[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 157 (Wednesday, August 16, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38875-38876]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-17304]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Census 
Barriers, Attitudes, and Motivators Survey (CBAMS) 2020

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of 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, under the 
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act.

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before 30 days from publishing.

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 
and instructions should be directed to Gina Walejko at 301-763-1643 or 
by email to [email protected] or by contacting Monica Vines at 
301-763-8813 or by email to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The U.S. Census Bureau plans to request clearance to conduct the 
Census Barriers, Attitudes, and Motivators Survey (CBAMS) to measure 
public knowledge, awareness, and perceptions about the decennial census 
as well as behaviors and attitudes related to participating in the 
decennial census. This research will complement previous iterations of 
surveys designed to gauge public knowledge, attitudes, and behavior 
regarding the decennial censuses, as well as inform the strategic 
direction of the Census Bureau's 2020 Census Integrated Partnership and 
Communications (IPC) Program. While results are integral to designing 
the 2020 IPC, they will also be used to better understand the Census 
Bureau's

[[Page 38876]]

audiences, to communicate with the public regarding other data 
collections, and to improve our communications and outreach materials 
(e.g., data products, Web sites, etc.).
    Once every ten years, the Census Bureau conducts an enumeration of 
the United States, Puerto Rico, and U. S. territories populations and 
housing. It is an extremely complex undertaking that requires the 
participation of every household in the country, reaching people from 
the most remote Alaskan villages to the most crowded inner cities. The 
role of the IPC is to increase public awareness and motivate people to 
self-respond to the census promptly.
    The Census Bureau developed the 2010 Census Integrated 
Communications Campaign (ICC) in an effort to build on the success of 
the Census 2000 Partnership and Marketing Program. The ICC was multi-
targeted, multi-media, and multi-lingual, using traditional media like 
television, radio, print, and out-of-home, as well as new media, such 
as blogs, social media, and other online efforts, and non-traditional 
media like food trucks, ethnic stores, and restaurants.
    The Census Bureau is planning a 2020 Census that will provide more 
ways to self-respond--paper, Internet, and telephone. To support this 
goal, the IPC will create a communications campaign with messages and 
media plans developed for specific audience segments with unique 
response behaviors, attitudes, and demographics. Targeted messages and 
the selection of the unique channels that these specific audiences 
consume will almost guarantee the visibility this campaign needs among 
target audiences. These audience segments will be developed using 2010 
Census and American Community Survey (ACS) participation data as well 
as measures of knowledge, attitudes, barriers, and motivators to 2010 
decennial participation documented in past CBAMS surveys. However, the 
environmental landscape has shifted since the Census 2010, and the 
Census Bureau is facing new challenges. CBAMS 2020, in conjunction with 
the analysis of other data sources, will measure current barriers to 
census data collection including:
     Distrust in federal, state and local government entities,
     Concerns about privacy and confidentiality,
     Lack of census familiarity and knowledge, and
     Limits of Internet penetration and use.
    The immediate purpose of CBAMS 2020 is to inform message 
development and media planning for the IPC with the ultimate goal of 
increasing self-response, though results will inform across the board 
improvements in customer communications where possible. Although 
collected data will not be used to produce official Census Bureau 
estimates, the Census Bureau will publish a report detailing results 
and explaining by whom this data will be used. This report will in no 
way identify individuals.

Method of Collection

    CBAMS 2020 will be administered to a sample of addresses. First, a 
pre-notification letter will notify addresses of the data collection. 
Later mailings will give addresses a choice of filling out the survey 
online or via a mailed paper questionnaire. Non-responding households 
will be mailed reminders, and flagged-Hispanic households will receive 
a two-sided letter in both English and Spanish. This protocol provides 
no follow-up to nonrespondents in person or by phone. CBAMS 2020 will 
test the use of $2, $5, and $10 gifts provided to sample members to 
increase the response rate. All participants will receive a monetary 
incentive, but the dollar amount will vary. CBAMS 2020 survey will 
focus on the following topic areas:
     Awareness and familiarity with the decennial census;
     Likelihood to participate in the decennial census;
     Attitudinal, personal, and community motivators related to 
decennial census participation;
     Barriers to decennial census participation;
     Internet use and skills;
     Knowledge related to the decennial census;
     Trust in federal, state and local government entities;
     Civic participation;
     Media use; and
     Sociodemographic characteristics.
    For more information, please contact Gina Walejko at 301-763-1643 
or by email to [email protected] or by contacting Monica Vines 
at 301-763-8813 or by email to [email protected].

II. Data

    Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number: 0607-0978.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Nonsubstantive change request.
    Affected Public: Individuals.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 35,000.
    Estimated Time per Response: 25 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: Approximately 14,600 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: There is no cost to the respondents 
other than their time.
    Confidentiality: Yes, Title 13 U.S.C. Section 9 confidentiality 
applies to the information the respondent provides.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. Section 182.

III. 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.
    Written comments and recommendations on this collection should be 
sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to 
[email protected].

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Lead, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-17304 Filed 8-15-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P