[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 75 (Thursday, April 20, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18608-18609]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-07950]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; State & Local
Government Finance Collections
The Department of Commerce will submit 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: U.S. Census Bureau.
Title: State & Local Government Finance Collections.
OMB Control Number: 0607-0585.
Form Number(s): F-5, F-11, F-12, F-13, F-28, F-29, F-32.
Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Number of Respondents: 26,447.
Average Hours per Response: 2 hours and 51 minutes.
Burden Hours: 75,150.
Needs and Uses: The State & Local Government Finance program is the
only known comprehensive source of state and local government finance
data collected on a nationwide scale using uniform definitions,
concepts, and procedures. The Census Bureau implements this program
through conducting a full census every five years (years ending in 2
and 7) and annual sample surveys in the interim years. The Census
Bureau has conducted the Census of Governments every five years since
1957 and phased in the annual surveys over the subsequent years.
Currently, we are requesting approval to conduct the 2017 Census of
Governments: Finance component and the 2018 and 2019 Annual Survey of
State Government Tax Collections, Annual Survey of State Government
Finances, the Annual Survey of Local Government Finances, and the
Annual Survey of Public Pensions. These surveys collect data on state
government finances and estimates of local government revenue,
expenditure, debt, assets, and pension systems nationally and within
state areas. Data are collected for all agencies, departments, and
institutions of the fifty state and approximate 77,000 local
governments (counties, municipalities, townships, and special
districts) during the census years, and for a sample of the local
governments (approximately 11,000) for the survey years. An additional
13,000 units of school districts are covered in a separate request.
Over the past several years, the programs covered by this request
have moved towards eliminating collection by paper form as much as
possible. The only exception to this is the F-13 form, which is still
sent as a paper form because the small number of respondents does not
justify the cost of converting it to an electronic form. Below is a
short description of each the forms utilized in our general collection
methods:
F-5. State governments provide detailed data on their tax
collections using a spreadsheet that they receive via email. Much of
this detail is not available in the state's primary source document. An
attachment is included with the email providing the respondent with the
OMB approval number, authority and confidentiality statements, and
burden estimate.
F-11 and F-12. State and local government pension systems provide
data on their receipts, payments, assets, membership, and
beneficiaries. The actuarial content of the F-11 and F-12 forms is in
the process of being reviewed to remove outdated questions and replace
them with questions that are more relevant based on current accounting
standards and data user interest. The current burden estimates of 2
hours for F-11 and 2.5 hours for F-12 are not expected to change
because of these updates. These forms are completed online via
electronic collection instrument.
F-13. State agencies provide data not included in the audits,
electronic files and other primary sources the Census Bureau uses to
compile state government financial data. Form F-13 is used to collect
data from state insurance trust systems. Respondents to this survey
receive a paper form.
F-28. Counties, cities, and townships provide data on revenues,
expenditures, debt, and assets. These forms are completed online via
electronic collection instrument.
F-29. Multi-function special district governments provide data on
revenues, expenditures, debt, and assets. These forms are completed
online via electronic collection instrument.
F-32. Single-function special district governments and dependent
agencies of local governments provide data on revenues, expenditures,
debt and assets. These forms are completed online via electronic
collection instrument.
In addition to these more traditional collection methods, the
Census Bureau also collects electronic data files through arrangements
with state governments, central collection arrangements with local
governments, and using customized electronic reporting instruments.
These data are widely used by Federal, state, and local
legislators, policy makers, analysts, economists, and researchers to
follow the changing characteristics of the government sector of the
economy. The data are also widely used by the media and academia.
More specifically, the Census Bureau provides its state and local
government finance data annually to the Bureau of Economic Analysis
(BEA) for use in measuring and developing estimates of the government
sector of the economy in the National Income and Product Accounts. The
Census Bureau also provides these data to the Federal Reserve Board for
constructing the Flow of Funds Accounts.
Additionally, the state and local government data are also needed
as inputs into the Justice Expenditure and Employment Extract Series,
produced by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, and the National Health
Expenditure Accounts produced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services. The data are also published annually in the Digest of
Education Statistics produced by National Center for Education
Statistics, the Economic Report of the President produced by the
Council of Economic Advisors, and the source data are used as input
into the State and Local Governments Fiscal Outlook published by the
Government Accountability Office. In addition, the data are used by the
National Science Foundation as inputs into the state government R&D
expenditures.
In recent years, state and local government financial information
has garnered significant media attention and policy coverage. As such,
timely state and local government finance data are critical in light of
current financial conditions of state and local governments, as they
provide insight into the complex nature and fiscal health of state and
local government finances.
Beginning with the 1993 annual data series, all data, summary
tables, and files have been released on the Internet. At the Internet
site, (census.gov/govs/) users will find documentation, summary tables
and files.
Affected Public: State, local or Tribal government.
Frequency: Annually.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C., Sections 161 and 182.
[[Page 18609]]
This information collection request may be viewed at
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce
collections currently under review by OMB.
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice
to [email protected] or fax to (202) 395-5806.
Sheleen Dumas,
PRA Department Lead, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-07950 Filed 4-19-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P