[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 148 (Wednesday, August 1, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 37462]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16409]


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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: Service Annual Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 0607-0422.
    Form Number(s): SA-22010A--SA-81300E (180 forms total).
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Number of Respondents: 91,401.
    Average Hours per Response: 1 hour and 32 minutes.
    Burden Hours: 139,889.
    Needs and Uses: Over 50 percent of all economic activity is 
generated by businesses in the services sectors, defined to exclude 
retail and wholesale trade. The U.S. Census Bureau currently measures 
the total output of most of the service industries annually in the 
Service Annual Survey (SAS). This survey currently covers all or 
portions of: Utilities; Transportation and Warehousing; Information; 
Finance and Insurance; Real Estate and Rental and Leasing; 
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services; Administrative and 
Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services; Educational 
Services; Health Care and Social Assistance; Arts, Entertainment, and 
Recreation; Accommodation and Food Services; and Other Services (except 
Public Administration) as defined by the North American Industry 
Classification System (NAICS). The SAS provides the only official 
source of annual revenue estimates for the service industries.
    Estimates from the SAS are essential to measurement of economic 
growth, real output, prices, and productivity for our nation's economy. 
A broad spectrum of government and private stakeholders use these 
estimates in analyzing economic activity; forecasting economic growth; 
and compiling data on productivity, prices and the gross domestic 
product (GDP). In addition, trade and professional organizations use 
these estimates to analyze industry trends, benchmark their own 
statistical products and develop forecasts. Private businesses use 
these estimates to measure market share, analyze business potential, 
and plan investments.
    Collected data include operating revenue for both taxable and tax-
exempt firms and organizations, sources of revenue and expenses by type 
for selected industries, operating expenses, and selected industry-
specific items. In addition, e-commerce data is collected for all 
industries, and export and inventory data is collected for selected 
industries. The availability of these data greatly improves the quality 
of the intermediate inputs and value-added estimates in the annual 
input-output and GDP by industry accounts produced by the Bureau of 
Economic Analysis (BEA).
    Beginning in survey year 2018, the operating expenses portion of 
the questionnaire will be condensed substantially in non-Economic 
Census reference years. This change will relieve respondent burden with 
the goal of improving the rate and quality of survey response.
    The Census Bureau will also begin measuring telemedicine. The use 
of telemedicine by mental health professionals is increasing as the 
nation's behavioral health is a huge concern, especially with the 
current opioid crisis. With increased insurance coverage for the cost 
of these services, it is likely that more healthcare professionals will 
begin delivering services via telemedicine. This question will provide 
the first federal data on the new business model of telemedicine for 
outpatient medical providers. It will be an expansion of the current 
patient visits question, and will appear on forms SA-62000A/E, SA-
62150A/E, and SA-62190A/E (total of 6 forms). The question will be 
subject to cognitive testing, modified based on results if necessary, 
and implemented when it has cleared testing. Cognitive testing will be 
conducted under the Census Bureau's generic clearance for questionnaire 
pretesting research.
    In addition, a new form will be created (SA-52413 A/E) for 
reinsurance carriers featuring a new variation of the existing ``Direct 
Losses Incurred'' question (Item 13). This change will increase clarity 
for respondents and reduce reporting error.
    Minor changes will also be made to various forms to increase 
clarity of what is being asked of respondents (e.g., improving 
instructions or removing parts of a question), improve the quality of 
data the Census Bureau receives, and further reduce respondent burden.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal government.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Sections 131 and 182 
authorize the collection. Sections 224 and 225 make reporting 
mandatory.
    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 notice 
to [email protected] or fax to (202) 395-5806.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-16409 Filed 7-31-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P