Bureau of the Census – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is amending its regulations to reflect new export reporting requirements. Specifically, the Census Bureau is requiring mandatory filing of export information through the Automated Export System (AES) or through AESDirect for all shipments of used self-propelled vehicles and temporary exports. In addition to adopting new export reporting requirements and modifying the postdeparture filing program, the Census Bureau is making remedial changes to the FTR to improve clarity and to correct errors.

The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is conducting the 2013 Annual Surveys in the Manufacturing Area. The 2013 Annual Surveys consist of the Annual Survey of Manufactures, the Business R&D and Innovation Survey, and the Manufacturers' Unfilled Orders Survey. We have determined that annual data collected from these surveys are needed to aid the efficient performance of essential governmental functions, and have significant application to the needs of the public and industry. The data derived from these surveys, most of which have been conducted for many years, are not publicly available from nongovernmental or other governmental sources. For more information on these surveys (e.g. forms and reporting instructions, due dates, etc.), visit the Census Bureau's Business Help Site and select the survey name.

The United States Department of Commerce's Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) publishes this notice to announce that the Director of the Census Bureau has determined the need to conduct the 2012 Annual Wholesale Trade Survey (AWTS). The AWTS covers employer firms with establishments located in the United States and classified in the Wholesale Trade sector as defined by the 2007 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Through this survey, the Census Bureau will collect data covering annual sales, e-commerce sales, sales taxes, purchases, total and detailed operating expenses, year-end inventories held both inside and outside the United States, commissions, total operating revenue, and gross selling value, for three components of wholesale activity: wholesale distributors; manufacturers' sales branches and offices; and agents, brokers, and electronic markets. These data are collected to provide a sound statistical basis for the formation of policy by various government agencies. Results will be available for use for a variety of public and business needs such as economic and market analysis, company performance, and forecasting future demand. The Census Bureau conducts the AWTS to provide continuing and timely national statistical data on wholesale trade. The 2012 AWTS is a separate collection from and is not part of the 2012 Economic Census.

The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is giving notice of a meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic, and Other Populations. The Committee will address issues related to the American Community Survey, Mixed-Mode Data Collection, and early 2020 Census planning. The Committee will meet in a plenary session on October 25- 26, 2012. Last-minute changes to the schedule are possible, which could prevent giving advance public notice of schedule adjustments.

The Secretary of Commerce is requesting nominations of individuals to the Federal Economic Scientific Advisory Committee. The Secretary will consider nominations received in response to this notice, as well as from other sources. The SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice provides committee and membership criteria.

The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is proposing to resume the Population Estimates Challenge Program in 2012 to provide eligible entities the opportunity to file requests for the review of population estimates for 2011 and subsequent years. The Census Bureau is also proposing to amend its regulations to: (1) Update references to the method by which population estimates are officially released; (2) clarify when a challenge of a population estimate can be requested; (3) specify who may file a request for a population estimate challenge; (4) remove all references to the per capita income estimates program and the Office of General Revenue Sharing; (5) change the regulation title of a current program from ``Procedure for Challenging Certain Population and Income Estimates'' to ``Procedure for Challenging Population Estimates '' to reflect the removal of the per capita income estimates program; (6) revise the requirements of the challenge process; and (7) remove all references to a formal challenge process. The Census Bureau is proposing changes to the procedure for the Population Estimates Challenge Program that are intended to clarify and streamline the procedures for local units of general-purpose government. The Census Bureau is proposing to remove the references for the per capita income estimates changes because the Census Bureau no longer produces per capita income estimates. The program that used those estimates, the General Revenue Sharing program, was eliminated for the States in 1980 and was not reauthorized for local governments after fiscal year 2000.

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.

The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is requesting nominations of individuals and organizations to serve on the Census Bureau National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic, and Other Populations. The Census Bureau will consider nominations received in response to this notice, as well as from other sources. The SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice provides committee and membership criteria.

The Bureau of the Census (U.S. Census Bureau) is giving notice of a meeting of the Census Scientific Advisory Committee (C-SAC). The Committee will address policy, research, and technical issues relating to a full range of Census Bureau programs and activities, including communications, decennial, demographic, economic, field operations, geographic, information technology, and statistics. Last minute changes to the agenda are possible, which could prevent giving advance public notice of schedule adjustments.

The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is requesting nominations of individuals and organizations to the Census Scientific Advisory Committee. The Census Bureau will consider nominations received in response to this notice, as well as from other sources. The SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice provides committee and membership criteria.

The United States Department of Commerce's Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) publishes this notice to announce that the Director of the Census Bureau has determined the need to conduct the 2011 Annual Retail Trade Survey (ARTS). ARTS covers employer firms with establishments located in the United States and classified in the Retail Trade and/or Accommodation and Food Services sectors as defined by the 2007 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Through this survey, the Census Bureau will collect data covering annual sales, annual e-commerce sales, year-end inventories held inside and outside the United States, total operating expenses, purchases, accounts receivables, and, for selected industries, merchandise line sales, and percent of e-commerce sales to customers located outside the United States. These data are collected to provide a sound statistical basis for the formation of policy by various government agencies. Results will be available for use for a variety of public and business needs such as economic and market analysis, company performance, and forecasting future demand.

As required by Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended, this notice publishes the Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) Director's determinations as to which political subdivisions are subject to the minority language assistance provisions of the Act. As of this date, those jurisdictions that are listed as covered by Section 203 have a legal obligation to provide the minority language assistance prescribed by the Act.

The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is giving notice of a joint meeting of the Census Advisory Committees (CACs) on the African American Population, the American Indian and Alaska Native Populations, the Asian Population, the Hispanic Population, and the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Populations. The Committees will address issues related to the American Community Survey, the 2010 Decennial Census, and early 2020 Census planning. The five Census Advisory Committees on Race and Ethnicity will meet in plenary and concurrent sessions on October 6-7, 2011. Last-minute changes to the schedule are possible, which could prevent giving advance public notice of schedule adjustments.

This notice announces the Bureau of the Census' (hereafter, Census Bureau's) final criteria for defining urban areas based on the results of the 2010 Decennial Census (the term ``urban area'' as used throughout this notice refers generically to urbanized areas of 50,000 or more population and urban clusters of at least 2,500 and less than 50,000 population). This notice also provides a summary of comments received in response to proposed criteria published in the August 24, 2010, Federal Register (75 FR 52174), as well as the Census Bureau's response to those comments. The Census Bureau's urban-rural classification is fundamentally a delineation of geographic areas, identifying both individual urban areas and the rural areas of the nation. The Census Bureau's urban areas represent densely developed territory, and encompass residential, commercial, and other nonresidential urban land uses. The Census Bureau delineates urban areas after each decennial census by applying specified criteria to decennial census and other data. Since the 1950 Census, the Census Bureau has reviewed and revised these criteria, as necessary, for each decennial census. The revisions over the years reflect the Census Bureau's desire to improve the classification of urban and rural territory to take advantage of newly available data, as well as advancements in geographic information processing technology.

The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is giving notice of a joint meeting of the Census Advisory Committees (CACs) on the African American Population, the American Indian and Alaska Native Populations, the Asian Population, the Hispanic Population, and the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Populations. The Committees will address issues related to the American Community Survey, the 2010 Decennial Census, and early 2020 Census planning. The five Census Advisory Committees on Race and Ethnicity will meet in plenary and concurrent sessions on April 28-29, 2011. Last-minute changes to the schedule are possible, which could prevent giving advance public notice of schedule adjustments.

On May 26, 2010, the Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) published in the Federal Register an initial notice relating to the 2010 Census Count Question Resolution (CQR) Program (75 FR 29508). This notice provides final information concerning the CQR Program. The CQR Program will address requests for corrections to the 2010 Census count of housing units and/or group quarters (GQs) and associated population, based on three types of challenges (1) boundary, (2) geocoding, and (3) coverage. The CQR Program is not a mechanism or process to challenge or revise the population counts sent to the President by December 31, 2010, which are used to apportion the U.S. House of Representatives. The Census Bureau will accept challenges between June 1, 2011, and June 1, 2013, and will review challenges in the order they are received.

The U.S. Census Bureau (Census Bureau) proposes to amend its regulations to reflect new export reporting requirements. Specifically, the Census Bureau is proposing to require mandatory filing of export information through the Automated Export System (AES) or through AESDirect for all shipments of used self-propelled vehicles, temporary exports and household goods. The Census Bureau is also proposing to modify the postdeparture filing program by changing the filing time frame from ten (10) calendar days to five (5) calendar days and only allowing postdeparture reporting for approved commodities. In addition to the new export reporting requirements and the modifications to the postdeparture filing program, the proposed rule would make remedial changes to the FTR to improve clarity and to correct errors. These changes are discussed in detail in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

The Bureau of the Census (U.S. Census Bureau) is giving notice of a meeting of the Federal Economic Statistics Advisory Committee (FESAC). The Committee will advise the Directors of the Economics and Statistics Administration's (ESA) two statistical agencies, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and the Bureau of the Census, and the Commissioner of the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on statistical methodology and other technical matters related to the collection, tabulation, and analysis of federal economic statistics. Last minute changes to the agenda are possible, which could prevent giving advance public notice of schedule adjustments.

The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is conducting the 2010 Annual Surveys in the Manufacturing Area. The 2010 Annual Surveys consist of the Current Industrial Reports surveys, the Annual Survey of Manufactures, the Business R&D and Innovation Survey, and the Manufacturers' Unfilled Orders Survey. We have determined that annual data collected from these surveys are needed to aid the efficient performance of essential governmental functions, and have significant application to the needs of the public and industry. The data derived from these surveys, most of which have been conducted for many years, are not publicly available from nongovernmental or other governmental sources.

The United States Department of Commerce's Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) publishes this notice to announce that the Director of the Census Bureau has determined the need to conduct the 2010 Annual Retail Trade Survey (ARTS). ARTS covers employer firms with establishments located in the United States and classified in the Retail Trade and/or Accommodation and Food Services sectors as defined by the 2002 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Through this survey, the Census Bureau will collect data covering annual sales, annual e-commerce sales, year-end inventories held inside and outside the United States, total operating expenses, purchases, accounts receivables, and, for selected industries, merchandise line sales, percent of sales by class of customer, and percent of e-commerce sales to customers located outside the United States. These data are collected to provide a sound statistical basis for the formation of policy by various government agencies. Results will be available for use for a variety of public and business needs such as economic and market analysis, company performance, and forecasting future demand.

The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) currently releases American Community Survey (ACS) data products in the form of 1-year estimates and 3-year estimates. Most recently, the 2008 ACS 1-year estimates were released in September 2009, and the 2006-2008 ACS 3-year estimates were released in October 2009. By this notice, the Census Bureau announces plans for the release of ACS 5-year data products covering the period of 2005-2009. The release of the ACS 5-year estimates will achieve a goal of the ACS to provide small-area data similar to the data published after Census 2000, based on the long-form sample. This notice provides general information on the Census Bureau's modifications to its current line of ACS data products to accommodate the 5-year estimates.

This notice provides the Bureau of the Census' (hereafter, Census Bureau's) proposed criteria for defining urban areas based on the results of the 2010 Decennial Census (the term ``urban area'' as used throughout this notice refers generically to urbanized areas of 50,000 or more population and urban clusters of at least 2,500 and less than 50,000 population). It also provides a description of the changes from the final criteria used for Census 2000. The Census Bureau is requesting public comment on these proposed criteria.

The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) issues this notice to request comments on the approach to developing a Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) presented in a report entitled ``Observations from the Interagency Technical Working Group on Developing a Supplemental Poverty Measure,'' which was recently released by the Interagency Technical Working Group on Developing a Supplemental Poverty Measure (Working Group). This report was produced as part of an effort by the Working Group to suggest how the Census Bureau, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), should develop a new Supplemental Poverty Measure. The report provides observations about how to make a series of initial choices in the development of the SPM. The eventual publication of the SPM will not replace the official poverty measure, nor will it have any impact on allocations determined by the poverty measurement. Rather, it is part of the Census Bureau's ongoing effort to more accurately measure poverty levels in the United States.

The Bureau of the Census (U.S. Census Bureau) is giving notice of a meeting of the Census Scientific Advisory Committee (C-SAC). The

Notice is hereby given that the Secretary of Commerce has determined that the renewal of the Census Advisory Committee on the African American Population, Census Advisory Committee on the American Indian and Alaska Native Populations, Census Advisory Committee on the Asian Population, Census Advisory Committee on the Hispanic Populations and Census Advisory Committee on the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Population are in the public interest in connection with the performance of duties imposed by law on the U.S. Department of Commerce.