[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 155 (Monday, August 11, 2008)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 46553-46554]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-18305]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of the Census

15 CFR Part 70

[Docket Number 080703821-8824-01]
RIN 0607-AA47


Cutoff Dates for Recognition of Boundary Changes for the 2010 
Census

AGENCY: Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Final Rule.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is amending its 
regulations to establish cutoff dates for the recognition of boundary 
changes for the 2010 Census. This amendment is necessary, as the 
existing cutoff dates are out of date. Upon effectiveness of this rule, 
the Census Bureau will recognize only those boundaries legally in 
effect on January 1, 2010, that have been reported officially to the 
Census Bureau no later than March 1, 2010.

DATES: This rule is effective on August 11, 2008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel H. Weinberg, Acting Chief, 
Geography Division, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC 20233-7400, 
telephone (301) 763-2131, or e-mail <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7a1d1f1554181b093a191f14090f09541d150c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d2b5b7bdfcb0b3a192b1b7bca1a7a1fcb5bda4">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Census Bureau is amending 15 CFR part 70 
to establish cutoff dates for recognition of boundary changes made 
through the Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS) for the 2010 Census, 
the American Community Survey (ACS), and the Population Estimates 
Program. The cutoff dates were last established for Census 2000 on 
March 3, 1998 (63 FR 10303). Those cutoff dates are out of date; 
therefore, the Census Bureau amends its regulations to update the 
cutoff dates for the 2010 Census. For the 2010 Census, the Census 
Bureau will recognize only those boundaries legally in effect on 
January 1, 2010, that have been reported officially to the Census 
Bureau no later than March 1, 2010. To implement this change, the 
Census Bureau changes the name of the census from ``Census 2000'' to 
``2010 Census'' and the reference year from 2000 to 2010 throughout its 
regulations.
    The reporting deadline for the BAS is usually April 1 of each year. 
However, to ensure the timely and official reporting of legal boundary 
changes for the 2010 Census, and subsequent data dissemination and 
tabulation activities, we establish the above-referenced deadlines. The 
BAS 2009 reporting deadline will be March 1, 2009, and the BAS 2010 
reporting deadline will be March 1, 2010.
    In addition, the Census Bureau amends Sec.  70.2 to remove and 
update the reference publication that provides information on the 
definition of ``municipality'' and ``county subdivision.'' The 
reference to the 1990 Census of Population, Volume 1, General 
Population Characteristics, 1990 CP-1-1, Appendix A, is replaced with a 
reference to the Census 2000 Geographic Terms and Concepts, Appendix A.

Rulemaking Requirements

Administrative Procedure Act

    The Census Bureau finds good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) to 
waive notice and comment requirements of the Administrative Procedure 
Act because it is unnecessary and contrary to the public interest. This 
amendment is necessary to establish the cutoff date for recognition of 
boundary changes for the 2010 Census and to update an obsolete citation 
to a reference publication. Upon implementation of this final rule for 
the 2010 Census, the Census Bureau will recognize only those boundaries 
legally in effect on January 1, 2010, that have been reported 
officially to the Census Bureau no later than March 1, 2010. This 
change does not impact the rights or obligations of any entity. This 
change merely establishes the last date on which the Census Bureau will 
accept changes to the legal boundaries used by the Census Bureau to 
conduct the data tabulation for the decennial census. In addition, this 
rule updates the reference that provides information on the definition 
of ``municipality'' and ``county subdivision.''
    The Census Bureau finds good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(d) to waive 
the 30-day delay in effectiveness. As stated above, this amendment is 
necessary to establish the cutoff date for recognition of boundary 
changes for the decennial census and to update an obsolete citation to 
a reference publication. This change does not impact the rights or 
obligations of any entity. This change merely establishes the last date 
on which the Census Bureau will accept changes to the legal boundaries 
used by the Census Bureau to conduct the data tabulation for the 
decennial census, and to update a reference publication that provides 
information on the definition of ``municipality'' and ``county 
subdivision.'' Therefore, the Census Bureau makes this final rule 
effective immediately upon publication.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    Because a notice of proposed rulemaking and an opportunity for 
comment are not required by 5 U.S.C. 553 or any other law, a Regulatory 
Flexibility Analysis is not required and has not been prepared (5 
U.S.C. 603(a)).

Executive Orders

    This rule has been determined to be not significant for purposes of 
Executive Order 12866. This rule does not contain policies with 
federalism implications, as that term is defined in Executive Order 
13132.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This final rule does not represent a collection of information 
subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C., 
Chapter 35.

List of Subjects in 15 CFR Part 70

    Administrative practice and procedure, Census data, Population 
census, Statistics.

0
For the reasons stated in the preamble, the Census Bureau is amending 
15 CFR Part 70 as follows:

PART 70--[AMENDED]

0
1. The authority for Part 70 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 13 U.S.C. 4 and Department of Commerce Organization 
Order 35-2A (40 FR 42765).


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2. In 15 CFR Part 70, remove the words ``Census 2000'' wherever they 
appear and add, in their place, the words ``2010 Census.''
0
3. In 15 CFR part 70, remove the date ``2000'' wherever it appears and 
add, in its place, the date ``2010.''


Sec.  70.2  [Amended]

    4. In Sec.  70.2 remove the sentence ``A more complete description 
appears on pages A-6 and A-11 of 1990 Census of Population, Volume 1, 
General Population Characteristics, 1990 CP-1-1, Appendix A,'' and add, 
in its place, the sentence ``A more complete description appears on 
pages A-12 and A-13 of Appendix A, Census 2000 Geographic Terms and 
Concepts.''


[[Page 46554]]


    Dated: August 5, 2008.
Steve H. Murdock,
Director, Bureau of the Census.
[FR Doc. E8-18305 Filed 8-8-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P


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