

II. Method of Collection

    The Census Bureau will conduct the 2013 COS in a similar manner as 
the 2011 COS. (In 2012 the COS was conducted in conjunction with the 
2012 Economic Census to minimize response burden). The 2013 COS will 
request company-level information from a selection of multi-
establishment enterprises, which comprise roughly 42,000 parent 
companies and more than 1.4 million establishments. Additionally, the 
panel will include approximately 5,000 large single-location companies 
that may have added locations during the year. The primary collection 
medium for the COS is a paper questionnaire; however, many enterprises 
will submit automated/electronic COS reports. Electronic reporting will 
be available to all 2013 COS respondents. Companies will receive and 
return responses by secure Internet transmission. Companies that cannot 
use the Internet will receive a CD-ROM containing their electronic 
data. All respondents will be allowed to mail the data via diskette or 
CD-ROM or submit their responses via the Internet. COS content is 
identical for all of the reporting modes.
    The instrument will include inquiries on ownership or control by 
domestic or foreign parent, ownership of foreign affiliates, and leased 
employment. Further, the instrument will list an inventory of 
establishments belonging to the company and its subsidiaries, and 
request updates to these inventories, including additions, deletions, 
and changes to information on EIN, name and address, and industrial 
classification, end-of-year operating status, mid-March employment, 
first quarter payroll, and annual payroll.
    Additionally, the Census Bureau will ask certain questions in the 
2013 COS in order to enhance content. We will include questions on 
ownership or control by domestic or foreign parents, ownership of 
foreign affiliates, research and development, leased employment, and 
manufacturing activities related to the Enterprise Statistics Program.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0444.
    Form Number: NC-99001 (for multi-establishment enterprises) and NC-
99007 (for single-location companies).
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Business and not-for-profit institutions.

[[Page 19191]]

    Estimated Number of Respondents: 47,000 enterprises.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1.83 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 143,608.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: $4,339,834.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. Section 182, 195, 224, and 225.

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: March 26, 2013.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-07330 Filed 3-28-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P