Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Boundary and Annexation Survey, 51766-51768 [2015-21106]
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51766
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 165 / Wednesday, August 26, 2015 / Notices
Total Burden Hours: 1.790.
Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015–21121 Filed 8–25–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Census Bureau
Proposed Information Collection;
Comment Request; Boundary and
Annexation Survey
Census Bureau, Commerce.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
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: To ensure consideration, submit
written comments, on or before October
26, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments
to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental
Paperwork Clearance Officer,
Department of Commerce, Room 6616,
14th and Constitution Avenue NW.,
Washington, DC 20230 (or via the
Internet at jjessup@doc.gov).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Direct requests for additional
information or copies of the information
collection instrument(s) and
instructions to Laura Waggoner, U.S.
Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill Road,
Washington, DC 20233 (or via the
Internet at laura.l.waggoner@
census.gov).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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SUMMARY:
I. Abstract
The Census Bureau conducts the
Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)
to collect and maintain information
about the inventory of legal boundaries
and legal actions affecting the
boundaries of counties and equivalent
entities, incorporated places, minor civil
divisions (MCDs), and federally
recognized legal American Indian and
Alaska Native areas. This information
provides an accurate identification of
geographic areas for the Census Bureau
to use in conducting the Decennial and
Economic Censuses and ongoing
surveys, preparing population estimates,
and supporting other statistical
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programs of the Census Bureau and the
legislative programs of the Federal
government.
Through the BAS, the Census Bureau
asks each government to review
materials for its jurisdiction to verify the
correctness of the information
portrayed. The Census Bureau requests
that each government update the
boundaries, supply information
documenting each legal boundary
change, and provide changes in the
inventory of governments. The Census
Bureau has a national implementation
of the BAS, but each state’s laws are
reviewed for inclusion in the processing
procedures. In addition, if it comes to
the Census Bureau’s attention that an
area of non-tribal land is in dispute
between two or more jurisdictions, the
Census Bureau will not make
annexations or boundary corrections
until the parties come to a written
agreement, or there is a documented
final court decision regarding the matter
and/or dispute. If there is a dispute over
an area of tribal land, the Census Bureau
will not make additions or boundary
corrections until supporting documents
are provided, or the U.S. Department of
the Interior issues a comment. If
necessary, the Census Bureau will
request clarification regarding current
boundaries, particularly if supporting
documentation pre-dates 1990, from the
U.S. Department of the Interior, Office
of the Solicitor.
The BAS universe and mailing
materials vary depending both upon the
needs of the Census Bureau in fulfilling
its censuses and household surveys, and
upon budget constraints. Counties or
equivalent entities, federally recognized
American Indian reservations (AIRs),
Off-Reservation Trust Lands (ORTLs),
and Tribal Subdivisions are included in
every survey.
In the years ending in 8, 9 and 0, the
BAS includes all governmentally active
counties and equivalent entities,
incorporated places, legally defined
MCDs, and legally defined federally
recognized American Indian and Alaska
Native areas (including the Alaska
Native Regional Corporations). Each
governmental entity surveyed will
receive materials covering its
jurisdiction and one or more forms.
These three years coincide with the
Census Bureau’s preparation for the
Decennial Census. There are fewer than
40,000 governments in the universe
each year.
In all other years, the BAS reporting
universe includes all legally defined
federally recognized American Indian
and Alaska Native areas, all
governmental counties and equivalent
entities, MCDs in the six New England
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States and those incorporated places
that have a population of 2,500 or
greater. The reporting universe is
approximately 14,000 governments due
to budget constraints. The Census
Bureau only follows up on a subset of
governments designated as the reporting
universe.
In the years ending in 1 through 7, the
Census Bureau may enter into
agreements with individual states to
modify the universe of MCDs and/or
incorporated places to include
additional entities that are known by
that state to have had boundary changes,
without regard to population size. Each
year, the BAS will also include a single
respondent request for municipio,
barrio, barrio-pueblo, and subbarrio
boundary and status information in
Puerto Rico and Hawaiian Homeland
boundary and status information in
Hawaii.
In the years ending in 6 through 9,
state participants in the Redistricting
Data Program (RDP) may request
coordination between the BAS and RDP
submissions for the Block Boundary
Suggestion Project (BBSP) and Voting
District Project (VTDP). The alignment
of the BAS with the BBSP and VTDP
will facilitate increased cooperation
between state and local governments
and provide the opportunity to align
their effort with updates from state and
local government officials participating
in the BAS.
No other Federal agency collects these
data nor is there a standard collection of
this information at the state level. BAS
is a unique survey providing a standard
result for use by federal, state, local, and
tribal governments and by commercial,
private, and public organizations.
II. Method of Collection
The Census Bureau has developed
and continues to use several methods to
collect information on status and
updates for legal boundaries. These
methods are:
• State Certification
• Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU)
• Consolidation Agreements
• Annual Response
• Paper BAS
• Digital BAS
• Boundary Quality Assessment
Reconciliation Project (BQARP)
• Research Projects
State Certification
Through the BAS State Certification
program, the Census Bureau invites the
Governor-appointed State Certifying
Official (SCO) from each state, to review
the boundary and governmental unit
information collected during the
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previous BAS cycle. The purpose of the
State Certification program is to verify
the accuracy and validate the BAS
information with state governments for
incorporated places received from the
previous BAS cycle. The CensusBureau
requests the SCOs review data files,
including the attribute data, legal
boundary changes, as well as the legal
names and functional statuses of
incorporated places and MCDs, and any
new incorporations or disincorporations
reported through the BAS. A SCO may
request that the Census Bureau edit the
attribute data, add missing records, or
remove invalid records if their state
government maintains an official record
of all effective changes to legal
boundaries and governmental units as
mandated by state law. State
Certification packages contain a letter to
the Governor, a State Certifying Official
Letter, a Discrepancy Letter, and a State
Certification Respondent Guide.
MOU
In states with legislation requiring
local governments to report all legal
boundary updates to a state agency,
state officials may enter into a MOU
with the Census Bureau. States have the
option to report to the Census Bureau
the list of governments with known
legal boundary changes and the Census
Bureau will include in the BAS only
those governments with known
boundary changes or the state may
report the legal boundary changes
directly to the Census Bureau on behalf
of the governments. The Census Bureau
will not survey the local governments if
the state reports for them. The Census
Bureau will send a reminder email
notification to the governments
requesting them to report to the state
contact, per MOU. The MOU, as agreed
uponby the state and the Census
Bureau, will outline the terms of the
survey and reporting for governments.
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Consolidation Agreements
Consolidation agreements allow state
and county government officials, in
states where there are no legislative
requirements for local governments to
report their legal updates to the state or
county, the opportunity to reduce the
response burden for their local
governments. Under a consolidation
agreement, a state or county responds to
the BAS for the local governments that
agree to allow the state or county to
respond on their behalf. The Census
Bureau sends the BAS materials to the
state or county, as appropriate, and
sends a reminder notification to the
local government to report their updates
to their BAS consolidator.
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Annual Response
Annual Response involves an
announcement email letter and a onepage form for the state and county
governments that do not have a
consolidation agreement. Through
Annual Response, county, tribal, and
local governments indicate whether
they have boundary changes to report
and provide a current contact person.
The Census Bureau requests
governments to reply online or through
email. The Annual Response method
reduces cost and respondent burden
through savings on materials and effort.
All governments receive this
notification regardless of population
size. The Census Bureau will conduct
telephone follow-up only to
governments in the reporting universe
due to budget constraints.
If a government requests materials
through Annual Response, they may
choose to download digital materials or
have the materials shipped as a
traditional paper package or digital
media types.
Paper BAS
For the traditional paper package, the
respondent completes the BAS form and
draws the boundary updates on the
maps using pencils provided in the
package. The package contains large
format maps, printed forms and
supplies to complete the survey.
The typical BAS package contains:
1. Introductory letter from the
Director of the Census Bureau;
2. Appropriate BAS Form(s) that
contains entity-specific identification
information;
a. BAS–1: incorporated places and
consolidated cities;
b. BAS–2: counties, parishes, and
boroughs;
c. BAS–3: MCDs;
d. BAS–5: American Indian and
Alaska Native Areas.
3. BAS Respondent Guide;
4. Set of maps;
5. Return postage-paid envelope to
submit boundary changes;
6. Postcard to notify the Census
Bureau of no changes to the boundary;
and
7. Supplies for updating paper maps.
Digital BAS
Digital BAS includes options to
receive software and spatial data to
make boundary updates or to make
boundary updates electronically by
submitting a digital file. A local contact
from each government verifies the legal
boundary, and then provides boundary
changes and updated contact
information. An official signs the
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51767
materials, verifies the forms, and returns
the information to the Census Bureau.
The typical Digital BAS package
contains:
1. Introductory letter from the
Director of the Census Bureau;
2. Appropriate BAS Form(s) that
contains entity-specific identification
information;
a. BAS–1: incorporated places and
consolidated cities;
b. BAS–2: counties, parishes, and
boroughs;
c. BAS–3: MCDs; and
d. BAS–5: American Indian and
Alaska Native Areas.
3. CD or DVD and software CD for
Geographic Update Partnership
Software (GUPS); and
4. Postcard to notify the Census
Bureau of no changes to the boundary.
The key dates for governments are as
follows:
1. Annual Response emailed or
mailed to the local contact in December
of each year.
2. BAS package/materials shipped
during the months of December,
January, February, March, and April of
each year.
3. Requests to change the method of
participation (i.e., paper to digital
submission and vice versa) are due by
April 15th of each year.
4. Responses for inclusion in the
American Community Survey (ACS)
and Population Estimates Program (PEP)
are due by March 1st of each year, with
an effective date of January 1st of the
year in question or earlier.
5. Responses for inclusion in the
following year’s BAS materials are due
by May 31st of each year and will
include any annexation received from
the previous or current year.
6. In year 2020, all legal
documentation for inclusion in the 2020
Census must be effective as of January
1, 2020 or earlier. All legal boundary
changes will be placed on hold and
updated during the 2021 BAS if
effective January 2, 2020 or later.
BQARP
To improve boundary quality in the
Census Bureau’s Master Address File/
Topologically Integrated Geographic
Encoding and Referencing (MAF/
TIGER) System, the Census Bureau is
introducing the Boundary Quality
Assessment Reconciliation Project
(BQARP) to support the BAS program.
BQARP is a project to assess, analyze,
and improve the spatial quality of legal
and administrative boundaries within
MAF/TIGER. Ensuring quality
boundaries is a critical component of
the geographic preparations for the 2020
Census and the Census Bureau’s
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ongoing Geographic Partnership
Programs (GPPs) and surveys. In
addition, the improvement of boundary
quality is an essential element of the
Census Bureau’s commitment as the
responsible agency for legal boundaries
under the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) Circular A–16. The goal
of BQARP is to establish a new, accurate
baseline for boundaries within an entire
state or county, which the BAS would
then continue the collection of
annexations and de-annexations on a
transaction basis as they occur over
time. The estimated work burden for
participation is 25 hours per participant.
Research Projects
BAS continues to work to improve the
survey based on feedback received from
local governments. The Census Bureau
plans to conduct two research projects
during 2016. The first research project is
for BAS form redesign for potential use
for the 2017 BAS Forms. The second
research project is to test an option for
local governments to provide a list of
addresses associated with an annexation
to continue to improve data quality in
MAF/TIGER. Participation is voluntary
for these research projects. The
estimated work burden for participation
is 3 hours per participant.
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III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0607–0151.
Form Number: BAS 1, BAS 2, BAS 3,
BAS 5, BAS 6, BASSC–1, BASSC–2,
BASSC–3, and BASSC–4.
Type of Review: Regular submission.
Affected Public: All active,
functioning counties or statistically
equivalent entities, incorporated places
(including consolidated cities), MCDs,
all federally recognized AIRs and
ORTLs entities in the United States, and
municipios, barrios and subbarrios in
Puerto Rico.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
Annual Response Notification:
39,400.
No Change Response: 25,000.
Telephone Follow-up: 14,000.
Packages with Changes: 5,000.
State Certification Review: 49.
State Certification Local Review:
1,000.
Boundary Quality Assessment
Reconciliation Project: 16.
Redistricting Data Program
Reconciliation State Review: 50.
Redistricting Data Program
Reconciliation Local Review: 2,000.
Research Projects: 40.
Estimated Total Number of
Respondents: 86,555.
Estimated Time per Response:
Annual Response Notification: 30
minutes.
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No Change Response: 4 hours.
Telephone Follow-up: 30 minutes.
Packages with Changes: 8 hours.
State Certification Review: 10 hours.
State Certification Local Review: 2
hours.
Boundary Quality Assessment
Reconciliation Project: 25 hours.
Redistricting Data Program
Reconciliation State Review: 20 hours.
Redistricting Data Program
Reconciliation Local Review: 2 hours.
Research Projects: 3 hours.
Estimated Total Burden Hours per
Year:
Annual Response Notification:
19,700.
No Change Response: 100,000.
Telephone Follow-up: 7,000.
Packages with Changes: 40,000.
State Certification Review: 490.
State Certification Local Review:
2,000.
Boundary Quality Assessment
Reconciliation Project: 400.
Redistricting Data Program
Reconciliation State Review: 1,000.
Redistricting Data Program
Reconciliation Local Review: 4,000.
Research Projects: 120.
Estimated Total Burden Hours:
174,710.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: $0.
Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary.
Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C.
Section 6.
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.
Summarization of comments
submitted in response to this notice will
be included in the request for OMB
approval of this information collection.
Comments will also become a matter of
public record.
Dated: August 21, 2015.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015–21106 Filed 8–25–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–07–P
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A–570–022]
Certain Uncoated Paper From the
People’s Republic of China:
Preliminary Determination of Sales at
Less Than Fair Value and
Postponement of Final Determination
Enforcement and Compliance,
International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce
(Department) preliminarily determines
that certain uncoated paper (uncoated
paper) from the People’s Republic of
China (PRC) is being, or is likely to be,
sold in the United States at less than fair
value (LTFV), as provided in section
733(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as
amended (the Act). The period of
investigation (POI) is July 1, 2014,
through December 31, 2014. The
estimated weighted-average dumping
margins of sales at LTFV are shown in
the ‘‘Preliminary Determination’’
section of this notice. Interested parties
are invited to comment on this
preliminary determination.
DATES: Effective date: August 26, 2015.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Stephanie Moore or Paul Stolz, AD/CVD
Operations, Office III, Enforcement and
Compliance, International Trade
Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution
Avenue NW., Washington DC 20230;
telephone: (202) 482–3692 or (202) 482–
4474, respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
AGENCY:
Background
The Department published a notice of
initiation of this investigation on
February 18, 2015.1 For a complete
description of the events that followed
the initiation of this investigation, see
the memorandum that is dated
concurrently with this determination
and hereby adopted by this notice.2 The
Preliminary Decision Memorandum is a
public document and is on file
electronically via Enforcement and
Compliance’s Antidumping and
1 See Certain Uncoated Paper From Australia,
Brazil, the People’s Republic of China, Indonesia,
and Portugal: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value
Investigations, 80 FR 8608 (February 18, 2015)
(Initiation Notice).
2 See Memorandum from Christian Marsh, Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and
Countervailing Duty Operations, to Paul Piquado,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and
Compliance, entitled ‘‘Decision Memorandum for
the Preliminary Determination in the Antidumping
Duty Investigation of Certain Uncoated Paper from
Indonesia’’ (Preliminary Decision Memorandum),
dated concurrently with this notice.
E:\FR\FM\26AUN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 165 (Wednesday, August 26, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51766-51768]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21106]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Census Bureau
Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Boundary and
Annexation Survey
AGENCY: Census Bureau, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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: To ensure consideration, submit written comments, on or before
October 26, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th
and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet
at jjessup@doc.gov).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Direct requests for additional
information or copies of the information collection instrument(s) and
instructions to Laura Waggoner, U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill
Road, Washington, DC 20233 (or via the Internet at
laura.l.waggoner@census.gov).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The Census Bureau conducts the Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)
to collect and maintain information about the inventory of legal
boundaries and legal actions affecting the boundaries of counties and
equivalent entities, incorporated places, minor civil divisions (MCDs),
and federally recognized legal American Indian and Alaska Native areas.
This information provides an accurate identification of geographic
areas for the Census Bureau to use in conducting the Decennial and
Economic Censuses and ongoing surveys, preparing population estimates,
and supporting other statistical programs of the Census Bureau and the
legislative programs of the Federal government.
Through the BAS, the Census Bureau asks each government to review
materials for its jurisdiction to verify the correctness of the
information portrayed. The Census Bureau requests that each government
update the boundaries, supply information documenting each legal
boundary change, and provide changes in the inventory of governments.
The Census Bureau has a national implementation of the BAS, but each
state's laws are reviewed for inclusion in the processing procedures.
In addition, if it comes to the Census Bureau's attention that an area
of non-tribal land is in dispute between two or more jurisdictions, the
Census Bureau will not make annexations or boundary corrections until
the parties come to a written agreement, or there is a documented final
court decision regarding the matter and/or dispute. If there is a
dispute over an area of tribal land, the Census Bureau will not make
additions or boundary corrections until supporting documents are
provided, or the U.S. Department of the Interior issues a comment. If
necessary, the Census Bureau will request clarification regarding
current boundaries, particularly if supporting documentation pre-dates
1990, from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the
Solicitor.
The BAS universe and mailing materials vary depending both upon the
needs of the Census Bureau in fulfilling its censuses and household
surveys, and upon budget constraints. Counties or equivalent entities,
federally recognized American Indian reservations (AIRs), Off-
Reservation Trust Lands (ORTLs), and Tribal Subdivisions are included
in every survey.
In the years ending in 8, 9 and 0, the BAS includes all
governmentally active counties and equivalent entities, incorporated
places, legally defined MCDs, and legally defined federally recognized
American Indian and Alaska Native areas (including the Alaska Native
Regional Corporations). Each governmental entity surveyed will receive
materials covering its jurisdiction and one or more forms. These three
years coincide with the Census Bureau's preparation for the Decennial
Census. There are fewer than 40,000 governments in the universe each
year.
In all other years, the BAS reporting universe includes all legally
defined federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native areas,
all governmental counties and equivalent entities, MCDs in the six New
England States and those incorporated places that have a population of
2,500 or greater. The reporting universe is approximately 14,000
governments due to budget constraints. The Census Bureau only follows
up on a subset of governments designated as the reporting universe.
In the years ending in 1 through 7, the Census Bureau may enter
into agreements with individual states to modify the universe of MCDs
and/or incorporated places to include additional entities that are
known by that state to have had boundary changes, without regard to
population size. Each year, the BAS will also include a single
respondent request for municipio, barrio, barrio-pueblo, and subbarrio
boundary and status information in Puerto Rico and Hawaiian Homeland
boundary and status information in Hawaii.
In the years ending in 6 through 9, state participants in the
Redistricting Data Program (RDP) may request coordination between the
BAS and RDP submissions for the Block Boundary Suggestion Project
(BBSP) and Voting District Project (VTDP). The alignment of the BAS
with the BBSP and VTDP will facilitate increased cooperation between
state and local governments and provide the opportunity to align their
effort with updates from state and local government officials
participating in the BAS.
No other Federal agency collects these data nor is there a standard
collection of this information at the state level. BAS is a unique
survey providing a standard result for use by federal, state, local,
and tribal governments and by commercial, private, and public
organizations.
II. Method of Collection
The Census Bureau has developed and continues to use several
methods to collect information on status and updates for legal
boundaries. These methods are:
State Certification
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
Consolidation Agreements
Annual Response
Paper BAS
Digital BAS
Boundary Quality Assessment Reconciliation Project (BQARP)
Research Projects
State Certification
Through the BAS State Certification program, the Census Bureau
invites the Governor-appointed State Certifying Official (SCO) from
each state, to review the boundary and governmental unit information
collected during the
[[Page 51767]]
previous BAS cycle. The purpose of the State Certification program is
to verify the accuracy and validate the BAS information with state
governments for incorporated places received from the previous BAS
cycle. The CensusBureau requests the SCOs review data files, including
the attribute data, legal boundary changes, as well as the legal names
and functional statuses of incorporated places and MCDs, and any new
incorporations or disincorporations reported through the BAS. A SCO may
request that the Census Bureau edit the attribute data, add missing
records, or remove invalid records if their state government maintains
an official record of all effective changes to legal boundaries and
governmental units as mandated by state law. State Certification
packages contain a letter to the Governor, a State Certifying Official
Letter, a Discrepancy Letter, and a State Certification Respondent
Guide.
MOU
In states with legislation requiring local governments to report
all legal boundary updates to a state agency, state officials may enter
into a MOU with the Census Bureau. States have the option to report to
the Census Bureau the list of governments with known legal boundary
changes and the Census Bureau will include in the BAS only those
governments with known boundary changes or the state may report the
legal boundary changes directly to the Census Bureau on behalf of the
governments. The Census Bureau will not survey the local governments if
the state reports for them. The Census Bureau will send a reminder
email notification to the governments requesting them to report to the
state contact, per MOU. The MOU, as agreed uponby the state and the
Census Bureau, will outline the terms of the survey and reporting for
governments.
Consolidation Agreements
Consolidation agreements allow state and county government
officials, in states where there are no legislative requirements for
local governments to report their legal updates to the state or county,
the opportunity to reduce the response burden for their local
governments. Under a consolidation agreement, a state or county
responds to the BAS for the local governments that agree to allow the
state or county to respond on their behalf. The Census Bureau sends the
BAS materials to the state or county, as appropriate, and sends a
reminder notification to the local government to report their updates
to their BAS consolidator.
Annual Response
Annual Response involves an announcement email letter and a one-
page form for the state and county governments that do not have a
consolidation agreement. Through Annual Response, county, tribal, and
local governments indicate whether they have boundary changes to report
and provide a current contact person. The Census Bureau requests
governments to reply online or through email. The Annual Response
method reduces cost and respondent burden through savings on materials
and effort. All governments receive this notification regardless of
population size. The Census Bureau will conduct telephone follow-up
only to governments in the reporting universe due to budget
constraints.
If a government requests materials through Annual Response, they
may choose to download digital materials or have the materials shipped
as a traditional paper package or digital media types.
Paper BAS
For the traditional paper package, the respondent completes the BAS
form and draws the boundary updates on the maps using pencils provided
in the package. The package contains large format maps, printed forms
and supplies to complete the survey.
The typical BAS package contains:
1. Introductory letter from the Director of the Census Bureau;
2. Appropriate BAS Form(s) that contains entity-specific
identification information;
a. BAS-1: incorporated places and consolidated cities;
b. BAS-2: counties, parishes, and boroughs;
c. BAS-3: MCDs;
d. BAS-5: American Indian and Alaska Native Areas.
3. BAS Respondent Guide;
4. Set of maps;
5. Return postage-paid envelope to submit boundary changes;
6. Postcard to notify the Census Bureau of no changes to the
boundary; and
7. Supplies for updating paper maps.
Digital BAS
Digital BAS includes options to receive software and spatial data
to make boundary updates or to make boundary updates electronically by
submitting a digital file. A local contact from each government
verifies the legal boundary, and then provides boundary changes and
updated contact information. An official signs the materials, verifies
the forms, and returns the information to the Census Bureau.
The typical Digital BAS package contains:
1. Introductory letter from the Director of the Census Bureau;
2. Appropriate BAS Form(s) that contains entity-specific
identification information;
a. BAS-1: incorporated places and consolidated cities;
b. BAS-2: counties, parishes, and boroughs;
c. BAS-3: MCDs; and
d. BAS-5: American Indian and Alaska Native Areas.
3. CD or DVD and software CD for Geographic Update Partnership
Software (GUPS); and
4. Postcard to notify the Census Bureau of no changes to the
boundary.
The key dates for governments are as follows:
1. Annual Response emailed or mailed to the local contact in
December of each year.
2. BAS package/materials shipped during the months of December,
January, February, March, and April of each year.
3. Requests to change the method of participation (i.e., paper to
digital submission and vice versa) are due by April 15th of each year.
4. Responses for inclusion in the American Community Survey (ACS)
and Population Estimates Program (PEP) are due by March 1st of each
year, with an effective date of January 1st of the year in question or
earlier.
5. Responses for inclusion in the following year's BAS materials
are due by May 31st of each year and will include any annexation
received from the previous or current year.
6. In year 2020, all legal documentation for inclusion in the 2020
Census must be effective as of January 1, 2020 or earlier. All legal
boundary changes will be placed on hold and updated during the 2021 BAS
if effective January 2, 2020 or later.
BQARP
To improve boundary quality in the Census Bureau's Master Address
File/Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/
TIGER) System, the Census Bureau is introducing the Boundary Quality
Assessment Reconciliation Project (BQARP) to support the BAS program.
BQARP is a project to assess, analyze, and improve the spatial quality
of legal and administrative boundaries within MAF/TIGER. Ensuring
quality boundaries is a critical component of the geographic
preparations for the 2020 Census and the Census Bureau's
[[Page 51768]]
ongoing Geographic Partnership Programs (GPPs) and surveys. In
addition, the improvement of boundary quality is an essential element
of the Census Bureau's commitment as the responsible agency for legal
boundaries under the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-
16. The goal of BQARP is to establish a new, accurate baseline for
boundaries within an entire state or county, which the BAS would then
continue the collection of annexations and de-annexations on a
transaction basis as they occur over time. The estimated work burden
for participation is 25 hours per participant.
Research Projects
BAS continues to work to improve the survey based on feedback
received from local governments. The Census Bureau plans to conduct two
research projects during 2016. The first research project is for BAS
form redesign for potential use for the 2017 BAS Forms. The second
research project is to test an option for local governments to provide
a list of addresses associated with an annexation to continue to
improve data quality in MAF/TIGER. Participation is voluntary for these
research projects. The estimated work burden for participation is 3
hours per participant.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0607-0151.
Form Number: BAS 1, BAS 2, BAS 3, BAS 5, BAS 6, BASSC-1, BASSC-2,
BASSC-3, and BASSC-4.
Type of Review: Regular submission.
Affected Public: All active, functioning counties or statistically
equivalent entities, incorporated places (including consolidated
cities), MCDs, all federally recognized AIRs and ORTLs entities in the
United States, and municipios, barrios and subbarrios in Puerto Rico.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
Annual Response Notification: 39,400.
No Change Response: 25,000.
Telephone Follow-up: 14,000.
Packages with Changes: 5,000.
State Certification Review: 49.
State Certification Local Review: 1,000.
Boundary Quality Assessment Reconciliation Project: 16.
Redistricting Data Program Reconciliation State Review: 50.
Redistricting Data Program Reconciliation Local Review: 2,000.
Research Projects: 40.
Estimated Total Number of Respondents: 86,555.
Estimated Time per Response:
Annual Response Notification: 30 minutes.
No Change Response: 4 hours.
Telephone Follow-up: 30 minutes.
Packages with Changes: 8 hours.
State Certification Review: 10 hours.
State Certification Local Review: 2 hours.
Boundary Quality Assessment Reconciliation Project: 25 hours.
Redistricting Data Program Reconciliation State Review: 20 hours.
Redistricting Data Program Reconciliation Local Review: 2 hours.
Research Projects: 3 hours.
Estimated Total Burden Hours per Year:
Annual Response Notification: 19,700.
No Change Response: 100,000.
Telephone Follow-up: 7,000.
Packages with Changes: 40,000.
State Certification Review: 490.
State Certification Local Review: 2,000.
Boundary Quality Assessment Reconciliation Project: 400.
Redistricting Data Program Reconciliation State Review: 1,000.
Redistricting Data Program Reconciliation Local Review: 4,000.
Research Projects: 120.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 174,710.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. Section 6.
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.
Summarization of comments submitted in response to this notice will
be included in the request for OMB approval of this information
collection. Comments will also become a matter of public record.
Dated: August 21, 2015.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-21106 Filed 8-25-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P