Service Annual Survey

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of the Census

Service Annual Survey

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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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, Pub. L. 104-13 (44 U.S.C.

3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before July 13, 1999.

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ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room

5033, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or

copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions

should be directed to Ruth Bramblett, Bureau of the Census, Room 2775-

FOB 3, Washington, DC 20233-6500, (301) 457-2766.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The services annual program consists of three separate surveys: the

Service Annual Survey (SAS), OMB No. 0607-0422; the Transportation

Annual Survey (TAS), OMB No. 0607-0798; and the Annual Survey of

Communication Services (ASCS), OMB No. 0607-0706.

SAS provides, for selected personal, business, entertainment,

health, social and other professional industries, total receipt

estimates for taxable firms and total revenue and expense estimates for

tax-exempt firms. TAS and ASCS provide total revenue and total expense

estimates for trucking and warehousing; and telephone, broadcasting,

cable television and other communication services, respectively. These

data are needed to provide a sound statistical basis for the formation

of policy by various governmental agencies. The Census Bureau is

authorized to conduct surveys necessary to furnish current data on

subjects covered by the major censuses authorized by Title 13, United

States Code. These surveys provide continuing and timely national

statistical data for the period between economic censuses.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the primary Federal user of

our annual program statistics, uses the information in developing the

national income and product accounts, compiling benchmark and annual

input-output tables, and computing gross domestic product (GDP) by

industry. Agencies of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) use

the data for policy development and program management and evaluation.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) uses the data as inputs to its

Producer Price Indexes and in developing productivity measurements. The

Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) uses the data for the

development for the National Health Expenditure Accounts. The Federal

Communication Commission (FCC) uses the data as a means for assessing

FCC policy. The Census Bureau uses the data to provide new insight into

changing structural and cost conditions that will impact the planning

and design of future economic census questionnaires. Private industry

also uses the data as a tool for marketing analysis.

Data are collected from all of the largest firms and from a sample

of small- and medium-sized businesses selected using a stratified

sampling procedure. The samples are reselected periodically, generally

at 5-year intervals. The largest firms continue to be canvassed when

the sample is re-drawn, while nearly all of the small- and medium-sized

firms from the prior sample are replaced. We collect these data by

using a mail-out/mail-back survey questionnaire.

The services annual program currently publishes estimates on a

Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) basis. Beginning with survey

year 1999, we will publish using the North American Industry

Classification System (NAICS). The structure of NAICS was developed in

a series of meetings among the United States, Canada, and Mexico in the

early to mid-1990's. Due to the rapid changes in both the U.S. and the

world economies, NAICS was constructed on a production-oriented, or

supply based, conceptual framework. The system provides an updated way

to classify new and emerging industries.

Due to the many changes caused by NAICS, the vehicles for which we

will collect this information will change. The three separate surveys

will be replaced with sectoral coverage under the SAS. This revision to

SAS will incorporate the TAS and ASCS surveys, and increase industry

coverage. Whereas before, a single report was produced for each of the

three surveys, now this program will produce multiple data products.

Our goal in NAICS is to maximize industry coverage with our

available resources. The SAS will provide dollar volume estimates for

specific industries in the following NAICS sectors:

Transportation and Warehousing (48-49).

Information (51).

Finance and Insurance (52).

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing (53).

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54).

Administrative and Support, Waste Management and

Remediation Services (56).

Educational Services (61).

Health Care and Social Assistance (62).

Arts, Entertainment and Recreation (71).

Other Services (81).

Changes From an SIC to a NAICS Basis

Conversion from the SIC to a NAICS basis will dramatically affect

the data collection program. The most significant changes are:

There will be an additional 149 new and emerging

industries added to the SAS, including Air Couriers, Publishing, Sound

Recording, Waste Management and Remediation Services, and selected

Financial Services.

An Information sector is created. It brings together

industries that produce, manipulate and distribute information and

cultural products; those that provide the means to transmit or

distribute these products; and those that process data or

communications. Included in this sector are telecommunications and

broadcasting; motion pictures and sound recording; information and data

processing services; and publishers, including newspaper, book, and

periodical publishing previously covered in our Manufacturing program.

Hotels, Motels, Lodging and Boarding Houses will now be a

part of the Accommodations and Food Services sector (72), and surveyed

along with the Retail Sector in other programs.

Non-employers will be included for all sectors.

Use of administrative receipts data in lieu of surveying

small single establishment employer businesses and for all

nonemployers.

With the implementation of NAICS, we are expanding the

number of form types. We have developed these forms to be more tailored

to the industries surveyed. The report numbering system will change as

follows as a result of this migration:

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Old New Description

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B-514, B-515.................. SA-484 Transportation and

Warehousing.

B-514, B-515.................. SA-492 Couriers and Messengers.

B-524, B-525.................. SA-493 Warehousing and Storage.

MA-1000(L).................... SA-511 Newspaper Publishers.

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MA-1000(L).................... SA-511 Periodical Publishers.

MA-1000(L).................... SA-511 Book Publishers.

MA-1000(L).................... SA-511 Database and Directory

Publishers.

MA-1000(L).................... SA-511 Greeting Cards.

MA-1000(L).................... SA-511 All Other Publishers.

B-500T3....................... SA-511 Software Publishers.

B-500T........................ SA-512 Motion Picture and Sound

Recording Industries.

B-518, B-519.................. SA-513 Radio and Television

Broadcasting.

B-520, B-521.................. SA-513 Cable Distribution and

Program Distribution.

B-516, B-517.................. SA-513 Telecommunications.

B-500T3....................... SA-514 Information Services.

B-500M........................ SA-514 Libraries and Archives.

B-500T3....................... SA-514 On-Line Information

Services.

N/A........................... SA-523 Securities, Commodity

Contracts, and Other

Financial Investments

and Related Activities.

N/A........................... SA-524 Insurance Carriers and

Related Activities.

B-500T........................ SA-532 Rental and Leasing

Services.

B-500M........................ SA-541 Professional,

Scientific, and

Technical Services.

B-500T3....................... SA-541 Computer Systems Design

and Related Services.

B-500T, B-500M................ SA-560 Administrative and

Support Waste

Management and

Remediation Services.

B-500M........................ SA-610 Educational Services.

B-500M3....................... SA-621 Offices of Physicians.

B-500M3....................... SA-621 Offices of Dentists.

B-500M3....................... SA-621 Offices of

Chiropractors.

B-500M3....................... SA-621 Offices of Optometrists.

B-500M3....................... SA-621 Offices of Mental Health

Practitioners.

B-500M3....................... SA-621 Offices of Physical,

Occupational and Speech

Therapists and

Audiologists.

B-500M3....................... SA-621 Offices of Health

Practitioners.

B-500M........................ SA-621 Outpatient Care Centers.

B-500T........................ SA-621 Medical Laboratories.

B-500M........................ SA-621 Home Health Care

Services.

B-500M........................ SA-621 Other Ambulatory Health

Care Services.

B-500M........................ SA-622 Hospitals.

B-500M1....................... SA-623 Nursing and Residential

Care Facilities.

B-500M........................ SA-624 Social Assistance.

B-500M, B-500T................ SA-711 Performing Arts and

Related Industries.

B-500T........................ SA-712 Spectator Sports.

B-500T........................ SA-713 Amusement, Gambling, and

Recreation Industries.

B-500T........................ SA-811 Repair and Maintenance.

B-500T........................ SA-812 Personal and Laundry

Services.

B-500M........................ SA-813 Religious, Grantmaking,

Civic, Professional,

and Similar

Organizations.

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Through our established base of contacts, we will informally

contact firms by telephone to ensure that the data being requested are

available from existing company records or can be easily estimated,

that reporting instructions are clear and helpful, and that terminology

used on the questionnaires conforms to industry usage. Through these

informal consultations, we will also be able to establish an estimate

of the number of hours necessary for a company to complete the survey.

II. Method of Collection

We collect this information by mail, fax, and telephone follow-up.

III. Data

OMB Number: This revision to the Service Annual Survey (OMB No.

0607-0422) will now include Transportation Annual Survey (OMB No. 0607-

0798) and Annual Survey of Communications (OMB No. 0607-0706).

Form Number: Refer to Abstract.

Type of Review: Regular Submission.

Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit organizations, not-

for-profit institutions, Government hospitals and Federal Government.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 50,000 under NAICS.

Estimated Time Per Response: On average, we expect 1 hour and 12

minutes as an estimate.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 60,000 hours under NAICS.

Estimated Total Annual Cost: The cost to the respondents for fiscal

year 2000 is estimated to be $1,059,600 based on the median hourly

salary of $17.66 for accountants and auditors. (Occupational Employment

Statistics-Bureau of Labor Statistics ``1997 National Occupational

Employment and Wage Estimates'') http://stats.bls.gov/oes/national/

oes__prof.htm.

Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code; Sections 182, 224,

and 225.

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.

Dated: May 7, 1999.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information

Officer.

[FR Doc. 99-12195 Filed 5-13-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-07-P