[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 159 (Tuesday, August 18, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44233-44234]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-22145]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Bureau of the Census
Census 2000/Puerto Rico
ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(2)(A)).
Dates: Written comments must be submitted on or before October 19,
1998.
Addresses: Direct all written comments to Linda Engelmeier,
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room
5327, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.
For Further Information Contact: Requests for additional information
should be directed to Decennial Communications, Decennial Management
Division, Bureau of the Census, Room 2002, Suitland Federal Center #2,
Washington, DC 20233-0001. Their telephone number is (301) 457-3947.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The United States Constitution mandates that a census of the
Nation's population and housing be taken every 10 years. Title 13 of
the U.S. Code specifies that in addition to the 50 states and the
District of Columbia, the census also should include Puerto Rico, the
U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands. The Census Bureau's goal in Census 2000 is to
take the most accurate and cost-effective census possible. The
importance of an accurate decennial census cannot be overstated. Puerto
Rico census data are used to redraw legislative district boundaries to
ensure that political representation is distributed accurately and to
determine funding allocations for the distribution of Federal and
Puerto Rico funds each year. Census data tell us what we know about
Puerto Rico; they are the definitive benchmark for virtually all
demographic information used by the Federal, Puerto Rico and local
governments, policy makers, educators, journalists, and community and
nonprofit organizations.
From Census 2000, the Census Bureau will produce population totals
by race, Hispanic origin, and age for census blocks and higher
geographic levels for legislative redistricting in Puerto Rico. The
Census Bureau also will be collecting a wealth of demographic, social,
economic, and housing characteristics from the population. This
information is required to implement programs and enforce Federal laws
and, as noted above, plays an important role in the distribution of
Federal and Puerto Rico funds each year and serves as a benchmark for
many different purposes.
In the process of developing our data collection forms, the Census
Bureau has tried to reduce respondent burden in three ways: (1)
Including only those questions that are explicitly required in Federal
law or whose use is strongly implied by the data requirements in the
law--both the short form and the long form have fewer questions than
their 1990 counterparts, (2) Working through the decade to develop
forms that are easy to understand and fill out, and (3) asking most
questions of only a sample of approximately 1 in 6 households in Puerto
Rico.
II. Method of Collection
In Census 2000, the Census Bureau will make every effort to account
for all people living in the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S.
Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana
[[Page 44234]]
Islands as well as Americans overseas (and their dependents) who are
working for the U.S. Government. In Puerto Rico, enumerators will
deliver a questionnaire to each housing unit, to be returned in a
postage-paid envelope. Housing units will receive an advance letter
before questionnaire delivery and a reminder card following
questionnaire delivery. Enumerators also will visit and collect
information from households that did not return a questionnaire by mail
or report their census information by other means, such as by
telephone--this operation is called nonresponse follow-up. The Census
Bureau also will conduct a reinterview of a small portion of
respondents during nonresponse follow-up to ensure the quality of work
in this operation.
The Census Bureau plans to take the following additional steps to
improve response to the census:
Build partnerships with Puerto Rico and local governments
and with community groups to alert the Census Bureau to problems and
advise the Bureau of opportunities to publicize Census 2000 and the
best ways to communicate the message.
Motivate individuals to respond (by explaining the
benefits and mandatory nature of the census) and make Census 2000 forms
attractive, easy to understand, and simple to fill out. Private sector
designers have worked with the Census Bureau to simplify the forms and
implement the user-friendly features shown to increase response during
testing and research conducted by the Census Bureau.
Placing unaddressed ``Be Counted'' forms in locations such
as community centers and Walk-In Questionnaire Assistance Centers for
use by people who believe they have not been counted in the census. The
Census Bureau intends to make these forms available in Spanish and
English in Puerto Rico.
Employing new methods to find and enumerate people, such
as enumerating persons who use services at shelters, soup kitchens, and
other facilities and placing unaddressed ``Be Counted'' forms in
publicly accessible locations for pick up and completion by people who
believe that they have not been counted in the census.
Providing telephone questionnaire assistance.
The Census Bureau intends to employ statistical sampling to check
the quality of the work. An independent quality check--called the
Integrated Coverage Measurement survey--will use the information
gathered from a second, independent operation to improve the accuracy
of the census. The Integrated Coverage Measurement survey will be
submitted separately for OMB review.
III. Data
OMB Number: Not available.
Form Numbers:
Update/Leave Short Forms: D-1(UL) PR, D-1(UL) PR(S), D-1A(UL) PR, D-
1A(UL) PR(S)
Update/Leave Long Forms: D-2(UL) PR, D-2(UL) PR(S), D-2A(UL) PR, D-
2A(UL) PR(S)
Enumerator Short Forms: D-1(E) PR, D-1(E) PR(S), D-1(E)SUPP-PR, D-
1(E)SUPP-PR(S)
Enumerator Long Forms: D-2(E) PR, D-2(E) PR(S), D-2(E)SUPP-PR, D-
2(E)SUPP-PR(S)
Household Followup: D-1(HF) PR, D-1(HF) PR(S), D-2(HF) PR, D-2(HF)
PR(S)
Be Counted Forms: D-10 PR, D-10 PR(S)
Individual Census Questionnaires: D-15A PR, D-15A PR(S), D-15B PR, D-
15B PR(S)
Individual Census Reports: D-20A PR, D-20A PR(S), D-20B PR, D-20B PR(S)
Military Census Report: D-21 PR
Shipboard Census Report: D-23 PR
Letters/Cards/Notices:
Advance Letter: D-5(UL) PR (Spanish/English),
Reminder Postcard: D-9(UL) PR (Spanish/English),
Initial Cover Letter--short: D-16A(L) PR, D-16A(L) PR(S)
Initial Cover Letter--long: D-16B(L) PR, D-16B(L) PR(S)
Flyer--Whole Household Usual Home Elsewhere: D-11 PR, D-11 PR(S)
Household Followup Letter--short: D-19A(L) PR, D-19A(L) PR(S)
Household Followup Letter--long: D-19B(L) PR, D-19B(L) PR(S)
Notice of Visit: D-26 PR, D-26 PR(S)
Privacy Act Notice: D-31 PR (Spanish/English)
Reinterview: D-806 PR, D-806 PR(S)
Type of Review: Regular Submission.
Affected Public: Individuals or households.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,400,000 households (approx.)
(Short Form: 83%; Long form: 17%); Reinterview: 15,820 households.
Estimated Time Per Response:
Short Form: 13 minutes
Long Form: 48 minutes
Reinterview: 6 minutes
Estimated Total Annual Burden:
Short Form: 251,767 hours
Long Form: 190,400 hours
Reinterview: 1,582 hours
Total: 443,749 hours
Estimated Total Annual Cost: The only cost to the respondent is
their time.
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. Sections 141 and 193. Title 13
U.S.C. Section 191 directs the inclusion of Puerto Rico within the
geographic scope of the census.
IV. Request for Comments
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information;
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of
information on respondents, including through the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information
collection; the comments will become a matter of public record.
Dated: August 12, 1998.
Linda Engelmeier,
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information
Officer.
[FR Doc. 98-22145 Filed 8-17-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P
