Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Ask U.S. Panel
| Published date | 07 December 2021 |
| Citation | 86 FR 69220 |
| Record Number | 2021-26515 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Census Bureau |
Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 232 (Tuesday, December 7, 2021)
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 232 (Tuesday, December 7, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69220-69221]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-26515]
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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; Ask U.S. Panel
AGENCY: Census Bureau, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.
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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 new information collection of the Ask U.S. Panel 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 February 7, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by
email to [email protected]. Please reference Ask U.S. Panel in the
subject line of your comments. You may also submit comments, identified
by Docket Number USBC-2021-0024, to the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal:
http://www.regulations.gov. All comments received are part of the
public record. No comments will be posted to http://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 Jennifer Hunter Childs, Assistant Center Chief, 202-603-4927 and
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The Ask U.S. Panel (``the Panel'') will be a probability-based
nationwide nationally representative survey panel for tracking public
opinion on a variety of topics of interest to numerous federal agencies
and their partners, and for conducting experimentation on alternative
question wording and methodological approaches. The Ask U.S. Panel may
also be used to collect nationwide rapid-response data to address
emerging data needs.
The Panel will be developed through a multi-year effort. The first
year of data collection will focus on conducting a large-scale field
Pilot Test. Nationally representative data collection based on a
probability sample of US adults will begin in the year following the
pilot test.
The goal of the Ask U.S. Panel is to ensure availability of
frequent data collection for nationwide estimates on a variety of
topics and a variety of subgroups of the population, meeting standards
for transparent quality reporting of the Federal Statistical Agencies
and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
The Panel is an interagency effort, with representatives from
Census, the Economic Research Service, the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
the National Center for Health Statistics, the National Center for
Science and Engineering Statistics, the National Center for Education
Statistics, the Department of Defense, Department of Transportation,
Department of Labor and the Social Security Administration guiding its
design, content and methodological rigor, that will be used to meet
data needs across the federal statistical system.
Data will be collected in two distinct phases. In Phase 1, ten
percent of the panel (1,700 people) will be recruited and surveyed as a
proof-of-concept to refine methods. In Phase 2, the remainder of the
panel (17,000 people) will be recruited and surveyed using methodology
refined during Phase 1. This package describes both sets of data
collection.
II. Method of Collection
Using RTI's address-based frame, a probability sample of addresses
in the United States (excluding territories) will be taken with
oversamples of specific populations of interest, including households
who face food insecurity and households who speak Spanish as a first
language. A separate sample of active-duty military members and active-
duty military spouses will also be recruited from a frame provided by
the Department of Defense. In the pilot, potential panelists will be
mailed invitations and asked to participate in an online or inbound
telephone screener. If the household qualifies, two members will be
randomly sampled and invited to join the panel by completing the
baseline questionnaire in the same mode (online or inbound telephone).
Households who do not respond to the mailed invitation will be in
sample for a face-to-face nonresponse follow up. In these cases, an
interviewer would administer the screener and the baseline
questionnaire. Participating households who do not have stable internet
access will be offered a tablet device with cell service for the
duration of the panel to facilitate participation. Panelists will be
eligible for online topical surveys no more than once a month once they
join the panel for up to 3 years.
These methods may be refined between the pilot and the build-out of
the panel.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0607-XXXX.
[[Page 69221]]
Form Number(s): Not yet determined.
Type of Review: Regular submission, New Information Collection
Request.
Affected Public: Individuals or households.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 2022: 1,700; 2023: 17,000; 2024:
17,000.
Estimated Time Per Response: 2022: 2 hours per respondent; 2023: 4
hours per respondent; 2024: 4 hours per respondent.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2022: 3,400 hours; 2023:
68,000 hours; 2024: 68,000 hours.
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: Voluntary.
Legal Authority: The Panel is being developed under a cooperative
agreement awarded by the Census Bureau pursuant to the Consolidated
Appropriations Act of 2021, Public Law 116-260, section 110. Data
collection from the Panel for Census Bureau sponsored surveys is
authorized by Title 13, Sections, 131, 141, 161, 181, 182, 193, and
301. Data collection from the Panel for surveys sponsored by other
agencies is authorized by 13 U.S.C. 8(b), where the Census Bureau is
the collection agent, 44 U.S. Code 3509, where OMB can direct data
collection, and the various U.S. Code titles that authorize those
agencies to collect information, including but not limited to title 49,
section 329 for Bureau of Transportation Statistics collections, and
the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. 9543)
for National Center for Education Statistics surveys.
The confidentiality of information collected on topical surveys in
this panel is assured by CIPSEA, Title 13 United States Code, or other
applicable titles which authorize the collection of information.
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. 2021-26515 Filed 12-6-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P
