[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 162 (Thursday, August 20, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51406-51408]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-18312]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Quarterly Services Survey

AGENCY: Census Bureau, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, invites the general public and

[[Page 51407]]

other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing 
information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our 
information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting 
burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public 
comment on the proposed revision of the Quarterly Services Survey, 
prior to the submission of the information collection request (ICR) to 
OMB for approval.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before October 19, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by 
email to [email protected]. Please reference Quarterly Services 
Survey in the subject line of your comments. You may also submit 
comments, identified by Docket Number USBC-2020-0022, 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, or Adobe PDF file formats.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to Kathryn Nelson, U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Indicators Division, 
301-763-7052 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The U.S. Census Bureau plans to request a revision 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 produces 
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 consists of approximately 19,500 firms and 
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.
    Starting in 2021, we may ask for additional data on the electronic 
instrument on a temporary basis to address a new module of business 
expectations. This request will not be added to the paper forms. 
Respondents will be asked for forecasts with two different time 
horizons--a single point estimate one quarter ahead and a one year 
ahead estimate with five points and corresponding probabilities. For 
the 2021 Quarter 1 reporting period, QSS respondents would see 
questions similar, but possibly not identical, to the following drafted 
questions:
     What is the approximate expected dollar value of revenue 
you would anticipate for this firm during the quarter ending June 30, 
2021?
     Looking ahead to the quarter ending March 31, 2022, what 
is the approximate dollar value of revenue you would anticipate for 
this firm during that quarter and what likelihood do you assign to that 
value?
    Leading indicators and forward-looking measures such as forecasts 
and projections are highly valued for their ability to help decision-
makers, businesses, and individuals plan and adjust policies if 
necessary. Responses to these questions will provide a better 
understanding of business uncertainty and insight on future business 
activity. Initially, this pilot collection will request data for four 
consecutive quarters with the possibility of continuing collection for 
an additional four quarters.

II. Method of Collection

    We will collect this information by internet, mail, and telephone 
follow-up. A significant number of QSS respondents receive an initial 
email with their username and authentication code for submission by 
internet. The remaining respondents are either mailed only their 
username and authentication code for submission by internet or mailed a 
full form. Respondents that report via the internet in any given 
quarter now have the option to choose how they want to receive forms in 
the future, i.e. email or mailed form. It should be noted that we 
phased out the use of facsimiles.

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, Request for a Revision of a 
Currently Approved Collection.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations; Not-
for-profit institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 19,500 respondents filing a total 
of 90,000 reports a year. (Some respondents file more than one report 
quarterly).
    Estimated Time Per Response: 20 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. 15 minutes: QSS-4A, QSS-4E,

[[Page 51408]]

QSS-4FA, QSS-4FE, QSS-4SA, QSS-4SE.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 26,800 hours.
    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. Section 131 and 182.

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy 
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed 
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden 
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include, or summarize, each comment in our 
request to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, 
phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information 
in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--
including your personal identifying information--may be made publicly 
available at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold 
your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2020-18312 Filed 8-19-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P