[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 19 (Monday, January 29, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4027-4028]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-01511]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Quarterly 
Services 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 March 30, 2018.

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 Aidan Smith, U.S. Census Bureau, 8K175, 
Washington, DC 20233-6500, 301-763-2972, or [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 Quarterly 
Services Survey (QSS). The QSS covers employer firms with 
establishments located in the United States and classified in select 
service industries as defined by the North American Industry 
Classification System (NAICS). The QSS coverage currently includes all 
or parts of the following NAICS sectors: Utilities (excluding 
government owned); transportation and warehousing (except rail 
transportation and postal); information; finance and insurance (except 
funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles); real estate and rental 
and leasing; professional, scientific, and technical services (except 
offices of notaries); administrative and support and waste management 
and remediation services; educational services (except elementary and 
secondary schools, junior colleges, and colleges, universities, and 
professional schools); health care and social assistance; arts, 
entertainment, and recreation; accommodation; and other services 
(except public administration). The primary estimates produced from the 
QSS are quarterly estimates of total operating revenue and the 
percentage of revenue by source. The survey also produces estimates of 
total operating expenses from tax-exempt firms in industries that have 
a large not-for-profit component. For hospitals, the survey produce 
estimates of the number of inpatient days and discharges, and for 
select industries in the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector, 
the survey produces estimates of admissions revenue.
    Firms are selected for the QSS using a stratified design with 
strata defined by industry, tax status, and estimated size based on 
annual revenue. The sample is a subsample of firms from the larger 
Service Annual Survey (OMB# 0607-0422). Each quarter the QSS sample is 
updated to reflect the addition of new businesses and the removal of 
firms that have gone out-of-business.
    The Bureau of Economic Analysis uses the survey results as input to 
its quarterly Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and GDP by industry 
estimates. The estimates provide the Federal Reserve Board and Council 
of Economic advisors with timely information to assess current economic 
performance. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services use the QSS 
estimates to develop hospital-spending estimates for the National 
Accounts. Other government and private stakeholders also benefit from a 
better understanding of important cyclical components of the U.S. 
service economy.
    We do not plan any changes to the forms.

II. Method of Collection

    We will collect this information by internet, mail, facsimile, and 
telephone follow-up. Approximately half of the QSS respondents are 
mailed a full paper form that provides the option for submission by 
internet, mail, or facsimile. The remaining half of respondents are 
mailed only their username and password providing for submission by 
internet. Respondents that report via the internet in any given quarter 
are only mailed a username and password in subsequent quarters.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0907.
    Form Number(s): QSS-1A, QSS-1E, QSS-1PA, QSS-1PE, QSS-2A, QSS-2E, 
QSS-3A, QSS-3E, QSS-3SA, QSS-3SE, QSS-4A, QSS-4E, QSS-4FA, QSS-4FE, 
QSS-4SA, QSS-4SE, QSS-5A, QSS-5E.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit organizations, not-
for-profit institutions, and government hospitals.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 22,150.
    Estimated Time per Response: 15 minutes: QSS-1A, QSS-1E, QSS-1PA, 
QSS-1PE, QSS-2A, QSS-2E, QSS-3A, QSS-3E, QSS-3SA, QSS-3SE, QSS-5A, QSS-
5E. 10 minutes: QSS-4A, QSS-4E, QSS-4FA, QSS-4FE, QSS-4SA, QSS-4SE.

[[Page 4028]]

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 19,087.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0. (This is not the cost of 
respondents' time, but the indirect costs respondents may incur for 
such things as purchases of specialized software or hardware needed to 
report, or expenditures for accounting or records maintenance services 
required specifically by the collection.)
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. 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,
Department Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-01511 Filed 1-26-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P