[Federal Register: May 7, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 88)]
[Notices]               
[Page 24571-24572]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07my99-40]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

 
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    DOC has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
clearance the following proposal for collection of information under 
the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: Bureau of the Census.
    Title: Census 2000 Test Program.
    Form Number(s): There are 77 forms making up the test program. 
Although they are too numerous to list here, the forms will be provided 
upon request.
    Agency Approval Number: None.
    Type of Request: New collection.
    Burden: 8,013 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 200,300.
    Avg Hours Per Response: AQE2000, SPAN, and RMIE Short-forms=10 
minutes; AQE2000 and SPAN long-forms=38 minutes; SPAN Survey of

[[Page 24572]]

Privacy Attitudes=15 minutes; AREX2000 introductory letter=1.5 minutes; 
AREX2000 Coverage Improvement Survey (CIS)=12.5 minutes; AREX2000 CIS 
Follow-up=7 minutes.
    Needs and Uses: The Census Bureau plans to test several 
methodologies, techniques, and strategies for improving the way we 
conduct the decennial census in a ``census environment.'' It is 
important to examine innovative ideas in the environment for which they 
are intended to accurately measure effectiveness and feasibility. The 
Census Bureau plans four separate tests in 2000. They are referred to 
as the Alternative Questionnaire Experiment (AQE2000), the 
Administrative Records Census in 2000 Experiment (AREX2000), the Social 
Security Number, Privacy Attitudes, and Notification (SPAN) Experiment, 
and the Response Mode and Incentive Experiment (RMIE). Objectives of 
the AQE2000 are to continue efforts to develop a user-friendly mailout 
questionnaire that can be accurately completed by respondents and to 
continue examination of methods to increase mail response. The 
principle objective of the AREX2000 is to simulate an administrative 
records census for selected test areas and to compare the results and 
costs to Census 2000. The purpose of the SPAN Experiment is to obtain 
behavior and attitudinal data on several topics related to the use of 
administrative records and to determine how a request for social 
security number (SSN) on a census form affects response. The goals of 
the RMIE are (a) to see if the use of prepaid calling cards as an 
incentive to respond to the census will increase response and (b) to 
measure what extent respondents choose to use these response options.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Frequency: One time only.
    Respondent's Obligation: Responses are mandatory with the following 
exceptions: The SPAN Survey of Privacy Attitudes is voluntary. 
Additionally, SPAN respondents receiving an experimental short-form 
including a request for SSN will be informed that providing SSN is 
strictly voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 USC, Sections 141 and 193.
    OMB Desk Officer: Nancy Kirkendall, (202) 395-7313.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Linda Engelmeier, DOC Forms Clearance Officer, 
(202) 482-3272, Department of Commerce, room 5033, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to Nancy Kirkendall, OMB Desk Officer, room 10201, New Executive Office 
Building, Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: May 4, 1999.
Linda Engelmeier,
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer.
[FR Doc. 99-11578 Filed 5-6-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P