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[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 44 (Thursday, March 6, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 10256]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-5544]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    DOC has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
clearance the following proposal for collection of information under 
the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: Bureau of the Census.
    Title: Study of Privacy Attitudes.
    Form Number(s): None (automated instrument).
    Agency Approval Number: 0607-0822.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Burden: 396 hours.
    Number of Respondents: 1,200.
    Avg. Hours Per Response: 20 minutes.
    Needs and Uses: The Census Bureau is interested in privacy issues--
such as, the public's attitude toward individual privacy, the Census 
Bureau's privacy practices, and the potential use of administrative 
records and collecting Social Security numbers (SSNs--for several 
reasons. Most notable is the steady decline in response rates to the 
Census Bureau's mailed questionnaire in the last five decennial 
censuses, which may reflect the growing apathy toward and mistrust of 
the Federal government. A clear understanding of the public's beliefs 
regarding the Census Bureau and its practices may help decennial census 
planners offset the trend in declining responses rates and address new 
methods to acquire data. The purpose of this survey, along with former 
collections, is to:
    Determine and clarify the public's opinion of: (1) The Federal 
government and Census Bureau in general; (2) the Census Bureau's 
privacy and confidentiality policies; (3) the extent to which the 
Census Bureau adheres to its own privacy guidelines; (4) the Census 
Bureau's expanded use of administrative records and possible interest 
in collecting SSNs in the future; (5) the notion of an `'administrative 
records--only census'' in 2010; and (6) the utility of adopting and 
communicating fair information use principles.
    Assess change in the public's attitudes on privacy-related issues 
on a yearly basis. The 1996, 1997, and 1998 privacy studies, along with 
the inaugural survey--the 1995 Joint Program in Statistical Methods 
(JPSM) study, will help inform decisions on Census 2000. Beginning in 
1999, privacy studies will be part of the research and experimentation 
program for the 2010 census.
    The Study of Privacy Attitudes was formerly known as the ``Study of 
Public Attitudes Towards Administrative Records Use (SPARU).'' To 
maintain continuity, the content of the 1997 SPA questionnaire will be 
mostly the same as the 1996 SPARU. However, questions originally 
included in the 1995 JPSM survey that were left off the 1996 SPARU 
because of budgetary reasons will be reinstated for the 1997 SPA.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Frequency: One-time.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 USC, Sections 141 and 193.
    OMB Desk Officer: Jerry Coffey, (202) 395-7314.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Linda Engelmeier, DOC Forms Clearance Officer, 
(202) 482-3272, Department of Commerce, room 5312, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to Jerry Coffey, OMB Desk Officer, room 10201, New Executive Office 
Building, Washington, DC 20503.

    Dated: February 28, 1997.
Linda Engelmeier,
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of Management and 
Organization.
[FR Doc. 97-5544 Filed 3-5-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-M
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