[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 12 (Thursday, January 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6296-6297]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-01240]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of the Census


2020 Census Tribal Consultation; Virtual Public Meeting

AGENCY: Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of virtual public meeting and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) will conduct its 
first calendar year 2021 tribal consultation meeting on February 18 via 
national webinar. The tribal consultation meeting reflects the Census 
Bureau's commitment to strengthen government-to-government 
relationships with federally recognized tribes. The Census Bureau will 
provide updates and seek input on the 2020 Census Disclosure Avoidance 
System (DAS). In preparation for the webinar, the Census Bureau request 
comments on various questions related to tribes' use of decennial 
census data.

DATES: The Census Bureau will conduct the tribal consultation webinar 
on Thursday, February 18, 2021, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST. Any 
questions or topics to be considered in the tribal consultation 
meetings must be received in writing via email or fax by Thursday, 
February 18.

ADDRESSES: The Census Bureau tribal consultation webinar meeting will 
be held via the WebEx platform at the following presentation link: 
https://uscensus.webex.com/uscensus/onstage/g.php?MTID=e83f743e02f061c59b12ef423aee8a8b6.
    If the webinar requires a password, type Census#1. For audio, 
please call the following number: 1-877-717-2157. When prompted, please 
use the following Participant Code: 5229469.
    Please direct all written comments via email or fax to Dee 
Alexander, Tribal Affairs Coordinator, Office of Congressional and 
Intergovernmental Affairs, Intergovernmental Affairs Office, U.S. 
Census Bureau Washington, DC 20233; fax (301) 763-3780; or by email at 
[email protected] or [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dee Alexander, Tribal Affairs 
Coordinator, Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, 
Intergovernmental Affairs Office, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC 
20233; telephone (301) 763-9335; fax (301) 763-3780; or by email at 
[email protected] or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Census Bureau's procedures for outreach, notice, and 
consultation ensure involvement of tribes, to the extent practicable 
and permitted by law, before making decisions or implementing policies, 
rules, or programs that affect federally recognized tribal governments. 
These meetings are open to citizens of federally recognized tribes by 
invitation.
    The Census Bureau's Decennial Directorate and the Intergovernmental 
Affairs Office have been responsible for the development and 
implementation of outreach and promotion activities to assist in 
obtaining a complete and accurate census count in 2020 among all 
residents, including the American Indian and Alaska Native populations. 
This program is one part of the overall outreach and promotion efforts 
directed at building awareness about the importance of the Census 
Bureau's commitment to produce quality 2020 Census American Indian and 
Alaska Native data for all tribal communities and organizations.
    In accordance with Executive Order 13175, Consultation and 
Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments, issued November 6, 2000, 
the Census Bureau has adhered to its tribal consultation policy by 
seeking the input of tribal governments in the planning and 
implementation of the 2020 Census with the goal of ensuring the most 
accurate counts and data for the American Indian and Alaska Native 
population. The Census Bureau conducted one national tribal 
consultation webinar in September 2019 and two formal tribal 
consultation meetings in October 2019 and February 2020 specific to the 
2020 Census Disclosure Avoidance System. The February 18 national 
webinar will provide a forum for tribes to receive an update and to 
provide input on the 2020 Census Disclosure Avoidance System regarding 
work done specifically for the American Indian and Alaska Native tribal 
areas.
    For more information, please see the following URL link: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/2020-census/planning-management/2020-census-data-products/2020-das-updates.html.
    In preparation for the February 18 webinar, we are seeking comments 
in response to the specific questions on the 2020 Census Disclosure 
Avoidance System and the American Indian and Alaska Native Geography 
Hierarchy.

Request for Comments

Question 1

    How does your tribe use data from the redistricting (Pub. L. 94-
171) data product? Please be specific as to the use, variable(s), and 
level(s) of geography.
    Example: Our tribal government uses total population counts at the 
Census tract level, as a percentage of the total state population, to 
apply for state administered social assistance grants.

[[Page 6297]]

Question 2

    How does your tribe use data from the Demographic Profiles and 
Demographic and Housing Characteristics data products? Please be 
specific as to the use, variable(s), and level(s) of geography.
    Example: Our native village uses average household size and race/
ethnicity composition at the block group level to apply for state 
administered housing grants, which accounted for 27% of our annual 
housing assistance budget in 2019.

Question 3

    With the understanding that protecting the privacy of Census 
respondents requires that some uncertainty/noise be added to the data 
(as it has been in prior Censuses), which of the use cases that you 
identified in question #1 are most important to your tribe?

Question 4

    With the understanding that protecting the privacy of Census 
respondents requires that some uncertainty/noise be added to the data 
(as it has been in prior Censuses), at what level of statistical 
uncertainty would the tabulations included in the redistricting (Pub. 
L. 94-171), Demographic Profiles, or Demographic and Housing 
Characteristics files no longer be usable for the use cases that you 
identified in question #1.
    Example: If total population at the Census tract level differed 
from the enumerated count by more than 3%, our tribe would 
be obligated to rely on other data sources as evidence to support our 
grant applications.'' Or ``If the AIAN Alone or in Combination 
population of our county differed from the enumerated count by more 
than 10 persons, we would be unable to rely upon the data for our 
tribe's demographic projections because they would be less accurate 
than the data we collect ourselves.
    Steven D. Dillingham, Director, Bureau of the Census, approved the 
publication of this Notice in the Federal Register.

    Dated: January 14, 2021.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2021-01240 Filed 1-19-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P