[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 29, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24458-24459]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11437]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act.
    Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
    Title: American Community Survey Methods Panel Tests.
    OMB Control Number: 0607-0936.
    Form Number(s): ACS-1 and ACS-1(GQ).
    Type of Request: Regular Submission.
    Number of Respondents: 455,500 per year.
    Average Hours per Response: 40 minutes.
    Burden Hours: 266,168 per year.
    Needs and Uses: The U.S. Census Bureau requests authorization from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the American Community 
Survey (ACS) Methods Panel Tests.
    An ongoing data collection effort with an annual sample of the 
magnitude of the ACS requires that the Census Bureau continue research, 
testing, and evaluations aimed at improving data quality, achieving 
survey cost efficiencies, reducing respondent burden, and improving ACS 
questionnaire content and related data collection materials. The ACS 
Methods Panel is a robust research program focused on enhancing the 
quality of the respondent experience, survey operations, and data.
    From 2018 to 2021, the ACS Methods Panel program may include 
testing methods for increasing survey efficiencies, reducing survey 
cost, improving the respondent experience, increasing response rates, 
and improving data quality. At this time, plans are in place to propose 
several tests:
     Mail Materials Test that will explore ways to improve the 
respondent experience and address respondent concerns about the 
perceived intrusiveness of the ACS balanced against increasing self-
response to the survey.
     Self-Response Mail Messaging Tests that research various 
aspects of the mail materials and contact strategy.
     Multilingual Testing that would explore ways to engage 
respondents with limited English proficiency during the self-response 
portion of data collection.
     Content Tests that will test new and/or revised content.
     Respondent Burden Questions Test that would incorporate 
questions about respondents' experience with the survey.
     Respondent Comment/Feedback Test which would add a comment 
field to make it easy for respondents to give feedback about the ACS.
     Administrative Data Use Test to assess the potential for 
supplementing or replacing survey content with administrative data.
     Group Quarters Test to assess the feasibility of making an 
internet self-response option available to non-institutional GQ 
residents.
    Since the ACS Methods Panel is designed to address emerging issues, 
we may conduct additional testing as needed. Any additional testing 
would focus on methods for reducing data collection costs, improving 
data quality, revising content, or testing new questions that have an 
urgent need to be included on the ACS. The tests may be conducted on 
HUs, GQs, or both. As more details are developed for the additional 
tests, the Census Bureau will submit a non-substantive change request, 
(and Federal Register Notice, as necessary) documenting the change or 
revision.
    The tests proposed allow the Census Bureau to continue to examine 
operational issues, research the data quality, collect cost information 
and make recommendations for improvements to this annual data 
collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Frequency: Multiple one-time tests over a 3-year period.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Sections 141, 193, 
and 221.
    This information collection request may be viewed at 
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce 
collections currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this

[[Page 24459]]

notice to [email protected] or fax to (202) 395-5806.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-11437 Filed 5-25-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P