E8-5812. Proposed Collection; Comment Request

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed revision of the “Current Population Survey (CPS) Volunteer Supplement.” A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the individual listed below in the addresses section of this notice.

DATES:

Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the addresses section of this notice on or before May 23, 2008.

ADDRESSES:

Send comments to Amy A. Hobby, BLS Clearance Officer, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 4080, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE., Washington, DC 20212, 202-691-7628. (This is not a toll free number.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Amy A. Hobby, BLS Clearance Officer, 202-691-7628. (See ADDRESSES section.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The September 2008 CPS Volunteer Supplement will be conducted at the request of the Corporation for National and Community Service. The Volunteer Supplement will provide information on the total number of individuals in the U.S. involved in unpaid volunteer activities, measures of the frequency or intensity with which individuals volunteer, types of organizations for which they volunteer, the activities in which volunteers participate, and the prevalence of volunteering more than 120 miles from home or abroad. It will also provide information on civic engagement and charitable donations.

Because the Volunteer Supplement is part of the CPS, the same detailed demographic information collected in the CPS will be available about respondents to the supplement. Thus, comparisons of volunteer activities will be possible across respondent characteristics including sex, race, age, and educational attainment. It is intended that the supplement will be conducted annually, if resources permit, in order to gauge changes in volunteerism.

II. Current Action

Office of Management and Budget clearance is being sought for the CPS Volunteer Supplement. The September 2008 instrument includes some revisions made since the September 2007 instrument. The questions asking how many times a person had worked with others from their neighborhood to fix a problem or improve a situation and how often a person had attended public meetings were deleted. A question asking whether the respondent had made any donations to charitable organizations of money, assets, or property with a combined value of more than $25 was added.

Type of Review: Revision.

Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Title: CPS Volunteer Supplement.

OMB Number: 1220-0176.

Affected Public: Individuals.

Total Respondents: 63,000.

Frequency: Annually.

Total Responses: 106,000.

Average Time per Response: 3 minutes.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 5,300 hours.

Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.

Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): $0.

III. Desired Focus of Comments

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is particularly interested in comments that:

• Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility.
• Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used.
• Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected.
• Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget approval of the information collection request; they also will become a matter of public record.

Signed at Washington, DC, this 17th day of March, 2008.

Cathy Kazanowski,

Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.