[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 76 (Monday, April 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22097-22098]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-09023]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; 2014-2016 
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.

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before June 20, 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 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 a 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 2014-2016 COS collection strategy will focus on launching 
electronic reporting as the primary collection option. As the Census 
Bureau moves to increase electronic response and process less paper, we 
plan to replace some form mailings with letters encouraging electronic 
response. The 2014-2016 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. 
Electronic reporting will be available to all 2014-2016 COS 
respondents. Companies will receive and return responses by secure 
Internet transmission. Companies that cannot use the Internet may 
request a CD-ROM containing their electronic data or may request a 
paper questionnaire. 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

[[Page 22098]]

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 
2014-2016 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(s): NC-99001 (for multi-establishment enterprises) and 
NC-99007 (for single-location companies).
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Businesses and not-for-profit institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 47,000 enterprises.
    Estimated Time per Response: 3.16 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 148,567.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $4,648,661.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. 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: April 16, 2014.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-09023 Filed 4-18-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P