[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 108 (Monday, June 6, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34235-34240]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-12063]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau

[Docket Number 220519-0117]


Change to County-Equivalents in the State of Connecticut

AGENCY: Census Bureau, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: This notice provides information about the State of 
Connecticut's (hereafter Connecticut or the State) formal request to 
the Census Bureau to adopt the State's nine planning regions as county-
equivalent geographic units for purposes of collecting, tabulating, and 
disseminating statistical data, replacing the eight counties which 
ceased to function as governmental and administrative entities in 1960. 
The Census Bureau will implement this change internally in 2022, with 
public data and geospatial products reflecting the change beginning in 
late 2022. By 2024, all Census Bureau operations and publications, both 
internal and external, will use the nine new county-equivalent 
boundaries, names, and codes, except for 2020 Decennial Census data 
publications and other datasets referencing the eight legacy counties 
as published before June 1, 2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information on 
this notice should be directed to Rikki Wortham: 
[email protected]. Phone: 812-218-3973.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Officials with the Connecticut Office of 
Policy and Management contacted the Census Bureau in October 2017 
regarding the possibility of replacing the State's eight counties with 
the State's nine planning regions for purposes of collecting, 
tabulating, and disseminating statistical data. This notice provides 
information about Connecticut's formal request to the Census Bureau to 
adopt the State's nine planning regions, representing their councils of 
governments (COGs), designated under Section 16a-4a (4) of the 
Connecticut General Statutes, as the county-equivalent geographic unit 
for purposes of collecting, tabulating, and disseminating statistical 
and geospatial data. This notice also serves as a final response to all 
comments received to the proposed notice published in the Federal 
Register on December 14, 2020 (85 FR 80766).
    The Census Bureau is publishing this notice in consultation with 
Connecticut to inform county-level data users of the decision to 
implement the change and to request that all stakeholders begin 
preparation for the mitigation of any potential impacts. Other federal 
agencies may have their own operational uses for the legacy boundaries, 
names, codes, or related geospatial data; however, specific guidance on 
these matters is out of scope for this notice.
    All agencies, stakeholders, and data users are urged to review 
their own operations and procedures to prepare for the change and 
assess any impacts. The Census Bureau will continue to maintain the 
boundaries, names, and codes of the eight nonfunctioning legacy 
counties as recorded by the International Committee for Information 
Technology Standards (INCITS) (formerly Federal Information Processing 
Standard (FIPS)) Codes, but they will no longer be recognized as valid 
and current for future Census Bureau programs, products, and 
publications after June 2022. Previously published data and geospatial 
products will continue to reflect the boundaries, names, and codes of 
the legacy counties in effect at the time of publication and can be 
used as a reference for research and operational needs.
    This notice is Census Bureau's final announcement that 
Connecticut's request will be implemented and urges all stakeholders to 
immediately prepare for any impacts related to the adoption of planning 
regions as county-equivalents on data collection; data analysis; data 
dissemination; planning and decision making; and program 
implementation. The Census Bureau suggests that stakeholders: (1) 
establish plans for updating or replacing data collection and 
tabulation programs or nonstatistical programs that will not be able to 
implement this change; (2) establish plans to accommodate a substantial 
break in data continuity if longitudinal analyses are no longer 
possible; and (3) identify specific programs and other uses of county-
level information that will require county name, code, and boundary 
updates.
    13 U.S.C. 181 requires that the Secretary of Commerce ``annually 
produce and publish for each State, county, and local unit of general-
purpose government which has a population of fifty thousand or more, 
current data on total population and population characteristics and, to 
the extent feasible, . . . biennially produce and publish for other 
local units of general-purpose government current data on total 
population.'' 13 U.S.C. 183 further requires that with the exception of 
laws which provide that only population or population characteristics 
data obtained in the most recent decennial census may be used, that

[[Page 34236]]

``. . . for the purpose of administering any law of the United States 
in which population or other population characteristics are used to 
determine the amount of benefit received by State, county, or local 
units of general-purpose government, the Secretary shall transmit to 
the President for use by the appropriate departments and agencies of 
the executive branch the data most recently produced and published 
under this title.'' To meet these statutory requirements, the Census 
Bureau must, to the best of its ability use the most current, accurate, 
and up to date geographic boundaries for States, counties, and local 
units of general-purpose government.
    The Census Bureau strives to provide statistical data for 
geographic areas that are meaningful and relevant for analysis and 
decision-making. In Connecticut, the nine COGs exist to address matters 
of mutual interest to their constituent cities and towns, with each 
member city and town represented by its highest elected official. They 
function as regional planning organizations, coordinating activities 
for their constituent cities and towns, and in that capacity can 
exercise a variety of responsibilities typically undertaken by counties 
in other states. Being that Connecticut's counties ceased to function 
as governmental and administrative entities in 1960, the planning 
regions are more meaningful and relevant areas for tabulation and 
dissemination of statistical data within the State, as well as for 
regional and national county comparisons, than are the eight legacy 
counties.
    The Census Bureau believes, given the substantial length of time 
that has elapsed since the dissolution of Connecticut's counties with 
no functioning governmental alternatives having been put into place, it 
is appropriate to accept the adoption of these nine county-equivalent 
entities and their associated boundaries, codes, and names for spatial 
representation and publication of statistical data at the county level 
of the Census Bureau's geographic hierarchy. This decision was made 
without regard to similar circumstances that may exist in other states 
and is narrowly focused on this unique situation in Connecticut. 
Therefore, it should not be taken as a precedent for other situations 
that may currently exist or arise later.
    The Census Bureau will implement this change in early 2022 and use 
the new county-equivalents when reporting all statistical data and 
geospatial data referenced to 2022 and all years thereafter.

Background

    Although Connecticut's eight counties have long provided stable 
geographic units for reporting statistical data, they have not served 
as functional governmental and administrative entities since county 
government in the state was abolished in 1960. The State's nine COGs 
function as regional planning organizations, coordinating activities 
for their constituent cities and towns (note, however, that in some 
instances the name of the planning region differs from that of its 
COG). As such, planning regions provide a more meaningful geographic 
unit for reporting data since the data would be aligned with the 
collection of municipalities (i.e., cities and towns) that constitute 
the governance framework for each COG. Each municipality within a 
designated planning region is entitled to membership in the region's 
COG upon adoption of an ordinance by its legislative body. The highest 
elected official of each member municipality is then provided a vote on 
all COG matters. By reporting statistical data for COGs, member 
municipalities will be in a better position to plan collaboratively and 
act strategically on the efficient delivery of services, bulk 
purchasing, and other matters of practical interest.
    While COGs do not have the authority to levy taxes, they are 
authorized under State law to assess dues on their member 
municipalities, to accept other sources of public and private 
assistance for the purpose of providing regional and shared services, 
and to administer a regional property tax base revenue sharing system 
if approved by a unanimous vote of its member municipalities. In this 
regard, as well as the ability to provide the variety of services 
listed below, Connecticut's COGs and associated planning regions have 
the authority to carry out administrative functions that are typically 
found in county governments in other states. Section 8-31b(b) of the 
Connecticut General Statutes states that:

    Regional services provided to member municipalities shall be 
determined by each regional council of governments . . . and may 
include, without limitation, the following services: (1) 
Engineering; (2) inspectional and planning; (3) economic 
development; (4) public safety; (5) emergency management; (6) animal 
control; (7) land use management; (8) tourism promotion; (9) social; 
(10) health; (11) education; (12) data management; (13) regional 
sewerage; (14) housing; (15) computerized mapping; (16) household 
hazardous waste collection; (17) recycling; (18) public facility 
siting; (19) coordination of master planning; (20) vocational 
training and development; (21) solid waste disposal; (22) fire 
protection; (23) regional resource protection; (24) regional impact 
studies; and (25) transportation.

    In the same section, the COGs are authorized to ``accept or 
participate in any grant, donation, or program made available to 
counties by any other governmental or private entity.''

Scope of Change

    Adoption of the nine planning regions as county-equivalents applies 
to the collection, tabulation, and dissemination of Census Bureau 
statistical and geospatial data for Connecticut. The Census Bureau 
proposes to implement this change internally in early 2022, and will 
use the resulting county-equivalent planning regions in all of its 
programs that collect, tabulate, and disseminate demographic or 
economic data, such as: the American Community Survey (ACS); the 
intercensal Population Estimates Program (PEP); Small Area Income and 
Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) Program; the Economic Census; County Business 
Patterns; the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics Program; the 
2030 Decennial Census; and all other future Census Bureau operations. 
While other federal agencies are encouraged to adopt Connecticut's 
planning regions as county-equivalents for use in their statistical and 
non-statistical programs, the Census Bureau does not have the authority 
to require such a change. Nevertheless, adoption of planning regions as 
county-equivalents will assure comparability of data produced by all 
federal agencies as well as comparability between statistical and non-
statistical programs.

Transitioning From Counties to Planning Regions

Relationship Between Counties and Planning Regions

    Although the planning regions and counties do not align, there is 
substantial overlap, to the extent that one can discern the 
relationships between individual planning regions and counties. Figure 
1 depicts the relationship between Connecticut's eight counties and its 
nine planning regions.

[[Page 34237]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN06JN22.001

    The closest relationship is between Middlesex County and Lower 
Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, with all 15 of the cities and 
towns within the county also located within the planning region (which 
also contains two towns located in New London County).
    Cities and towns are the constituent governments within each COG/
planning region. As such, data for cities and towns can be aggregated 
to planning regions, facilitating reconstruction of time series data 
and longitudinal analysis. Table 1 provides the 2020 Census population 
and housing for each planning region, based on aggregated data 
previously published for constituent cities and towns.

          Table 1--Planning Region: 2020 Population and Housing
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            2020 Census
             Planning region                population      2020 Census
                                               count       housing count
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capitol.................................         976,248         414,084
Greater Bridgeport......................         325,778         125,332
Lower Connecticut River Valley..........         174,225          82,497
Naugatuck Valley........................         450,376         191,376
Northeastern Connecticut................          95,348          41,439
Northwest Hills.........................         112,503          55,478
South Central Connecticut...............         570,487         246,044
Southeastern Connecticut................         280,430         125,183
Western Connecticut.....................         620,549         248,764
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Using the distribution of cities and towns within counties and 
planning regions as a guide, data users can use crosswalk relationship 
files between counties and planning regions, to build longitudinal 
datasets or make approximate comparisons as depicted in Table 2 below.

                               Table 2--Counties-to-Planning Regions Approximation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                2020 Census                                       2020 Census
                   County                     population count         Planning region          population count
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             .................  Greater Bridgeport...........            325,778
Fairfield..................................            957,419  Western Connecticut..........            620,549
Hartford...................................            899,498  .............................  .................
Tolland....................................            149,788  Capitol......................            976,248
Litchfield.................................            185,186  Northwest Hills..............            112,503

[[Page 34238]]

 
Middlesex..................................            164,245  Lower Connecticut River                  174,225
                                                                 Valley.
                                             .................  Naugatuck Valley.............            450,376
New Haven..................................            864,835  South Central Connecticut....            570,487
New London.................................            268,555  Southeastern Connecticut.....            280,430
Windham....................................            116,418  Northeastern Connecticut.....             95,348
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    To assist with the transition from counties to planning regions and 
the development of longitudinal data for the new county-equivalents, 
the Census Bureau will produce and make available reference files 
identifying the cities and towns that constitute each planning region, 
and reference files identifying the relationships between various sub-
state and sub-county geographic areas and the planning regions. This 
will facilitate aggregation of data from Census Bureau programs that 
collect, tabulate, and disseminate data for cities and towns in 
Connecticut. These files will be posted at the Census Bureau website 
titled ``Substantial Changes to Counties and County-Equivalent 
Entities: 1970-Present'' and will include detailed information about 
the updates referenced in this notice.
    Upon adoption of this change, the Census Bureau will include 
planning regions in all geospatial data products, including TIGER/Line 
Shapefiles, TIGER/Line Geodatabases, cartographic boundary files, and 
mapping services. The INCITS 31 Codes and National Standard (NS) 
(specifically INCITS 446) Codes for the eight counties will be retired 
from current and future Census Bureau products and used only within the 
context of data referencing the counties in Connecticut as published 
before 2022, see Table 3 below.

      Table 3--Legacy County Names and INCITS (Formerly FIPS) Codes
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    INCITS 38 state +
               Name                  INCITS 31 county  National standard
                                         code \1\       county code \2\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fairfield County..................              09001           00212794
Hartford County...................              09003           00212338
Litchfield County.................              09005           00212796
Middlesex County..................              09007           00212797
New Haven County..................              09009           00212798
New London County.................              09011           00212799
Tolland County....................              09013           00212668
Windham County....................              09015           00212801
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Each planning region has been assigned a new three-digit INCITS 31 
Code, starting with 110, and continuing in alphanumeric order by name 
(Table 4).\3\ Each planning region has also been assigned a new eight-
digit National Standard (NS) Code as included in the U.S. Board on 
Geographic Names' (BGN's) Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). 
These new codes and other attribute codes will be included in Census 
Bureau geographic reference products after this change is implemented.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ To make the 3-digit county codes (INCITS 31) nationally 
unique, they need to be combined/concatenated with the 2-digit state 
codes (INCITS 38) as the prefix.
    \2\ National Standard Codes included in Census Bureau products 
are 8-digit INCITS 446 Codes stored and maintained by the U.S. 
Geological Survey (USGS) on behalf of the U.S. BGN in the GNIS.
    \3\ The codes in this notice do not match the codes listed in 
the proposed notice issued on December 14, 2020, in the Federal 
Register (85 FR 80766). After issuing the proposal, it was 
determined that a distinct break in the INCITS 31 (formerly FIPS 6) 
Code series would more clearly demarcate the new county-equivalent 
planning regions from the legacy counties and indicate the 
significant change in county-level geographic representation.

     Table 4--Planning Region Names and INCITS (Formerly FIPS) Codes
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    INCITS 38 state +
               Name                  INCITS 31 county  National standard
                                           code           county code
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capitol Planning Region...........              09110           02830244
Greater Bridgeport Planning Region              09120           02830245
Lower Connecticut River Valley                  09130           02830246
 Planning Region..................
Naugatuck Valley Planning Region..              09140           02830249
Northeastern Connecticut Planning               09150           02830250
 Region...........................
Northwest Hills Planning Region...              09160           02830251
South Central Connecticut Planning              09170           02830252
 Region...........................
Southeastern Connecticut Planning               09180           02830253
 Region...........................
Western Connecticut Planning                    09190           02830254
 Region...........................
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 34239]]

Relationship to Other Statistical Geographic Entities

    The Census Bureau accounted for the change from counties to 
planning regions when implementing the Participant Statistical Areas 
Program (PSAP) for the 2020 Census, the program in which the Census 
Bureau works with local officials to review and update block groups and 
census tracts. The planning regions were the official PSAP participants 
in Connecticut for both the 2010 and 2020 censuses, thus ensuring that 
census tracts and block groups generally aligned with city and town 
boundaries, facilitating transition to the new county-equivalents. The 
Census Bureau further reviewed block group and census tract boundaries 
for the 2020 Census to ensure alignment with planning region 
boundaries. As a result, the change to county-equivalents in 
Connecticut will not affect block group and census tract boundaries. 
Both types of entities will nest within planning region boundaries.
    The adoption of planning regions as county-equivalents will affect 
the current and future delineations of Metropolitan and Micropolitan 
Statistical Areas as well as Combined Statistical Areas by the Office 
of Management and Budget. Current New England City and Town Areas 
(NECTAs) and combined NECTAs are not affected by this change.

Timeline

    Officials with Connecticut's Office of Policy and Management 
contacted the Census Bureau in October 2017 regarding the process they 
should follow to adopt the State's nine planning regions as county-
equivalents. At that time, Census Bureau staff advised that officials 
first obtain broad data user support throughout the State, including 
other State agencies, the State Data Center, as well as the planning 
regions. Table 5 below highlights important milestones of the process 
leading to the publication of this notice. Once broad support for the 
change was achieved, a formal request addressed to the Census Bureau's 
Director was needed for the Census Bureau to take formal steps toward 
adoption of the nine planning regions as county-equivalents. The 
State's initial formal request was received by the Census Bureau in 
August 2019. The State also submitted a letter of support from the 
Connecticut Data Collaborative/State Data Center attesting to the 
importance and value of data for planning regions to analysts, decision 
makers, and other data users throughout Connecticut as well as broad 
support for the change among data users throughout the State. In 
addition, members of Connecticut's Congressional delegation, chairs of 
each of the State's nine COGs, and officials from the Connecticut 
Conference of Municipalities, Council of Small Towns, and the Advisory 
Commission on Intergovernmental Relations were copied on the State's 
letter to the Census Bureau. The Census Bureau held a meeting with 
Connecticut State and local government officials, State agency staff, 
and COG chairs in April 2020 to provide an update on outreach regarding 
the proposed change where meeting participants reiterated the 
importance of, and support for, adoption of the State's nine planning 
regions as county-equivalents.
    The Census Bureau began outreach to other federal agencies and data 
users regarding this change in October 2019, following Connecticut's 
formal request to begin the process of replacing its eight counties 
with the nine planning regions. The Census Bureau published a notice in 
the Federal Register on December 14, 2020 (85 FR 80766) requesting 
comments on the proposed program change. The Census Bureau has held 
seven briefings for staff of federal agencies: one for the Interagency 
Council on Statistical Policy; two organized by the Federal Committee 
on Statistical Methodology--Geospatial Interest Group; two specifically 
for Department of Housing and Urban Development staff, including staff 
managing the Community Development Block Grant and other funding 
allocation programs; one specifically for Bureau of Labor Statistics 
staff; and one organized by the U.S. Department of Transportation 
attended by federal, State, and local transportation planners.

Summary of Comments Received in Response to Proposed Changes

    The Census Bureau received eight comments in total in response to 
the notice on the proposal published in the Federal Register on 
December 14, 2020 (85 FR 80766). Six of the comments expressed support 
for the change. One comment suggested a change from the county code 
assignments published in Table 4 of the proposed notice to the county 
code assignment which was adopted for this final notice. The final 
comment focused on questions regarding state-level decisions and was 
referred to Connecticut executive stakeholders to provide a response.
    Following completion of the formal period of comment associated 
with the proposal in the December 14, 2020 Federal Register Notice (85 
FR 80766), the Census Bureau, in consultation with Connecticut 
government officials, reviewed the comments received to determine if 
there were valid reasons to revisit the proposed plan. With none being 
noted, Connecticut reached the final decision in December 2021 to move 
forward with the implementation of the nine planning regions as county-
equivalents in Census Bureau publications. This Notice serves as the 
Census Bureau's final formal announcement of intent to immediately 
implement the changes detailed herein.
    The Census Bureau continued to conduct additional outreach after 
the official comment period for the proposal in the Federal Register 
Notice closed on February 12, 2021. From March 2021 to February 2022 
the Census Bureau held meetings with DHS (Department of Homeland 
Security) and two of its components, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management 
Agency) and the Office of Infrastructure within NPPD (the National 
Protection and Program Directorate); the Department of Interior and its 
component agency, the U.S. Geological Survey, including USGS's National 
Geospatial Program Office; the Department of Agriculture; the 
Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for 
Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs; and, two other 
Commerce Department bureaus, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration--including the National Weather Service) and BEA (Bureau 
of Economic Affairs).

                                         Table 5--Timeline of Activities
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Activity                                                  Dates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials from the State of Connecticut's Office of      October 2017.
 Policy and Management contact Census Bureau regarding
 proposed adoption of planning regions as county-
 equivalents.
Connecticut Office of Policy and Management staff        November 2017-March 2019.
 conduct outreach at the State-level to obtain
 consensus for change.

[[Page 34240]]

 
Formal request from the State of Connecticut to the      August 2019.
 Census Bureau's Director regarding adoption of
 planning regions as county-equivalents.
Census Bureau outreach to federal agencies and other     September 2019-present
 data users.
Federal Register Notice announcing the Census Bureau's   December 14, 2020.
 proposed implementation of the change in county-
 equivalents.
Census Bureau receives final decision from Connecticut   December 1, 2021.
 to move forward with the changes.
Census Bureau, in consultation with the State of         Spring 2022.
 Connecticut, issues final decision regarding adoption
 of planning regions as county-equivalents.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Robert L. Santos, Director, Census Bureau, approved the publication 
of this Notice in the Federal Register.

    Dated: May 31, 2022.
Mary Reuling Lenaiyasa,
Program Manager, Paperwork Reduction Act, Policy Coordination Office, 
Census Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2022-12063 Filed 6-3-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P