02-29377. Questionnaire for Building Permit Official

ACTION:

Proposed collection; comment request.

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 January 21, 2003.

ADDRESSES:

Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at [e-mail]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions should be directed to Erica Filipek, Census Bureau, Room 2105, FOB 4, Washington, DC 20233-6900, [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The Census Bureau uses the Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) electronic questionnaire SOC-QBPO to collect information from state and local building permit officials, such as (1) the types of permits they issue, (2) the length of time a permit is valid, (3) how they store permits, and (4) the geographic coverage of the permit system. We need this information to carry out the sampling for the Survey of Housing Starts, Sales, and Completions (OMB number 0607-0110), also known as Survey of Construction (SOC). The SOC provides widely used measures of construction activity, including the economic indicators Housing Starts, Housing Completions, and New Housing Sales.

We plan no changes to the information collection methodology. In addition, there are no plans to change the sample size.

II. Method of Collection

The Census Bureau uses its field representatives to obtain information on the operating procedures of a permit office. The field representative visits the permit office, conducts the interview, and completes the electronic form.

III. Data

OMB Number: 0607-0125.

Form Number: SOC-QBPO.

Type of Review: Regular review.

Affected Public: State and local governments.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 900.

Estimated Time Per Response: 15 minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 225 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Cost: The estimated cost to the respondent is $4,230 based on an average hourly salary of $18.80 for state and local government employees. This estimate was taken from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State and Local Government Employment, 2001.

Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, section 182.

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 to be collected; 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; they also will become a matter of public record.

Dated: November 14, 2002.

Madeleine Clayton,

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.