[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 199 (Friday, October 14, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71043-71044]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-24819]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


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

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 December 13, 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 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:

[[Page 71044]]

I. Abstract

    The U.S. Census Bureau plans to request a three-year 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 OMB clearance is scheduled to expire on May 31, 2017. 
We will continue to use the current CAPI questionnaire with minor 
revisions to question verbiage and questionnaire flow. The overall 
length of the interview will not change. The sample size will slightly 
change due to an increase in the number of local governments that issue 
building permits.

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: 1,017.
    Estimated Time per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 254 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Sections 131 and 
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.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Lead, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-24819 Filed 10-13-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P