Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Boundary and Annexation Survey
| Published date | 05 October 2021 |
| Citation | 86 FR 54920 |
| Record Number | 2021-21732 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Census Bureau,Commerce Department |
Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 190 (Tuesday, October 5, 2021)
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 5, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54920-54923]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-21732]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Census Bureau
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Boundary and Annexation Survey
The Department of Commerce will submit the following information
collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice. We invite 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. Public comments were previously requested via the
Federal Register on Tuesday, May 18, 2021 during a 60-day comment
period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public
comments.
Agency: U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce.
Title: Boundary and Annexation Survey.
OMB Control Number: 0607-0151.
Form Number(s): BAS-1, BAS-2, BAS-3, BAS-5, BAS-6, BASSC-1L, BASSC-
3L, BASSC-4L.
Type of Request: Regular submission, Request for a Revision of a
Currently Approved Collection.
Number of Respondents: 40,000 governments.
Average Hours per Response: 7.5 hours. This estimate is based on an
average of 5 hours for a no change participant and 10 hours for a
participant with changes.
Burden Hours: 300,000 hours.
Needs and Uses: The Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS) provides
tribal, state, and local governments an opportunity to review the
Census Bureau's legal boundary data to ensure the Census Bureau has the
correct boundary, name, and status information. BAS also allows
participants to review and provide updates to Census Designated Places
(CDPs). BAS fulfills the agency's responsibility as part of the
National Spatial Data Infrastructure, for which the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-16 designates the Census Bureau
as the lead federal agency for maintaining national data about legal
government boundaries, as well as statistical and administrative
boundaries. BAS supports the spatial data steward responsibilities of
the OMB E-Gov, Data.gov, the National Map, and Geographic Names
Information System.
The Census Bureau uses the boundaries collected in BAS to tabulate
data for various censuses and surveys including the decennial census,
American Community Survey (ACS), and Population Estimates Program
(PEP). It also uses the legal boundaries collected through BAS to
support several other programs such as Congressional and State
Legislative redistricting, the Economic Census, the Geographic Update
Population Certification Program, and the Special Census program.
Numerous federal programs also rely on accurate boundaries
collected through BAS. The U.S. Geological
[[Page 54921]]
Survey's National Map is updated annually to depict the legal
boundaries provided by BAS. The Department of Housing and Urban
Development uses legal boundaries to determine jurisdictional
eligibility for various grant programs, such as the Community
Development Block Grant program. In addition, the Department of
Agriculture uses legal boundaries to determine eligibility for various
rural housing and economic development programs.
The following collection methods allow the Census Bureau to
coordinate among various levels of governments to obtain the most
accurate legal boundary, CDPs, and contact information:
BAS
[cir] Annual Response
[cir] Submissions--Digital and Paper
[cir] Non-Response Follow-Up
[cir] State Agreements
[cir] Consolidated BAS (CBAS) Agreements
State Certification
Boundary Quality
The following changes have been made since the BAS 60-day
notification was published on Tuesday, May 18, 2021.
The paper BAS annual response form (ARF) will no longer be
included in the late-January annual response mailing. Participants will
be instructed to complete the online response form or provide their
response via email.
BAS participants requesting CD/DVD will no longer receive
state specific inserts or paper forms. State specific insert
information will move to the online form. The paper forms are specific
to the paper response method and will not be included with CD/DVD
requests.
BAS participants requesting paper maps will no longer
receive state specific inserts. State specific insert information will
move to the online form.
BAS participants requesting paper maps will receive an
insert that includes a list of materials included in the packet. This
insert was omitted from the 60-day notification in error.
The governor's letter for state certification will be
replaced by an email. A non-response follow-up email was also added.
The state certifying official letter will be replaced by
an email. A non-response follow-up email was also added.
BAS
The Census Bureau collects legal boundary, CDP, and contact updates
from tribal, state, and local governments during BAS. Governments are
first contacted during annual response where they are asked if they
have legal boundary, CDP, or contact updates to report. Those
indicating they have updates to provide can choose to create a
submission using an approved response method. Those governments that do
not respond to annual response or those governments that indicate they
have updates to provide are followed up with during BAS non-response
follow-up. The BAS schedule is outlined below.
January 1--Boundary updates must be legally in effect on
or before this date to be reported in the current survey year.
January to May--Tribal, state, and local governments
respond during annual response or non-response follow-up indicating if
they have legal boundary, CDP, or contact updates to report. Those with
boundary updates to report download or request materials to create a
submission to return to the Census Bureau.
Early January--The Census Bureau sends the annual response
email. Tribal, state, and local governments are contacted through email
to determine if they have legal boundary, CDP, or contact updates to
report.
Late January--The Census Bureau sends the annual response
letter. Tribal, state, and local governments that do not have an email
address on file with the Census Bureau or did not respond to the annual
response email are contacted through mail to determine if they have
legal boundary, CDP, or contact updates to report.
Mid-February--The Census Bureau conducts BAS non-response
follow-up through email. Governments that have not responded to annual
response, along with those that indicated they have boundary changes to
report, are contacted through email.
March 1--Boundary updates returned by this date will be
reflected in the ACS and PEP data and in next year's BAS materials.
March to May--The Census Bureau conducts BAS non-response
telephone follow-up. Governments that did not respond to the annual
response email, letter, and non-response email are contacted over the
phone to determine if they have any legal boundary, CDP, or contact
updates to report.
May 31--Boundary updates returned by this date will be
reflected in next year's BAS materials.
BAS--Annual Response
The Census Bureau first contacts tribal, state, and local
governments during annual response. During this phase, the Census
Bureau contacts all eligible governments through email and mail. The
BAS annual response email includes program information and directs
governments to respond through an online form if they have legal
boundary, CDP, or contact updates to report. Only those governments
that do not have an email address on file with the Census Bureau or did
not respond to the annual response email are contacted through mail.
The mailed package consists of a letter and program flyer.
Through annual response, participants are instructed to review the
legal boundary, name, and status information, along with the contact
information that the Census Bureau has on file for their government.
BAS participants are also able to review CDP boundaries. Eligible
governments can review their boundaries using the Census Bureau's
TIGERweb online GIS viewer, partnership shapefiles, or PDF maps.
Participants respond if they have legal boundary, CDP, or contact
updates to report through an online form, email, fax, or mail. Those
indicating they have updates to provide can choose to create a
submission using the Census Bureau's Geographic Update Partnership
Software (GUPS) tool, their own GIS, or on paper maps. Participants can
request to receive the materials to create their submission through
download, by mail on CD/DVD or on large format paper maps.
The Census Bureau uses email and encourages participants to use the
online form to respond to annual response to reduce cost and
participant burden.
BAS--Submissions
Tribal, state, and local governments with boundary updates can
choose to create a submission using either digital or paper response
methods during annual response. The data provided to the partners, by
the Census Bureau, are derived from its Master Address File and
Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Reference (MAF/TIGER)
System. The boundary data reflects updates reported by partners through
the prior year's BAS.
BAS--Digital Submission Methods
The Census Bureau offers participants two digital submission
methods. Governments with boundary updates can create a submission
using the GUPS tool or their own GIS. When completing annual response,
participants select one of the following options:
CD/DVD. Participants can choose to receive GUPS and the
partnership shapefiles through mail on CD/DVD.
[[Page 54922]]
Download. Participants can choose to download GUPS and
partnership shapefiles, or partnership shapefiles only to use in their
own GIS. The Census Bureau also offers a partnership toolbox that can
be used in the partner's own GIS.
Those partners that elect to receive digital materials on CD/DVD
will receive a package through the mail containing the following
materials:
Letter.
CD or DVD containing GUPS tool.
CD or DVD containing partnership shapefiles, respondent
guides, and a readme text file.
Governments that elect to download materials can find the software,
partnership shapefiles, respondent guides, and other information
included in the letter on the BAS website.
Tribal, state, and local governments use GUPS or their own GIS to
create a submission with legal boundaries updates, and optionally,
CDPs, linear features, and landmarks updates. Partners return these
updates electronically using the Census Bureau's SWIM file transfer
module. Governments selecting one of the digital response methods
during annual response will receive SWIM access information through
email.
BAS--Paper Submission Method
The Census Bureau also provides partners a paper map option to
create a submission with legal boundary, CDP, linear feature, and
landmark updates. When completing annual response, partners select the
following option:
Paper maps. Participants can choose to receive large
format paper maps through mail. Those partners that elect to receive
paper maps will receive a package through the mail containing the
following materials:
Letter.
Insert listing materials included in the package.
Form specific to the government type.
[cir] BAS-1--Incorporated places and consolidated cities.
[cir] BAS-2--Counties and county equivalent governments.
[cir] BAS-3--Minor civil divisions.
[cir] BAS-5--Federally recognized tribal reservations and off-
reservation trust lands.
Large format paper maps covering the extent of the
government.
Supplies to update the paper maps.
Respondent guide.
Postage-paid return envelope.
Tribal, state, and local governments use the provided supplies to
annotate legal boundaries updates, and optionally, CDPs, linear
features, and landmarks updates on paper maps. Partners return these
updates using the Census Bureau provided postage-paid return envelope.
BAS--Non-Response Follow-Up
Tribal, state, and local governments that do not respond to annual
response or those governments that indicate they have updates to
provide are followed up with during BAS non-response follow-up. Non-
response follow-up is conducted through email and over the phone.
Governments that have not responded to annual response, along with
those that indicated they have boundary changes to report, are first
contacted through email. The email reminds participants to respond
through an online form if they have legal boundary, CDP, or contact
updates to report. Those governments that indicated they have boundary
updates to report are requested to submit those updates to the Census
Bureau by the BAS program deadline.
Partners that still have not responded are contacted by phone later
in the program cycle. Governments are requested to provide a response
over the phone on whether they have legal boundary, CDP, or contact
updates to report. Again, those governments that indicated they have
boundary updates to report are reminded to submit those updates to the
Census Bureau by the program deadline.
State Agreements
BAS state agreements allow for the coordination and sharing of
information and resources between the Census Bureau and state
governments in collecting boundary information for local governments.
Through this agreement with state governments, the Census Bureau aims
to reduce the duplication of effort across various levels of
governments as well as the cost and time burden associated with
participating in BAS. To facilitate a state agreement, the Census
Bureau may enter a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the state.
States interested in establishing a state agreement MOU can do so when
there is state legislation requiring local governments to report all
legal boundary updates to a state agency.
The Census Bureau currently maintains two types of state
agreements. In the first type of agreement, the state reports boundary
changes for all local governments within its jurisdiction during BAS.
Local governments in this type of agreement are notified about BAS,
however, do not receive materials to participate, and are instructed to
report all boundary updates to the state so that they are reported to
the Census Bureau. Under the second type of agreement, the state
provides the Census Bureau with a list of local governments that
reported boundary changes. The Census Bureau uses the list to target
those local governments during BAS. States have the option to report
the list of governments with known legal boundary changes to the Census
Bureau.
Consolidated BAS (CBAS) Agreements
The Census Bureau offers CBAS agreements to counties or county
equivalent governments that are interested in submitting boundary
updates for legal governments within their jurisdiction. CBAS
agreements help ensure collection of complete and accurate boundary
data, reduces duplication of effort between local and county
governments and the Census Bureau, and reduces the cost and time burden
on local governments. Once entered into a CBAS agreement, local
governments are notified about BAS, however, do not receive materials
to participate, and are instructed to report all boundary updates to
the county or county equivalent government so that they are reported to
the Census Bureau.
State Certification
The state certification program provides an annual opportunity for
state agencies to verify that the legal boundary, name, and status
information received through BAS updates were reported in accordance
with state law. The Census Bureau requests that each state governor
designate a state certifying official (SCO) to participate in the
program. The SCO reviews listings of legal boundary changes, as well as
government names and statuses that were submitted through the previous
year's BAS. These listings include the attribute information for new
incorporations, dissolutions, mergers, consolidations, and legal
boundary changes. The listings also include the names and functional
statuses of all local governments within the state's jurisdiction. The
SCO can request that the Census Bureau edit the attribute data, add
missing records, or remove invalid records. Invalid records only are
removed if the state government maintains an official record of all
changes to legal boundaries and governments as mandated by state law.
The state certification schedule is as follows:
October--The Census Bureau sends an email to governors
requesting the state appoint an SCO to participate in the program. Non-
response emails are sent to governors that do not respond.
[[Page 54923]]
December--The Census Bureau distributes the SCO emails.
The SCO email contains information required by the SCO to participate
in the program. Non-response emails are sent to SCOs that do not
respond.
March--The Census Bureau distributes discrepancy emails to
local governments based on feedback from the SCO.
The state certification materials include emails to the governor,
general emails to convey any additional information, respondent guide,
legal boundary change, and government name and status listings to the
SCO, and discrepancy emails to local governments. The listings and
respondent guide are provided on the BAS website. The SCO returns all
updates electronically through the SWIM file transfer module.
Boundary Quality
The Boundary Quality project is designed to assess, analyze, and
improve the spatial quality of legal, statistical, and administrative
boundaries within the Census Bureau's MAF/TIGER System. Ensuring
quality boundaries is a critical component of the geographic
preparations for each decennial census and the Census Bureau's ongoing
geographic programs. 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 OMB Circular A-16.
The Boundary Quality project represents an effort to systematically
target and assess boundary quality within the Census Bureau's MAF/TIGER
System. Historically, it has relied exclusively on geographic programs
such as BAS and the Participant Statistical Areas Program (PSAP) to
obtain updates to tribal, state, local government, and CDP boundaries.
While programs like BAS play an essential role in improving boundary
quality, the goal of boundary quality activities is to establish a more
accurate baseline for legal boundaries and CDPs within an entire state
or county. BAS would build on this baseline by collecting individual
legal boundary changes and optionally associated addresses, and CDP
updates, on a transaction basis as they occur over the years.
Affected Public: Tribal, state, and local governments in all 50
states and District of Columbia.
Frequency: Annual.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Legal Authority: Title 13, U.S.C., Section 6.
This information collection request may be viewed at
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view the Department of
Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information
collection should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of
this notice on the following website www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
Find this information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day
Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function and
entering either the title of the collection or the OMB Control Number
0607-0151.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2021-21732 Filed 10-4-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P
