[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 59 (Monday, March 28, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17137-17139]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-06895]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

 Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Survey of 
Income and Program Participation (SIPP) 2014 Panel

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 the 
proposed Survey of Income and Program Participation 2014 Panel, as 
required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before May 27, 2016.

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 Jason Fields, U.S. Census Bureau, ADDP, HQ-7H153, 
4600 Silver Hill Road, Washington, DC 20233-0001 (301-763-2465 or via 
the Internet at [email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau has completed two of four waves of the Survey of 
Income and Program Participation 2014 Panel (SIPP), which began in 
February 2014. Wave 1 of the SIPP 2014 Panel was conducted from 
February to June of 2014. Wave 2 was conducted from February to June of 
2015. Wave 3 is scheduled to be conducted from April to June of 2016. 
Wave 4 is scheduled to be conducted from February to June of 2017. This 
notice is for a request to extend the current OMB approval, which 
expires on December 31, 2016, to December 31, 2019.
    The SIPP is a household-based survey designed as a continuous 
series of national panels. The SIPP represents a source of information 
for a wide variety of topics and allows the integration of information 
for separate topics to form a single, unified database allowing for the 
examination of the interaction between tax, transfer, and other

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government and private policies. Government domestic policy formulators 
depend heavily upon SIPP information concerning the distribution of 
income received either directly as money or indirectly as in-kind 
benefits and the effect of tax and transfer programs on that 
distribution. They also need improved and expanded data on the income 
and general economic and financial situation of the U.S. population, 
which the SIPP has provided on a continuing basis since 1983. The SIPP 
has measured levels of economic well-being and permitted measurement of 
changes in these levels over time.
    The 2014 SIPP interview includes a portion conducted using an Event 
History Calendar (EHC) that facilitates the collection of dates of 
events and spells of coverage. The EHC assists the respondent's ability 
to recall events accurately over the one year reference period and 
provides increased data quality and inter-topic consistency for dates 
reported by respondents. The EHC is intended to help respondents recall 
information in a more natural ``autobiographical'' manner by using life 
events as triggers to recall other economic events. The EHC was 
previously used in the 2010-2013 SIPP-EHC field tests in addition to 
2014 Panel Waves 1 and 2. The 2014 Panel SIPP design does not contain 
freestanding topical modules; however, a portion of traditional SIPP 
topical module content is integrated into the 2014 SIPP Panel 
interview. Examples of this content include questions on medical 
expenses, child care, retirement and pension plan coverage, marital 
history, adult and child well-being, and others.
    The 2014 SIPP Panel Wave 1 was a brand new sample with new survey 
respondents who were not previously interviewed. The 2014 SIPP Panel 
uses a revised interviewing method structure that follows adults (age 
15 years and older) who move from the prior wave household. 
Consequently, Waves 2, 3, and 4 incorporate dependent data, which is 
information collected from the prior wave interview brought forward to 
the current interview.
    The Census Bureau used and plans to continue using Computer 
Assisted Recorded Interview (CARI) technology for some of the 
respondents during the 2014 SIPP Panel. CARI is a data collection 
method that captures audio along with response data during computer-
assisted personal and telephone interviews (CAPI & CATI). With the 
respondent's consent, a portion of each interview is recorded 
unobtrusively and both the sound file and screen images are returned 
with the response data to a central location for coding. By reviewing 
the recorded portions of the interview, quality assurance analysts can 
evaluate the likelihood that the exchange between the field 
representative and respondent is authentic and follows critical survey 
protocol as defined by the sponsor and based on best practices. During 
the 2014 SIPP Panel we are developing protocols to use the CARI 
Interactive Data Access System (CARI System), an innovative, 
integrated, multifaceted monitoring system that features a configurable 
web-based interface for behavior coding, quality assurance, and 
coaching. This system assists in coding interviews for measuring 
question and interviewer performance and the interaction between 
interviewers and respondents.
    SIPP designed a multi-wave incentive experiment to evaluate the 
efficacy of incentives as a means of increasing respondent cooperation. 
In Wave 1, the panel was divided into four groups and each household 
was randomly assigned to one of the groups. Group 1 was the control 
group; households in this group were not to be eligible for an 
incentive in any wave of the 2014 panel. Group 2 was not eligible to 
receive an incentive in Wave 1, but was eligible for a $40 debit card 
for Wave 2. This group was used to test retroactively the efficacy of a 
propensity model. Group 3 was eligible to receive a $20 incentive in 
Wave 1, but was not eligible to receive a debit card in Wave 2. Group 4 
was eligible to receive a $40 incentive in Wave 1. In Wave 2 Group 4 
was split in two subgroups: A--did not receive a debit card; and B--was 
eligible for a $40 debit card. Consequently, in Wave 2 only two groups 
were eligible to receive debit cards (Group 2 and 4B).
    For Wave 3 in 2016, Group 1 will continue as prior waves (no 
incentive), Group 4A will continue to receive a $40 debit card, and 
Group 4B will be determined using an adaptive model with the remaining 
groups. For those in the modeled groups, roughly 22,500 households, 30% 
will be eligible for incentives. Selection for the Wave 3 incentive in 
the modeled groups will be made using a propensity model process. For 
all waves, we distribute the incentives centrally from our National 
Processing Center. This centralized distribution eliminates any 
discretion on the part of the field representatives, ensuring that only 
eligible households are given (or promised) incentives.
    Approximately 30,500 households are expected to be interviewed for 
the 2014 SIPP Panel Waves 3 and 4. We estimate that each household 
contains 2.1 people aged 15 and above, yielding approximately 64,050 
person-level interviews per wave in this panel. Interviews take 
approximately 60 minutes per adult on average, consequently the total 
annual burden for 2014 SIPP-EHC interviews will be 64,050 hours per 
year.

II. Method of Collection

    The 2014 SIPP Panel instrument consists of one interview per person 
per wave (year) resulting in four total interviews over the life of the 
panel. Each interview will reference the previous calendar year 
depending on the wave. The interview is conducted in person with all 
household members 15 years old or over using regular proxy-respondent 
rules. In the instances where the residence is not accessible or the 
respondent makes a request the interview may be conducted by telephone.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0977.
    Form Number(s): SIPP/CAPI Automated Instrument.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 64,050.
    Estimated Time per Response: 60 minutes per person on average.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 64,050.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $35,000,000.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: 13 U.S.C. Section 182.
    Confidentiality: The data collected under this agreement are 
confidential under 13 U.S.C. Section 9. All access to Title 13 data 
from this survey is restricted to those holding Census Bureau Special 
Sworn Status pursuant to 13 U.S.C. Section 23(c).

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

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included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: March 23, 2016.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-06895 Filed 3-25-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P