[Federal Register: July 19, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 137)]
[Notices]
[Page 42965-42966]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19jy04-49]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Census Bureau
Government Employment Forms
ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.
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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: Written comments must be submitted on or before September 17,
2004.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet
at dHynek@doc.gov).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions
should be directed to Ellen Thompson, Chief, Employment Branch,
Governments Division, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC 20233-6800
(301-763-1531) (or via the Internet at ellen.ann.thompson@census.gov).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The Census Bureau plans to request clearance for the forms
necessary to conduct the public employment program which consists of an
annual collection of information and a quinquennial collection in a
census environment in years ending in ``2'' or ``7''. During the
upcoming three years, we intend to conduct the 2005 and 2006 Annual
Survey of Government Employment and the 2007 Census of Government
Employment.
Under Title 13, Section 161, of the United States Code, the
Secretary of Commerce is authorized to conduct the public employment
program, which collects and disseminates data by function for full-time
and part-time employees, payroll, and number of part-time hours worked.
The number and content of the data items collected are the same in the
annual and census cycles.
The burden hours we will request are based on the expected 2005
annual survey mail-out of 16,369 forms. During the Census survey, the
mail-out is expected to increase to approximately 87,500 local
governments and approximately 6,500 state agencies. The respondent
burden hours for a Census cycle would increase to 67,000 hours.
The state and local government statistics produced cover national,
state, and local aggregates on various functions with comparative
detail for individual governments for the pay period that includes
March 12. The public employment program provides the only comprehensive
count of employees and payrolls in state and local governments.
Government employees constitute approximately one-sixth of the entire
U.S. workforce and their salaries are a major source of personal
income.
The Census Bureau provides this employment data to the Bureau of
Economic Analysis for constructing the functional payrolls in the
public sector Gross Domestic Product, payroll being the single largest
component of current operations. Other government users include the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, as a benchmark for its monthly employment
programs, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, to
establish payroll guidelines for local public housing authorities.
The public employment program has increasingly been used as the
base for reimbursable programs of other Federal agencies such as: (1)
The government portion of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
commissioned by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to
provide timely, comprehensive information about health care use and
costs in the United States; (2) The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)
survey Criminal Justice Expenditure and Employment Survey which
provides criminal justice expenditure and employment data on spending
and personnel levels; and (3) The BJS Justice Assistance Data Survey,
in sample verification and the existence of contracted services.
Statistics are produced as data files in both electronic and printed
formats. The program has made possible the dissemination of
comprehensive and comparable governmental statistics since 1940.
The many users of the public employment program data include
Federal agencies, state and local governments and related
organizations, public interest groups, and many business, market, and
private research organizations.
[[Page 42966]]
II. Method of Collection
Approximately 16,300 county governments, consolidated city-county
governments, independent cities, towns, townships, special district
governments, and public school systems designated for the annual survey
will be sent an appropriate form or the data will be collected through
a data sharing arrangement between the Census Bureau and the state
government.
We developed cooperative agreements with state and large local
government officials to collect the data from their dependent agencies
and report to us as one central respondent. These arrangements reduce
the need for a mail canvass of approximately 3,250 state agencies and
700 school systems. Currently we have central collection agreements
with 38 states, four local school district governments, and two state
university systems. We continue to work at expanding the conversion of
paper submissions into electronic formats, for both individual units
and central collection units.
In 2001, the public employment program collected data for certain
form types through a Web-based instrument. Beginning with the 2003
annual collection cycle, all form types can be completed on the
Internet. For the 2003 annual survey, 3,470 governments responded using
our Web site.
III. Data
OMB Number: 0607-0452.
Form Number: E-1, E-2, E-3, E-4, E-5, E-6, E-7, E-9.
Type of Review: Regular.
Affected Public: State governments, county governments,
consolidated city-county governments, independent cities, towns,
townships, special district governments, and public school systems.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 16,369.
Estimated Time Per Response: The average for all forms is 51
minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 13,865.
Estimated Total Annual Cost: $262,464.
(Note--Based upon the average hourly pay for full-time employment
for the financial administration function within the 2002 census of
local government employment.)
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Legal Authority: Title 13 United States Code, section 161.
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.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.
Dated: July 13, 2004.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 04-16267 Filed 7-16-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P