80 FR 36316 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 121 (June 24, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 121 (Wednesday, June 24, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36316-36317]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-15532]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit 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: U.S. Census Bureau.
    Title: American Community Survey (ACS) Methods Panel Tests.
    OMB Control Number: 0607-0936.
    Form Number(s): ACS-1, ACS-1(SP), ACS-1PR, ACS-1PR(SP), ACS 
CATI(HU), ACS CAPI(HU), ACS (Internet), ACS-1(GQ), ACS-1(GQ)(PR)
    Type of Request: Regular Submission.
    Number of Respondents: 636,000.
    Average Hours per Response: 36 minutes.
    Burden Hours: 388,167.
    Needs and Uses:
    The U.S. Census Bureau requests authorization from the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for the American Community Survey (ACS) 
Methods Panel.
    The ACS samples about 3.5 million housing unit addresses in the 
United States and 36,000 in Puerto Rico each year to collect detailed 
socioeconomic data. The ACS also samples about 195,000 residents living 
in Group Quarter (GQ) facilities to collect detailed socioeconomic 
data. Resulting tabulations from that data collection are provided on a 
yearly basis. The ACS allows the Census Bureau to provide timely and 
relevant housing and socio-economic statistics, even for low levels of 
geography.
    An ongoing data collection effort with an annual sample of this 
magnitude requires that the ACS continue research, testing, and 
evaluations aimed at improving data quality, achieving survey cost 
efficiencies, and improving ACS questionnaire content and related data 
collection materials. The ACS Methods Panel is a research program

[[Page 36317]]

that is designed to address and respond to emerging issues and survey 
needs. Over the next three years, the Methods Panel may include testing 
methods for increasing survey efficiencies, reducing survey cost, 
lessening respondent burden, and improving response rates. Testing may 
also include methods to improve data quality.
    At this time, plans are in place to propose several tests: A summer 
2015 mail messaging test, a fall 2015 mail messaging test, a 2016 ACS 
Content Test, a 2016 mail messaging test, a 2017 self-response test 
with the potential to test both mail messaging as well as questionnaire 
content, a 2018 self-response test building on the previous tests, as 
well as tests of Internet data collection enhancements in 2017 and 
2018. Since the ACS Methods Panel is designed to address emerging 
issues, we may conduct additional testing as needed. Any additional 
testing would focus on methods for reducing data collection costs, 
improving data quality, revising content, or testing new questions that 
have an urgent need to be included on the ACS. Please note that this 
proposal includes summer and fall 2015 mail messaging tests, which were 
not included in the pre-submission notice.
    First, in response to respondent concerns about prominent 
references to the mandatory participation in the ACS, the Census Bureau 
plans to test methods to soften the mandatory messages while 
emphasizing the benefits of participation in the survey. In May of 
2015, the Census Bureau is conducting a test to study the impact of 
removing the phrase, ``YOUR RESPONSE IS REQUIRED BY LAW'' from the 
envelopes used in the second and fourth mailing to respondents. The 
summer 2015 test will advance the study of mandatory messaging by 
modifying the messages included in several of the mailings, including 
postcards and letters.
    Second, in response to declining response rates and increasing 
costs, the Census Bureau plans to analyze methods to increase self-
response, the least expensive mode of data collection, especially 
Internet response. The tests would include changes to messages included 
in mail materials to motivate the public to respond to the ACS, 
increase awareness of the ACS, as well as changes to design elements of 
the materials, including color and graphics. Tests would be conducted 
in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 building on previous tests' findings.
    Additionally, as part of the mail messaging tests in 2017 and 2018, 
the Census Bureau may include content changes based on continued review 
of the ACS content in an effort to address respondent concerns and 
potentially reduce respondent burden. Among other activities, the 
Census Bureau is reviewing questions to determine if we can revise the 
wording in a way to make them less burdensome for survey respondents, 
especially for questions determined during the 2014 ACS Content Review 
to be especially sensitive, difficult, or time-consuming. Proposed 
changes to content would be cognitively tested and then included in a 
field test to assess the impact on both respondent burden and data 
quality.
    Third, in response to Federal agencies' requests for new and 
revised ACS questions, the Census Bureau plans to conduct the 2016 ACS 
Content Test. Changes to the current ACS content and the addition of 
new content were identified through the OMB Interagency Committee for 
the ACS, and must be approved for testing by the OMB. The objective of 
the 2016 ACS Content Test is to determine the impact of changing 
question wording, response categories, and redefinition of underlying 
constructs on the quality of the data collected. Revisions to twelve 
questions/topics are proposed for inclusion in the 2016 ACS Content 
Test:

* Telephone Service
* Computer and Internet
* Relationship
* Race and Hispanic Origin
* Health Insurance
* Health Insurance Premium and Subsidies (new questions)
* Journey to Work: Commuting Mode
* Journey to Work: Time Left for Work
* Number of Weeks Worked
* Class of Worker
* Industry and Occupation
* Retirement Income

    The Census Bureau proposes to evaluate changes to the questions by 
comparing the revised questions to the current ACS questions, or for 
new questions, to compare the performance of question versions to each 
other as well as to other well-known sources of such information.
    Fourth, the ACS began collecting data using the Internet in January 
2013. To date, the Web site used to collect the data is designed for a 
desktop computer screen. The Internet tests being proposed in 2017 and 
2018 would evaluate Internet data collection via mobile devices, 
examine ways to reduce Internet break-offs, email testing, as well as 
other improvements to Internet data collection.
    Finally, we will continue to examine the operational issues, 
research the data quality, collect cost information and make 
recommendations in the future for this annual data collection. The ACS 
Methods Panel testing, such as the 2015 Mail Messaging Tests, 2016 
Content Test, 2016 Mail Messaging Test, 2017 Self-Response Test, and 
2018 Self-Response Test, provide a mechanism to investigate ways to 
reduce or at least maintain data collection costs and improve the 
quality of the data.
    Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
    Frequency: Multiple one-time tests over a 3-year period.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, sections 141 and 
193.
    This information collection request may be viewed at 
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce 
collections currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to [email protected] or fax to (202) 395-5806.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Lead, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-15532 Filed 6-23-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P