[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 225 (Thursday, November 21, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69814-69815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-27868]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Questionnaire 
for Building Permit Official

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau.

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

[[Page 69815]]

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 January 21, 2014.

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 Erica Filipek, U.S. Census Bureau, MCD, CENHQ 
Room 7K057, 4600 Silver Hill Road, Washington, DC 20233, telephone 
(301)763-5161 (or via the Internet at [email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The U.S. Census Bureau plans to request an extension of the current 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance of the Questionnaire 
for Building Permit Official (SOC-QBPO). The Census Bureau uses the 
Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) electronic questionnaire 
SOC-QBPO to collect information from state and local building permit 
officials on: (1) The types of permits they issue, (2) the length of 
time a permit is valid, (3) how they store permits, and (4) the 
geographic coverage of the permit system. We need this information to 
carry out the sampling for the Survey of Housing Starts, Sales, and 
Completions (OMB number 0607-0110), also known as Survey of 
Construction (SOC). The SOC provides widely used measures of 
construction activity, including the economic indicators Housing 
Starts, Housing Completions, and New Housing Sales.
    The current clearance of SOC-QBPO is scheduled to expire on May 31, 
2014. We will continue to use the current CAPI questionnaire without 
any revisions and are requesting approval of continual use of the 
existing questionnaire in the field. There are no revisions to the 
current questionnaire. The overall length of the interview and the 
sample size also will not change.

II. Method of Collection

    The Census Bureau uses its field representatives to obtain 
information on the operating procedures of a permit office using the 
SOC-QBPO. The field representative visits the permit office, conducts 
the interview, and completes this electronic form.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0125.
    Form Number: SOC-QBPO.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: State and local Government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 900.
    Estimated Time per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 225 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: The cost to the respondents is 
estimated to be $5,418 based on an average hourly salary of $24.08 for 
local government employees. This estimate was taken from the Census 
Bureau's Annual Survey of Government Employment for 2011.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, U.S.C., 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) 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: November 15, 2013.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-27868 Filed 11-20-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P