Title 15—Commerce and Foreign Trade--Volume 1
PART 50—SPECIAL SERVICES AND STUDIES BY THE BUREAU OF THE CENSUS
§ 50.1   General.
(a) Fee structure for age search and citizenship service, special population censuses, and for foreign trade and shipping statistics.
(b) In accordance with the provisions of the acts authorizing the Department of Commerce to make special statistical surveys and studies, and to perform other specified services upon the payment of the cost thereof, the following fee structure is hereby established. No transcript of any record will be furnished under authority of these acts which would violate existing or future acts requiring that information furnished be held confidential.
(c) Requests for age search and citizenship service should be addressed to the Personal Census Search Unit, Data Preparation Division, Bureau of the Census, P.O. Box 1545, Jeffersonville, Indiana 47131. Application forms may be obtained at Department of Commerce field offices or Social Security offices or by writing to the Jeffersonville, Indiana office.
(d) If a search is unsuccessful and additional information for a further search is requested by the Census Bureau, such information must be received within 90 days of the request or the case will be considered closed. Additional information received after 90 days must be accompanied by a new fee and will be considered a new request.
§ 50.5   Fee structure for age search and citizenship information.
1 The $10.00 for each full schedule requested is in addition to the $65.00 transcript fee.
An additional charge of $20.00 per case is charged for expedited requests requiring search results within one day.
§ 50.10   Fee structure for special population censuses.
The Bureau of the Census is authorized to conduct special population censuses at the request of and at the expense of the community concerned. To obtain a special population census, an authorized official of the community should write a letter to the Associate Director for Demographic Fields, Bureau of the Census, Washington, D.C. 20233, requesting detailed information and stating the approximate present population. The Associate Director will reply giving an estimate of the cost and other pertinent information. Title 13, United State Code, section 196, Special Censuses, requires payment to the Bureau of the actual or estimated cost of each such special census.
§ 50.30   Fee structure for foreign trade and shipping statistics.
(a) The Bureau of the Census is willing to furnish on a cost basis foreign trade and shipping statistics provided there is no serious interruption of the Bureau's regular work program.
(b) In instances where information requested is not shown separately or not summarized in the form desired, it is necessary to conduct a prelimary investigation at the requestor's expense to determine whether the information can be compiled from the basic records and what the total cost will be. The preliminary investigation normally costs $250 but may be more depending on the circumstances. The total cost of the final report generally ranges from $500 to several thousand dollars for data covering a 12-month period.
(c) Upon receipt of a request, information will be furnished as to whether the statistics are available and if so, the cost; or that a preliminary investigation must be conducted. When an investigation is completed, information will be furnished as to the cost of preparing the material, or as to the reason if the statistics cannot be compiled from our basic records.
§ 50.40   Fee structure for statistics for city blocks in the 1980 Census of Population and Housing.
(a) As part of the regular program of the 1980 census, the Census Bureau will publish printed reports containing certain summary population and housing statistics for each city block, drawn from the subjects which are being covered on a 100-percent basis. For these subjects, a substantial amount of additional data by block will be available on computer tape.
(b) The 1980 block data under the regular program will be prepared for:
(1) Each urbanized area in the United States. An urbanized area is delineated by the Census Bureau in each standard metropolitan statistical area and generally consists of a city or group of contiguous cities with a 1970 population of 50,000 or more, together with adjacent densely populated land ( i.e. , land having a population density of at least 1,000 persons per square mile).
(2) And, outside urbanized areas, for each incorporated place (such as a city or village) that was reported as having 10,000 or more inhabitants in:
(i) The 1970 census, or
(ii) The 1973, 1975, or 1976 official population estimates published by the Bureau, or
(iii) A special census conducted by the Bureau on or before December 31, 1977.
(c) Outside the above-mentioned urbanized areas and places, State and local government authorities will be able to contract with the Bureau of the Census to produce block data for their areas. In undertaking this contract, the requesting authority will be required to pay a fee, supply certain maps, and meet certain time deadlines as follows:
(1) Fee: (i) Population size:
(ii) The final fee will be based upon the 1980 census population counts. A refund or additional charge will be made if the contracting area is in a different population size group as a result of the census.
(iii) The cost for an area with a population of 10,000 or more will be determined on an individual basis.
(iv) Multiple area contracts may be negotiated at a savings.
(v) The fee is based on estimated 1980 costs. If the 1980 cost exceeds the estimated cost, an additional fee may be requested from the contracting area. If actual costs are less than the estimated cost, a refund may be made.
(vi) Any incorporated place which contracts for block statistics and which reaches a population of 10,000 or more in the 1980 census will have the fee completely refunded, as the place will then be considered to be part of the regular block statistics program.
(vii) If the area submits maps which are not adequate for the Bureau's purposes (see Maps, below) and therefore have to be redrafted by the Bureau, a surcharge of $300 per map sheet requiring revision will be applied to the fee for the particular area.
(2) Maps: (i) In order for the Bureau to provide data on a block-by-block basis, it must have a map which clearly delineates each block. The contracting government authority must supply such maps. A copy of the specifications for preparing the block maps will be provided upon request and, in any event, will accompany the copy of the contract which is sent to the government authority for signature.
(ii) The maps must be furnished to the Census Bureau within 30 calendar days after the government authority signs the contract.
(iii) The Bureau will review the maps and, if revision is necessary, return them within 30 calendar days to the government authority.
(iv) Within 30 calendar days thereafter, the revised maps must be transmitted to the Bureau and, if they are still inadequate and must therefore be redrafted by the Bureau, the above-mentioned surcharge of $300 per map sheet requiring revision will be imposed.
(3) Timing: (i) The contract must be signed, and a downpayment of $250 per area made, by April 1, 1978. A check or money order should be made payable to “Commerce—Census.”
(ii) If an area decides to withdraw after signing a contract and making a downpayment, the cost of work performed to date will be deducted from the refund.
(iii) The balance of the fee must be mailed to the Bureau by January 1, 1980.
(d) In consideration of the fees paid and maps supplied, the Bureau will:
(1) Identify the individual blocks in its records and tabulations.
(2) Make available the block data for the particular area in the same manner as for areas in the regular block statistics program ( i.e. , both in terms of printed reports and computer summary tapes). Two copies of the printed report (including the printed maps) which contain the block statistics for the particular area will be furnished to the contracting government authority.
(e) Requests for participation in the contract block statistics program or for further information should be addressed to the Director, Bureau of the Census, Washington, DC 20233.
§ 50.50   Request for certification.
(a) Upon request, the Census Bureau certifies certain statistical materials (such as the population and housing unit counts of government entities, published tabulations, maps, and other documents). The Census Bureau charges customers a preset fee for this service according to the kind of certification requested (either an impressed document or an attestation) and the level of difficulty involved in compiling it (easy, moderate, or difficult, determined according to the resources expended) as well as the set cost of the data product (e.g., report or map) to be certified. Certification prices are shown in the following table:
Price by Type of Certification
(b) There are two forms of certification available: Impressed Documents and Attestation.
(1) Impressed documents. An impressed document is one that is certified by impressing the Census Bureau seal on the document itself. The Census Bureau act, Title 13, United States Code, Section 3, provides that the seal of the Census Bureau shall be affixed to all documents authenticated by the Census Bureau and that judicial notice shall be taken of the seal. This process attests that the document on which the seal is impressed is a true and accurate copy of a Census Bureau record.
(2) Attestation. Attestation is a more formal process of certification. It consists of a signed statement by a Census Bureau official that the document is authentic and produced or published by the agency, followed by a signed statement of another Census Bureau official witnessing the authority of the first.
(c) Requests for certification should be submitted on Form BC-1868(EF), Request for Official Certification, to the Census Bureau by fax, (301) 457-4714 or by e-mail, webmaster@census.gov. Form BC-1868(EF) is available on the Census Bureau's Web site at: http://www.census.gov/mso/www/certification/. A letter request—without Form BC-1868(EF)—will be accepted only if it contains the information necessary to complete a Form BC-1868(EF). No certification request will be processed without payment of the required fee.
§ 50.60   Request for certification.
(a) Certification process. Upon request, the Census Bureau certifies population and housing counts of standard governmental units to reflect boundary updates, including new incorporations, annexations, mergers, and so forth. The Census Bureau will produce a certificate, that is, a signed statement by a Census Bureau official attesting to the authenticity of the certified Census 2000 population and housing counts to reflect updates to the legal boundaries of governmental units after those in effect for Census 2000. This service will be a permanent process, but one that will be temporarily suspended during future decennial censuses. Typically, the Census Bureau will suspend this service, and direct its resources to the decennial census, for a total of five years—the two years preceding the decennial census, the decennial census year, and the two years following it. The Census Bureau will issue notices in the Federal Register announcing when it suspends and, in turn, resumes, the service.
(1) The Census Bureau charges customers a preset fee for this service according to the amount of work involved in compiling the population and housing counts, as determined by the resources expended to meet customer requirements and the set cost of the product (one certificate). Certification fees may increase somewhat if the customer requests additional original certificates. Each additional certificate costs $35.00. Certification prices are shown in the following table:
Description and Estimated Fee
(2) [Reserved]
(b) Description of certification types. The Census Bureau will process requests for population certificates for standard governmental units, in accordance with the Census Bureau's annual certification schedule or under an expedited certification arrangement. The boundaries for standard governmental units are regularly and customarily updated between decennial censuses by the Census Bureau's geographic support system. These governmental units include a variety of legally defined general- and special-purpose governmental units, including counties and statistically equivalent entities, minor civil divisions, incorporated places, consolidated cities, federally recognized American Indian reservations, and school districts. A complete list of entities is defined in paragraph (c) of this section.
(1) Annual certification. Annual population and housing certification is available around October 1 of each calendar year to new or existing governmental units that report legal boundary updates in the Census Bureau's annual Boundary and Annexation Survey. In accordance with reporting requirements of this survey, the legally effective dates of the boundary updates may not be later than January 1 of the calendar year. These certifications are available through September of the following year.
(i) The annual certification service also is available to standard governmental units that are not in the Boundary and Annexation Survey of that year. Governmental units electing participation in this service must draft the legal boundary updates upon Census Bureau-supplied maps. The legally effective dates of the boundaries may not be later than January 1 of the calendar year. The Census Bureau must receive the census maps annotated with the legally certified boundaries and associated address ranges by April 1 of the same calendar year. The Census Bureau will determine that the legal boundary updates are acceptable by verifying that the information is complete, legible, and usable, and that the legal boundaries on the maps have been attested by the governmental unit as submitted in accordance with state law or tribal authority.
(ii) [Reserved]
(2) Expedited certification. (i) Expedited certification will be available where the customer requests any of the following:
(A) Certification of boundary updates legally effective after January 1 of the current calendar year; or
(B) Certification of boundary updates reported to the Census Bureau after April 1 of the current calendar year; or
(C) Certification of boundary updates by the Census Bureau before October 1 of the current calendar year.
(ii) Governmental units electing participation in this service must draft the legal boundary updates upon Census Bureau-supplied maps. To allow sufficient processing time, the Census Bureau must receive acceptable census maps annotated with the legally certified boundaries and associated address ranges no later than three months before the date requested by the customer to receive the population certificate. The Census Bureau will determine that the legal boundary updates are acceptable by verifying that the information is complete, legible, and usable and that the legal boundaries on the maps have been attested as submitted in accordance with state law or tribal authority.
(c) List of standard governmental units. The following is a list of the standard governmental units eligible for the Geographically Updated Population Certification Program:
(1) Federally recognized American Indian reservations and off-reservation trust land entities [tribal government]; this includes a reservation designated as a colony, community, Indian community, Indian village, pueblo, rancheria, reservation, reserve, and village.
(2) Counties and statistically equivalent entities, including the following: counties in 48 states; boroughs, municipalities, and census areas in Alaska [state official]; parishes in Louisiana; and municipios in Puerto Rico.
(3) Minor civil divisions as recognized in Census 2000 in the following 28 states: Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
(4) Incorporated places, including the following: boroughs in Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania; cities in 49 states and the District of Columbia; cities, boroughs, and municipalities in Alaska; towns in 30 states (excluding towns in New England, New York, and Wisconsin, which are minor civil divisions); and villages in 20 states.
(5) Consolidated cities.
(6) School districts.
(d) Non-standard certifications. Certifications for population and housing counts of non-standard geographic areas or of individual census blocks are not currently available under this program but will be announced under a separate notice at a later date.
(e) Submitting certification requests. Submit requests for certifications on Form BC-1869(EF), Request for Geographically Updated Official Population Certification, to the Census Bureau by fax, (301) 457-4714, or by e-mail, MSO.certify@census.gov. Form BC-1869(EF) will be available on the Census Bureau's Web site at: http://www.census.gov/mso/www/certification/. A letter or e-mail communication requesting the service without Form BC-1869(EF) will be accepted only if it contains the information necessary to complete a Form BC-1869(EF).