[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 142 (Tuesday, July 26, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44336-44337]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-15982]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Generic Clearance for Census Bureau Field Tests and 
Evaluations

AGENCY: Census Bureau, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of Information collection, request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, invites the general public and 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 extension of the Generic Clearance for Census Bureau Field 
Tests and Evaluations, 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 September 26, 
2022.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by 
email to Jennifer Hunter Childs ([email protected]). 
Please reference Generic Clearance for Census Bureau Field Tests and 
Evaluations in the subject line of your comments. You may also submit 
comments, identified by Docket Number USBC-2022-0013, to the Federal e-
Rulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. All comments received 
are part of the public record. No comments will be posted to https://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 Jennifer Hunter Childs, Assistant Center Chief, Emerging Methods and 
Applications, Center for Behavioral Science Methods, (202) 603-4827, 
[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 though each share 
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(s): Not yet determined.
    Type of Review: Regular submission, Request for an Extension, 
without Change, of a Currently Approved Collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households, businesses or other for 
profit, farms.
    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 to Public: There is no cost to the 
respondent other than time to answer the information request.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary or Mandatory, 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, Sections 131, 141, 161, 181, 182, 193, and 301 
for Census Bureau sponsored surveys, and Title 13 and 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

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed

[[Page 44337]]

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. 2022-15982 Filed 7-25-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P