[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 165 (Monday, August 26, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44599-44600]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-18274]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Generic 
Clearance for Census Bureau Field Tests and Evaluations

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 October 25, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Childs, Assistant 
Center Chief, U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill Road, 5K022D, 
Washington, DC 20233 (or via the internet at [email protected]). You 
may also submit comments, identified by Docket

[[Page 44600]]

Number USBC-2018-0013, to the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. All comments received are part of the public 
record. No comments will be posted to http://www.regulations.gov for 
public viewing until after the comment period has closed. Comments will 
generally be posted without change. All Personally Identifiable 
Information (for example, name and address) voluntarily submitted by 
the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential 
Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. 
You may submit attachments to electronic comments in Microsoft Word, 
Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Jennifer Childs, Census Bureau, Washington, DC 
20233; (301) 763-4932 (or via the internet at 
[email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The U.S. Census Bureau plans to request an extension of the current 
OMB approval to conduct a series of studies to research and evaluate 
how to improve data collection activities for data collection programs 
at the Census Bureau. These studies will explore how the Census Bureau 
can improve efficiency, data quality, and response rates and reduce 
respondent burden in future census and survey operations, evaluations, 
and experiments.
    This information collection will operate as a generic clearance. 
The estimated number of respondents and annual reporting hours 
requested cover both the known and yet to be determined tests. A 
generic clearance is needed for these tests because, even though each 
test will follow a similar methodology, the exact number of tests and 
the explicit details of each test to be performed has yet to be 
determined. Once information collection plans are defined, they will be 
submitted on an individual basis in order to keep OMB informed as these 
tests progress.
    The Census Bureau plans to test the use of new and improved data 
collection techniques for self-enumeration and interviewer data-
collection tasks surrounding and following the ongoing census and 
survey operations. The research and evaluation may include: Developing 
alternative enumeration or follow-up questionnaires; usability issues; 
conducting interviews or debriefings; and non-English language training 
and interviews. To study enumeration, the Census Bureau may conduct the 
enumeration directly with a household member or knowledgeable 
respondent. The questions asked in these studies will be typical census 
or survey questions and questions related to that content, along with 
potential attitudinal and satisfaction debriefing questions.

II. Method of Collection

    The information will be collected through observations, self-
response, face-face interviews, and/or telephone interviews.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0971.
    Form Number: Not yet determined.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 100,000 per year.
    Estimated Time per Response: 25 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 41,667 hours annually.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: There is no cost to the respondent 
other than time to answer the information request.
    Respondents Obligation: Mandatory or Voluntary, depending on cited 
authority.
    Legal Authority: Data collection for this project is authorized 
under the authorizing legislation for the questionnaire being tested. 
This may be Title 13, United States Code, Sections 131, 141, 161, 181, 
182, 193, and 301 for Census Bureau sponsored surveys, and Title 13 or 
15 for surveys sponsored by other Federal agencies. We do not now know 
what other titles will be referenced, since we do not know what survey 
questionnaires will be pretested during the course of the clearance.

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,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, 
Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2019-18274 Filed 8-23-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P