Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Annual Business Survey, 40196-40198 [2020-14413]

Download as PDF 40196 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 129 / Monday, July 6, 2020 / Notices Pamilyn Miller, Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service. [FR Doc. 2020–14445 Filed 7–2–20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–30–P COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS Notice of Public Meeting of the Texas Advisory Committee U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. ACTION: Announcement of meeting. AGENCY: Notice is hereby given, pursuant to the provisions of the rules and regulations of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Commission) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) that the Texas Advisory Committee (Committee) will hold a series of meetings via teleconference on Friday, July 24, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. and on Thursday, August 20, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. Central Time. The purpose of the meeting is for the Committee to discuss its project proposal on the ‘‘Civil Rights Implications of FEMA’s Response to Hurricane Harvey.’’ DATES: The meetings will be held on: • Friday, July 24, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. CDT • Thursday, August 20, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. CDT Public Call Information: Dial: 800– 367–2403; Conference ID: 6602335. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brooke Peery, Designated Federal Officer (DFO) at bpeery@usccr.gov or (202) 701–1376. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This meeting is available to the public through the following toll-free call-in number: 800–367–2403, conference ID number: 6602335. Any interested member of the public may call this number and listen to the meeting. Callers can expect to incur charges for calls they initiate over wireless lines, and the Commission will not refund any incurred charges. Callers will incur no charge for calls they initiate over landline connections to the toll-free telephone number. Persons with hearing impairments may also follow the proceedings by first calling the Federal Relay Service at 1–800–877–8339 and providing the Service with the conference call number and conference ID number. Members of the public are entitled to make comments during the open period at the end of the meeting. Members of the public may also submit written comments; the comments must be received in the Regional Programs Unit within 30 days following the meeting. khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 04:41 Jul 03, 2020 Jkt 250001 Written comments may be mailed to the Western Regional Office, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 300 North Los Angeles Street, Suite 2010, Los Angeles, CA 90012 or may be emailed to Brooke Peery (DFO) at bpeery@ usccr.gov. Records and documents discussed during the meeting will be available for public viewing prior to and after the meeting at https:// www.facadatabase.gov/FACA/ FACAPublicViewCommitteeDetails?id= a10t0000001gzkoAAA. Please click on the ‘‘Meeting Details’’ and ‘‘Documents’’ links. Records generated from this meeting may also be inspected and reproduced at the Regional Programs Unit, as they become available, both before and after the meeting. Persons interested in the work of this Committee are directed to the Commission’s website, https:// www.usccr.gov, or may contact the Regional Programs Unit at the above email or street address. Agenda I. Welcome and Roll Call II. Approval of Minutes III. Discussion of Project Proposal IV. Public Comment V. Adjournment Dated: June 30, 2020. David Mussatt, Supervisory Chief, Regional Programs Unit. [FR Doc. 2020–14456 Filed 7–2–20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6335–01–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Census Bureau Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Annual Business Survey U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce. ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment. AGENCY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public’s reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment on the proposed extension and revision to the Annual Business Survey and extension of the SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 supplemental questions to the Annual Business Survey to capture a baseline of remote work options at businesses in 2019, prior to the submission of these information collection requests (ICRs) to OMB for approval. DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed information collection must be received on or before September 4, 2020. ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by email to Thomas.J.Smith@census.gov. Please reference Annual Business Survey in the subject line of your comments. You may also submit comments, identified by Docket Number USBC–2020–0017, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. All comments received are part of the public record. No comments will be posted to https:// www.regulations.gov for public viewing until after the comment period has closed. Comments will generally be posted without change. All Personally Identifiable Information (for example, name and address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. You may submit attachments to electronic comments in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or specific questions related to collection activities should be directed to Patrice Hall, Branch Chief, Business Owners Branch, 301–763–7198, patrice.n.hall@ census.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Abstract In an effort to improve the measurement of business dynamics in the United States, the Census Bureau is conducting the Annual Business Survey (ABS). The ABS combines Census Bureau firm-level data collections to reduce respondent burden, increase data quality, reduce operational costs, and operate more efficiently. The ABS replaced the Survey of Business Owners (SBO) for employer businesses, the Annual Survey of Entrepreneurs (ASE), and the Business Research and Development (R&D) and Innovation for Microbusinesses (BRDI–M) surveys. The ABS provides information on select economic and demographic characteristics for businesses and business owners by sex, ethnicity, race, and veteran status. Further, the survey measures research and development for microbusinesses, business topics such E:\FR\FM\06JYN1.SGM 06JYN1 khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 129 / Monday, July 6, 2020 / Notices as innovation and technology, as well as other business characteristics. The ABS is sponsored by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science Foundation (NSF) and conducted by the Census Bureau. Title 13, United States Code, Sections 8(b), 131, and 182 and Title 42, United States Code, Section 1861–76 (National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended) authorize this collection. Sections 224 and 225 of Title 13, United States Code, require response from sampled firms. The ABS includes all nonfarm employer businesses filing Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax forms as individual proprietorships, partnerships, or any other type of corporation, with receipts of $1,000 or more. Every five years, the ABS samples approximately 850,000 employer businesses. The large sample size provides a benchmark and is needed to produce detailed comprehensive estimates for women-, minority-, and veteran-owned businesses at the 2–6digit NAICS, U.S., state, metropolitan statistical area (MSA), county, and economic place levels. The 2018 ABS sampled approximately 850,000 employer businesses. The sample size is reduced annually to minimize the burden on survey respondents. Starting with the 2019 ABS, the sample was reduced to approximately 300,000 employer businesses. The smaller sample size will yield summary-level estimates for women-, minority-, and veteran-owned businesses at the 2-digit NAICS, U.S., state, and MSA levels. The Census Bureau uses administrative data to estimate the probability that a firm is minority- or women-owned. Each firm is then placed in one of nine frames for sampling. The sampling frames are: American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic, Non-Hispanic White Men, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, Other, Publicly Owned, and Women. The sample is stratified by state, industry, and frame. The Census Bureau selects some companies with certainty based on volume of sales, payroll, and number of paid employees or NAICS. All certainty cases are sure to be selected and represent only themselves. The Census Bureau plans to request a revision to the currently approved ABS collection to approve substantive changes, including updated content and the expansion to collect R&D data from tax-exempt businesses (otherwise known as nonprofit organizations) who are required to complete IRS form 990, in order to compile national estimates of R&D performance within this sector. VerDate Sep<11>2014 04:41 Jul 03, 2020 Jkt 250001 The ABS is designed to allow for incorporating new content each year based on topics of relevance. Each year new questions are submitted to the OMB for approval. The Census Bureau also plans to request an extension to a currently approved emergency clearance to add supplemental questions about remote work to the 2020 ABS. The additional questions are designed to measure the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on business operations and will provide a baseline of businesses’ remote work activity. The emergency clearance is approved under OMB number 0607– 1015 and expires November 30, 2020. The current emergency clearance will not cover the entire 2020 ABS collection period. Therefore, the Census Bureau requests an extension of the emergency approval through January 31, 2021. Similar questions will be included on future ABS collections as part of the proposed content and will be submitted to OMB for review annually. The ABS collects the following information from employer businesses and nonprofit organizations: • Owner characteristics, including sex, ethnicity, race, and veteran status from the principal owner(s) of the business. • Company information including, worldwide sales, domestic sales, number of employees, and business ownership from all businesses in the sample. • Business characteristics from all businesses in the sample. • Research and development from businesses with between 1–9 employees. • Research and development from nonprofit organizations. Additional topics on business owners may include military service, owner acquisition, job functions, number of hours worked, primary income, prior business ownership, age of owner, education and field of degree, citizenship and place of birth, disability, and owner’s reason for owning the business. Additional topics on the businesses may include number of owners and percent ownership, family owned and operated, business aspirations, funding sources, profitability, types of customers, types of workers, employee benefits, franchise operations, work from home practices, and business activity. Potential module topics for the ABS may cover innovation, technology and internet usage; management and business practices; exporting practices; domestic and foreign transactions; design; worker training; and financing. PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 40197 II. Method of Collection The ABS primary collection method is via an electronic instrument. Those selected for the survey receive an initial letter informing the respondents of their requirement to complete the survey as well as instructions on accessing the survey. Responses will be due approximately 30 days from initial mailing. Respondents will also receive a due date reminder approximately one week before responses are due. The Census Bureau plans to conduct two follow-up mailings and an optional third follow-up if deemed necessary based on check-in. Nonrespondents may receive a certified mailing for the second and third follow-up mailings. The Census Bureau may also plan to conduct an email follow-up to select nonrespondents reminding them to submit their report in the electronic instrument. Follow-up operations may also include a paper questionnaire to assist with collecting data from select nonrespondents. Response data will be processed as they are received. Upon the close of the collection period, data processing will continue and records will be edited, reviewed, tabulated, and released publicly. III. Data OMB Control Number: 0607–1004 and 0607–1015. Form Number(s): ABS–1. Type of Review: Regular submission, Request for a Revision of a Currently Approved Collection (ABS—0607–1004) and Request for an Extension, without Change, of a Currently Approved Collection (Supplemental questions— 0607–1015). Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations (large and small employer businesses), nonprofit organizations. Estimated Number of Respondents: 300,000. Estimated Time per Response: ABS— 52 minutes; Supplemental questions—3 minutes. Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: ABS—260,000; Supplemental questions—15,000. Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0. (This is not the cost of respondents’ time, but the indirect costs respondents may incur for such things as purchases of specialized software or hardware needed to report, or expenditures for accounting or records maintenance services required specifically by the collection.) Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory. Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Sections 8(b), 131, and 182 and Title 42, United States Code, E:\FR\FM\06JYN1.SGM 06JYN1 40198 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 129 / Monday, July 6, 2020 / Notices Section 1861–76 (National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended) authorize this collection. Sections 224 and 225 of Title 13, United States Code, require response from sampled firms. IV. Request for Comments We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of public record. We will include, or summarize, each comment in our request to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Sheleen Dumas, Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Commerce Department. [FR Doc. 2020–14413 Filed 7–2–20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–07–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE U.S. Census Bureau khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; 2020 Public Use Microdata Areas Program U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce. ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment. AGENCY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 04:41 Jul 03, 2020 Jkt 250001 1995, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public’s reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment on the proposed new information collection of the 2020 Public Use Microdata Areas Program, prior to the submission of the information collection request (ICR) to OMB for approval. DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed information collection must be received on or before September 4, 2020. ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by email to robin.a.pennington@ census.gov. Please reference ‘‘2020 Public Use Microdata Areas Program’’ in the subject line of your comments. You may also submit comments, identified by Docket Number USBC–2020–0015, to the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. All comments received are part of the public record. No comments will be posted to https:// www.regulations.gov for public viewing until after the comment period has closed. Comments will generally be posted without change. All personally identifiable information (for example, name and address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit confidential business information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. You may submit attachments to electronic comments in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or specific questions related to collection activities should be directed to Robin A. Pennington, Decennial Census Management Division, Program Management Office, by phone at 301– 763–8132 or by email to robin.a.pennington@census.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Abstract Public Use Microdata Areas, or PUMAs, are nonoverlapping, statistical geographic areas that partition each state or equivalent entity into geographic areas containing no fewer than 100,000 people each. They cover the entirety of the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Census Bureau defines PUMAs for the tabulation and dissemination of Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) data. Additionally, the American PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Community Survey and Puerto Rico Community Survey use them to disseminate their respective period estimates. The Census Bureau invites State Data Centers from each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico to delineate PUMAs. States or equivalent entities with less than 200,000 people (e.g., Guam and U.S. Virgin Islands) are not eligible to participate because their populations do not meet the minimum threshold to delineate more than one PUMA. The Census Bureau provides a 90-day review period for State Data Centers to prepare their 2020 PUMA submission. The Census Bureau asks State Data Centers to involve interested data users, such as those in tribal, state, and local (e.g., county, incorporated place, and town/township) governments, as well as regional planning agencies or organizations to ensure that the PUMAs meet the needs of a variety of data users. Collaboration between State Data Centers and other interested data users is especially important for areas with population exceeding 100,000. The Geographic Update Partnership Software (GUPS), required for use in 2020 PUMA delineation, allows for the sharing of work performed by multiple participants to facilitate a collaborative effort. Though collaboration is encouraged, the State Data Centers are the official participants for this program and must coordinate the delineation work suggested or prepared from others. The Census Bureau only accepts PUMA delineations from each state’s respective state data center. The Census Bureau will provide an overview of the 2020 PUMA and will present the proposed criteria and guidelines of PUMAs to the State Data Centers during the Census Advisory Committee meeting scheduled for the fall of 2020. The proposal will be available on the PUMA website by the end of the calendar year. The State Data Centers and the public may provide comments on the proposal through February 2021. The Census Bureau will resolve and respond to comments received on the proposal prior to posting the final 2020 PUMA criteria and guidelines on the PUMA website later in the spring of 2021. To prepare suitable delineations, State Data Centers must ensure the final criteria and guidelines are implemented. After the Census Advisory Committee meeting, the Census Bureau will contact the State Data Centers by phone to establish a 2020 PUMA point of contact and gather their contact information (e.g., phone number and email address). The point of contact will receive an E:\FR\FM\06JYN1.SGM 06JYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 129 (Monday, July 6, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40196-40198]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-14413]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Annual Business Survey

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information 
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment on the 
proposed extension and revision to the Annual Business Survey and 
extension of the supplemental questions to the Annual Business Survey 
to capture a baseline of remote work options at businesses in 2019, 
prior to the submission of these information collection requests (ICRs) 
to OMB for approval.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before September 4, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by 
email to [email protected]. Please reference Annual Business 
Survey in the subject line of your comments. You may also submit 
comments, identified by Docket Number USBC-2020-0017, to the Federal e-
Rulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. All comments received 
are part of the public record. No comments will be posted to https://www.regulations.gov for public viewing until after the comment period 
has closed. Comments will generally be posted without change. All 
Personally Identifiable Information (for example, name and address) 
voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do 
not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or 
protected information. You may submit attachments to electronic 
comments in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to Patrice Hall, Branch Chief, Business Owners Branch, 301-763-7198, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    In an effort to improve the measurement of business dynamics in the 
United States, the Census Bureau is conducting the Annual Business 
Survey (ABS). The ABS combines Census Bureau firm-level data 
collections to reduce respondent burden, increase data quality, reduce 
operational costs, and operate more efficiently. The ABS replaced the 
Survey of Business Owners (SBO) for employer businesses, the Annual 
Survey of Entrepreneurs (ASE), and the Business Research and 
Development (R&D) and Innovation for Microbusinesses (BRDI-M) surveys. 
The ABS provides information on select economic and demographic 
characteristics for businesses and business owners by sex, ethnicity, 
race, and veteran status. Further, the survey measures research and 
development for microbusinesses, business topics such

[[Page 40197]]

as innovation and technology, as well as other business 
characteristics. The ABS is sponsored by the National Center for 
Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science 
Foundation (NSF) and conducted by the Census Bureau. Title 13, United 
States Code, Sections 8(b), 131, and 182 and Title 42, United States 
Code, Section 1861-76 (National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as 
amended) authorize this collection. Sections 224 and 225 of Title 13, 
United States Code, require response from sampled firms.
    The ABS includes all nonfarm employer businesses filing Internal 
Revenue Service (IRS) tax forms as individual proprietorships, 
partnerships, or any other type of corporation, with receipts of $1,000 
or more. Every five years, the ABS samples approximately 850,000 
employer businesses. The large sample size provides a benchmark and is 
needed to produce detailed comprehensive estimates for women-, 
minority-, and veteran-owned businesses at the 2-6-digit NAICS, U.S., 
state, metropolitan statistical area (MSA), county, and economic place 
levels. The 2018 ABS sampled approximately 850,000 employer businesses. 
The sample size is reduced annually to minimize the burden on survey 
respondents. Starting with the 2019 ABS, the sample was reduced to 
approximately 300,000 employer businesses. The smaller sample size will 
yield summary-level estimates for women-, minority-, and veteran-owned 
businesses at the 2-digit NAICS, U.S., state, and MSA levels. The 
Census Bureau uses administrative data to estimate the probability that 
a firm is minority- or women-owned. Each firm is then placed in one of 
nine frames for sampling. The sampling frames are: American Indian or 
Alaskan Native, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic, Non-
Hispanic White Men, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, Other, 
Publicly Owned, and Women. The sample is stratified by state, industry, 
and frame. The Census Bureau selects some companies with certainty 
based on volume of sales, payroll, and number of paid employees or 
NAICS. All certainty cases are sure to be selected and represent only 
themselves.
    The Census Bureau plans to request a revision to the currently 
approved ABS collection to approve substantive changes, including 
updated content and the expansion to collect R&D data from tax-exempt 
businesses (otherwise known as nonprofit organizations) who are 
required to complete IRS form 990, in order to compile national 
estimates of R&D performance within this sector. The ABS is designed to 
allow for incorporating new content each year based on topics of 
relevance. Each year new questions are submitted to the OMB for 
approval.
    The Census Bureau also plans to request an extension to a currently 
approved emergency clearance to add supplemental questions about remote 
work to the 2020 ABS. The additional questions are designed to measure 
the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on business operations and will 
provide a baseline of businesses' remote work activity. The emergency 
clearance is approved under OMB number 0607-1015 and expires November 
30, 2020. The current emergency clearance will not cover the entire 
2020 ABS collection period. Therefore, the Census Bureau requests an 
extension of the emergency approval through January 31, 2021. Similar 
questions will be included on future ABS collections as part of the 
proposed content and will be submitted to OMB for review annually.
    The ABS collects the following information from employer businesses 
and nonprofit organizations:
     Owner characteristics, including sex, ethnicity, race, and 
veteran status from the principal owner(s) of the business.
     Company information including, worldwide sales, domestic 
sales, number of employees, and business ownership from all businesses 
in the sample.
     Business characteristics from all businesses in the 
sample.
     Research and development from businesses with between 1-9 
employees.
     Research and development from nonprofit organizations.
    Additional topics on business owners may include military service, 
owner acquisition, job functions, number of hours worked, primary 
income, prior business ownership, age of owner, education and field of 
degree, citizenship and place of birth, disability, and owner's reason 
for owning the business. Additional topics on the businesses may 
include number of owners and percent ownership, family owned and 
operated, business aspirations, funding sources, profitability, types 
of customers, types of workers, employee benefits, franchise 
operations, work from home practices, and business activity. Potential 
module topics for the ABS may cover innovation, technology and internet 
usage; management and business practices; exporting practices; domestic 
and foreign transactions; design; worker training; and financing.

II. Method of Collection

    The ABS primary collection method is via an electronic instrument. 
Those selected for the survey receive an initial letter informing the 
respondents of their requirement to complete the survey as well as 
instructions on accessing the survey. Responses will be due 
approximately 30 days from initial mailing. Respondents will also 
receive a due date reminder approximately one week before responses are 
due. The Census Bureau plans to conduct two follow-up mailings and an 
optional third follow-up if deemed necessary based on check-in. 
Nonrespondents may receive a certified mailing for the second and third 
follow-up mailings. The Census Bureau may also plan to conduct an email 
follow-up to select nonrespondents reminding them to submit their 
report in the electronic instrument. Follow-up operations may also 
include a paper questionnaire to assist with collecting data from 
select nonrespondents. Response data will be processed as they are 
received. Upon the close of the collection period, data processing will 
continue and records will be edited, reviewed, tabulated, and released 
publicly.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-1004 and 0607-1015.
    Form Number(s): ABS-1.
    Type of Review: Regular submission, Request for a Revision of a 
Currently Approved Collection (ABS--0607-1004) and Request for an 
Extension, without Change, of a Currently Approved Collection 
(Supplemental questions--0607-1015).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations (large 
and small employer businesses), nonprofit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 300,000.
    Estimated Time per Response: ABS--52 minutes; Supplemental 
questions--3 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: ABS--260,000; Supplemental 
questions--15,000.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0. (This is not the cost of 
respondents' time, but the indirect costs respondents may incur for 
such things as purchases of specialized software or hardware needed to 
report, or expenditures for accounting or records maintenance services 
required specifically by the collection.)
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Sections 8(b), 131, 
and 182 and Title 42, United States Code,

[[Page 40198]]

Section 1861-76 (National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended) 
authorize this collection. Sections 224 and 225 of Title 13, United 
States Code, require response from sampled firms.

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy 
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed 
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden 
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include, or summarize, each comment in our 
request to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, 
phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information 
in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--
including your personal identifying information--may be made publicly 
available at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold 
your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2020-14413 Filed 7-2-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P
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