Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Current Population Survey, Fertility Supplement

AGENCY:

U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice.

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.

DATES:

To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on or before December 17, 2019.

ADDRESSES:

Direct all written comments to Karen G. Woods, Survey Statistician, U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill Road, ADDP/CPS HQ-7H140F, Washington, DC 20233 (or via the internet at PRAcomments@doc.gov). You may also submit comments, identified by Docket Number USBC-2019-0010, 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 copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions should be directed to Karen G. Woods, U.S. Census Bureau, ADDP/CPS HQ-7H140F, Washington, DC 20233-8400, (301) 763-3806 (or via the internet at dsd.cps@census.gov).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The Census Bureau plans to request clearance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the collection of data concerning the Fertility Supplement to be conducted in conjunction with the June Current Population Survey (CPS). The Census Bureau sponsors the supplement questions, which were previously collected in June 2018, and have been asked periodically since 1971. The current clearance expired March 30, 2019.

This survey provides information used mainly by government and private analysts to project future population growth, to analyze child spacing, and to aid policymakers and private analysts in their decisions affected by changes in family size and composition. Past studies have discovered noticeable changes in the patterns of fertility rates and the timing of the first birth. Potential needs for government assistance, such as aid to families with dependent children, child care, and maternal health care for single parent households, can be estimated using CPS characteristics matched with fertility data.

II. Method of Collection

The fertility information will be collected by both personal visit and telephone interviews in conjunction with the regular June CPS interviewing. All interviews are conducted using computer-assisted interviewing.

III. Data

OMB Control Number: 0607-0610.

Form Number(s): There are no forms. We conduct all interviewing on computers.

Type of Review: Regular submission.

Affected Public: Individuals or Households.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 30,000.

Estimated Time per Response: 1 minute.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 500.

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 by the collection.)

Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, Sections 141 and 182; and Title 29, United States Code, Sections 1-9.

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.