[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 58 (Monday, March 25, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20629-20630]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-06226]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 89 , No. 58 / Monday, March 25, 2024 / 
Notices  

[[Page 20629]]



DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau

[Docket Number: 240305-0069]
X-RIN 0607-XC075


Current Mandatory Business Surveys

AGENCY: Census Bureau, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of determination.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) will conduct the 
following current mandatory business surveys in 2024: Annual Integrated 
Economic Survey, Annual Business Survey, Business and Professional 
Classification Report, and the Business Enterprise Research and 
Development Survey. We have determined that data collected from these 
surveys are needed to aid the efficient performance of essential 
governmental functions and have significant application to the needs of 
the public and industry. The data derived from these surveys, most of 
which have been conducted for many years, are not publicly available 
from nongovernmental or other governmental sources.

ADDRESSES: The Census Bureau will make available the reporting 
instructions to the organizations included in the surveys. Additional 
copies are available upon written request to the Director, 4600 Silver 
Hill Road, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC 20233-0101.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nick Orsini, Associate Director for 
Economic Programs, telephone: 301-763-1858; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The surveys described herein are authorized 
by title 13, United States Code (U.S.C.), sections 131 and 182 and are 
necessary to furnish current data on the subjects covered by the major 
censuses. These surveys are made mandatory under the provisions of 
sections 224 and 225 of title 13, U.S.C. These surveys will provide 
continuing and timely national statistical data for the period between 
economic censuses. The data collected in the surveys will be within the 
general scope and nature of those inquiries covered in the economic 
census. The most recent economic census was conducted in 2023 for the 
reference year 2022. The next economic census will occur in 2028 for 
the reference year 2027.
    Notice of specific reporting requirements for each survey, 
including who is to report, the information to be reported, the manner 
of reporting, and the time and place of filing reports, will be 
provided by mail or email only to those required to complete these 
surveys.

Annual Integrated Economic Survey (AIES)

    The AIES is a new survey designed to combine several existing 
Census Bureau annual survey collections to reduce respondent burden and 
simultaneously increase data quality and operational efficiencies. The 
AIES integrates and replaces the following existing annual collections: 
the Annual Retail Trade Survey (ARTS) (Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) control number 0607-0013), the Annual Wholesale Trade Survey 
(AWTS) (OMB control number 0607-0195), the Service Annual Survey (SAS) 
(OMB control number 0607-0422), the Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM) 
(OMB control number 0607-0449), the Annual Capital Expenditures Survey 
(ACES) (OMB control number 0607-0782), the Manufacturer's Unfilled 
Orders Survey (M3UFO) (OMB control number 0607-0561), and the Report of 
Organization (OMB control number 0607-0444).
    The AIES covers all domestic, private, non-farm employer businesses 
in the U.S. (50 States and the District of Columbia) as defined by the 
2017 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Exclusions 
are most foreign operations of U.S. businesses and most government 
operations (including the U.S. Postal Service), agricultural production 
companies, and private households. The AIES sample is selected from a 
frame of approximately 5.4 million companies constructed from the 
Business Register (BR), which is the Census Bureau's master business 
list.
    The AIES estimates will include data on employment; revenue 
including sales; shipments; receipts; taxes, contributions; gifts and 
grants; products; e-commerce activity; operating expenses including 
purchased services; payroll; benefits; rental payments; utilities; 
interest; equipment; materials and supplies; other detailed operating 
expenses; and assets which includes capital expenditures; inventories; 
depreciable assets; and robotics.
    The AIES will provide continuous and timely national and 
subnational statistical data on the economy. Government program 
officials, industry organization leaders, economic and social analysts, 
business entrepreneurs, and domestic and foreign researchers in 
academia, business, and government will use statistics from AIES.
    More information regarding the AIES can be found in the Information 
Collection Request approved by the Office of Management and Budget on 
February 7, 2024 at the following link: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202310-0607-003

Annual Business Survey (ABS)

    The ABS provides information on selected economic and demographic 
characteristics for businesses and business owners by sex, ethnicity, 
race, and veteran status. Further, the survey measures research and 
development for microbusinesses, new business topics such as innovation 
and technology, as well as other business characteristics. The ABS 
includes all nonfarm employer businesses filing Internal Revenue 
Service (IRS) tax forms as individual proprietorships, partnerships, or 
any other type of corporation, with receipts of $1,000 or more. The ABS 
is sponsored by the National Center for Science and Engineering 
Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science Foundation (NSF) and 
conducted by the Census Bureau.
    More information regarding the ABS can be found in the Information 
Collection Request approved by the Office of Management and Budget on 
April 24, 2023 at the following link: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202301-0607-003.

Business and Professional Classification Report

    The Business and Professional Classification Report collects one-
time data on a firm's type of business activity from a sample of 
businesses that were recently assigned Federal Employer

[[Page 20630]]

Identification Numbers or recently added to the scope of the Census 
Bureau's current business surveys. The data are used to update the 
sampling frames for our current business surveys. Additionally, the 
business classification data will help ensure businesses are directed 
to complete the correct report in the economic census.
    More information regarding the Business and Professional 
Classification Report can be found in the Information Collection 
Request approved by the Office of Management and Budget on September 
15, 2021 at the following link: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202105-0607-002.

Business Enterprise Research and Development Survey (BERD)

    The BERD collects annual data on spending for research and 
development activities by businesses. The BERD collects foreign as well 
as domestic spending information, more detailed information about the 
R&D workforce, and information regarding intellectual property from 
U.S. businesses. The Census Bureau collects and compiles this 
information in accordance with a joint project agreement between the 
National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Census Bureau. The NSF posts 
the BERD information results on their website.
    More information regarding the BERD can be found in the Information 
Collection Request approved by the Office of Management and Budget on 
December 15, 2021 at the following link: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202108-0607-005.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required 
to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure 
to comply with a collection of information subject to the requirements 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) unless that collection of 
information displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) control number. In accordance with the PRA, 44 U.S.C. chapter 45, 
OMB approved the surveys described in this notice under the following 
OMB control numbers: AIES, 0607-1024; ABS, 0607-1004; Business and 
Professional Classification Report, 0607-0189; and BERD, 0607-0912.
    Based upon the foregoing, I have directed that the current 
mandatory business surveys be conducted for the purpose of collecting 
these data.
    Robert L. Santos, Director, Census Bureau, approved the publication 
of this notice in the Federal Register.

    Dated: March 19, 2024.
Shannon Wink,
Program Analyst, Policy Coordination Office, U.S. Census Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2024-06226 Filed 3-22-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P