[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 1, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19042-19043]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09189]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of the Census

[Docket Number 180319296-8296-01]


Final Content Design for the Prototype 2020 Census Redistricting 
Data File

AGENCY: Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of the Census (U.S. Census Bureau) hereby provides 
notification of the final design for the Prototype 2020 Census 
Redistricting Data File to be produced from the 2018 End-to-End Census 
Test. In addition, this notice contains a summary of the comments 
received in response to the November 8, 2017 Federal Register notice as 
well as the Census Bureau's responses to those comments. We are issuing 
this notice to inform the public of the expected data tables being 
produced from the 2018 End-to-End Census Test as part of Phase 3 (Data 
Delivery phase) of the 2020 Census Redistricting Data Program.

DATES: The Final Content Design for the Prototype 2020 Census 
Redistricting Data File in this notice will be official May 31, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Whitehorne, Chief, Census 
Redistricting and Voting Rights Data Office, U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 
Silver Hill Road, Room 4H057, Washington, DC 20233, telephone (301) 
763-4039, or email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the provisions of Public Law 94-171, 
as amended (Title 13, United States Code (U.S.C.), Section 141(c)), the 
Director of the Census Bureau is required to provide the ``officers or 
public bodies with initial responsibility for legislative apportionment 
or districting of each state . . .'' with the opportunity to specify 
small geographic areas (e.g., census blocks, voting districts, wards, 
and election precincts) for which they wish to receive decennial census 
population totals for the purpose of reapportionment and redistricting.
    By April 1 of the year following the census, the Secretary of 
Commerce is required to furnish those state officials or their 
designees with population counts for counties, cities, census blocks, 
and state-specified congressional districts, legislative districts, and 
voting districts.
    The 2020 Census Redistricting Data Program was initially announced 
on July 15, 2014, in the Federal Register (79 FR 41258). This notice 
described the program that the Census Bureau proposed to adopt for the 
2020 Census. As seen in the 1990, 2000, and 2010 censuses, the 2020 
Census Redistricting Data Program is partitioned into several phases. 
Phase 1, the Block Boundary Suggestion Project, was announced in a 
Federal Register notice on June 26, 2015 (80 FR 36765). This notice 
described the procedures for the states to provide the Census Bureau 
with their suggestions for the 2020 Census tabulation block inventory. 
Phase 2, the Voting District Project, was announced in a Federal 
Register notice on June 28, 2017 (82 FR 29276). This second phase 
specifically provides states the opportunity to provide the Census 
Bureau with their voting district boundaries (election precincts, 
wards, etc.). Phase 3 of the 2020 Redistricting Data Program is data 
delivery.
    The 2020 Census Redistricting Data Program provides states the 
opportunity to specify the small geographic areas for which they wish 
to receive 2020 Census population totals for the purpose of 
reapportionment and redistricting. This notice pertains to Phase 3, the 
Data Delivery phase of the program, and the content of the Prototype 
2020 Census Redistricting Data File that will be produced from the 2018 
End-to-End Census Test.

Summary of Comments Received in Response to the ``Proposed Content for 
the Prototype 2020 Census Redistricting Data File''

    On November 8, 2017, the Census Bureau published a notice in the 
Federal Register asking for public comment on the ``Proposed Content 
for the Prototype 2020 Census Redistricting Data File'' (82 FR 51805). 
The Census Bureau received three comments.
    Comment 1: The comment expressed support for keeping separate 
questions on Hispanic origin and race.
    Response to Comment 1: As this Federal Register notice pertains to 
data product format and not data collection methods, this comment is 
considered outside the scope of this notice.
    Comment 2: The comment expressed support for including the group 
quarters tabulation as a part of the data product.
    Response to Comment 2: The group quarters tabulation will be 
included as a part of the Prototype 2020 Redistricting Data File.
    Comment 3: The comment expressed support for a Middle East North 
African race or ethnicity category for data collection.
    Response to Comment 3: As this Federal Register notice pertains to 
data product format and not data collection methods, this comment is 
considered outside the scope of this notice.
    The Census Bureau will continue to communicate with each state to 
ensure all are well informed of the benefits of working with the Census 
Bureau toward a successful 2020 Census. In addition, the Census 
Redistricting and Voting Rights Data Office will continue to work with 
each state to ensure that all are prepared to participate in every 
phase of the Redistricting Data Program. As required by Public Law 94-
171, every state, regardless of its participation in Phase 1 or Phase 
2, will receive the official redistricting data in Phase 3.

Final Content Design for the Prototype 2020 Census Redistricting Data 
File

    This final content design takes into account that the Census Bureau 
has now determined that planned race and ethnicity questions for the 
2020 Census will follow a two-question format. The decision to use 
separate questions is detailed in the 2020 Census Memorandum Series as 
Memorandum 2018.02. It is available at: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/2020-census/planning-management/memo-series/2020-memo-2018_02.html.

[[Page 19043]]

    While the decision to use separate questions means the final 
content design announced here differs from what was proposed in the 
previous notice, the possibility of using separate questions for race 
and ethnicity and its effect on the prototype file design was addressed 
in that notice. Using separate questions follows the most current race 
and ethnicity collection guidance set by the Office of Management and 
Budget, which remains unchanged since 1997.
    In accordance with the provisions of Title 13, U.S.C., Section 
141(c), and on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce, the U.S. Census 
Bureau Director previously requested comments on the proposed content 
of the required population counts being produced as part of Phase 3 of 
the 2020 Census Redistricting Data Program.
    The proposed content stated that should the Census Bureau use 
separate questions on race and ethnicity, then the prototype file would 
revert to the same design as that used for the 2010 Census. In 
addition, the proposed content stated that regardless of whether a 
separate or combined question format is used in the 2020 Census, a 
group quarters table will be added to assist those states that 
reallocate populations before redistricting. This table will include 
the group quarters categories of: Institutionalized populations 
(correctional facilities for adults, juvenile facilities, nursing 
facilities/skilled nursing facilities, and other institutional 
facilities) and noninstitutionalized populations (college/university 
student housing, military quarters, and other non-institutionalized 
facilities). The group quarters table will include state, county, 
county subdivision, voting district, tract, and block geographic levels 
for the total population in the group quarters count. Thus, the final 
design of the Prototype 2020 Census Redistricting Data File will be the 
same design as that used for the 2010 Census Redistricting Data File, 
with the addition of a group quarters table.
    A schematic of the tables planned for the Prototype 2020 Census 
Redistricting File is available at the Census Bureau's FTP site at: 
https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/rdo/about/2020-census-program/Phase3/Phase3_prototype_schematic_final.pdf.

    Dated: April 24, 2018.
Ron S. Jarmin,
Associate Director for Economic Programs Performing the Non-Exclusive 
Functions and Duties of the Director Bureau of the Census.
[FR Doc. 2018-09189 Filed 4-30-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P