[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 223 (Tuesday, November 21, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81041-81042]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-25733]


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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; State and Local Government Finance Collections, and Public 
Employment and Payroll Collections

AGENCY: Census Bureau, Department of 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 State and Local Government Finance 
Collections, and Public Employment and Payroll Collections 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 January 22, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by 
email to [email protected]. Please reference State and Local 
Government Finance Collections, and Public Employment and Payroll 
Collections in the subject line of your comments. You may also submit 
comments, identified by Docket Number USBC-2023-0014, 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 Michael Reich, Assistant Division Chief, Public Sector, Economy-Wide 
Statistics Division, 301-763-5163; or by email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau plans to request an extension of the clearance 
for the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll and the Annual 
Survey of State and Local Government Finances. There are no proposed 
changes since the last approved clearance. The Annual Survey of Public 
Employment & Payroll collects state and local government data by 
function for full-time and part-time employees and payroll. The Annual 
Survey of State and Local Government Finances collect state and local 
government finance data including government revenue, expenditure, 
debt, assets, and pension systems. Data are collected for all agencies, 
departments, and institutions of the fifty state governments and for a 
sample of all local governments (counties, municipalities, townships, 
and special districts). Data for school districts are collected under a 
separate survey and are not included here.
    In years ending with 2 and 7 this collection is conducted as a part 
of the Census of Governments. There is no difference in content 
collected between a Census of Governments year and non-Census year. The 
only difference is that in non-Census years, we only collect from a 
sample of the universe of state and local governments, whereas during a 
Census of Governments year the entire universe is collected. The 
upcoming three years of this clearance extension will cover the 
collections for fiscal years of 2023, 2024, and 2025, all of which are 
non-Census years.
    The data are released as part of the State and Local Government 
Finance and Public Employment & Payroll statistical series. The 
collections also produce individual data products that focus on state 
governments, local governments, and public pensions in greater detail 
than the combined financial and employment series as a by-product of 
their collections for the combined data series. The Census Bureau 
provides these data to the Bureau of Economic Analysis to develop the 
public sector components of the National Income and Product Accounts 
and for constructing the functional payrolls in the public sector of 
the Gross Domestic Product, payroll being the single largest component 
of current operations. The Census Bureau also provides these data to 
the Federal Reserve Board for use in the Flow of

[[Page 81042]]

Funds Accounts. Other Federal agencies that make use of the data 
include the Council of Economic Advisers, the Agency for Healthcare 
Research and Quality, the Government Accountability Office, and the 
Department of Justice. State and local governments and related 
organizations, public policy groups, public interest groups, private 
research organizations, and private sector businesses also use these 
data.
    Statistics are produced as data files in electronic formats 
published to the Census website.

II. Method of Collection

    These surveys use multiple modes for data collection with the main 
collection method being internet data collection with a mailed 
invitation, followed by email, mail, and telephone follow-ups. Other 
methods used to collect data and maximize response include collecting 
state and local government data through administrative records such as 
submitted financial audits, state financial reports, and annual 
comprehensive financial reports via electronic or mailed files and/or 
records.
    The Census Bureau developed central collection agreements with 
state and large local government officials to collect the data from 
their dependent agencies and report to the Census Bureau as a central 
respondent. These arrangements eliminate the need for a mail invitation 
for approximately 5,900 governmental units in a sample year and 32,000 
during the year of the Census of Governments. The arrangements reduce 
burden by greatly decreasing the number of respondents who must 
complete an on-line response as the data are acquired from a 
centralized source instead of multiple sources.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0585.
    Form Number(s): F-5, F-11, F-12, F-13, F-28, F-29, F-32, E-1, E-2, 
E-3, E-4, E-5, E-6, E-7, E-8, E-9, E-10.
    Type of Review: Regular submission, Request for an Extension, 
without Change, of a Currently Approved Collection.
    Affected Public: State and Local governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: For F-forms: 13,683, For E-forms: 
15,926/sample year.
    Estimated Time per Response: For F-forms: 2.97, For E-forms: .86 
hours/sample year.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: For F-forms: 40,613, For E-
forms: 13,693 hours/sample year.
    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. 161 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 Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2023-25733 Filed 11-20-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P