The Boundary and Annexation Survey
(BAS) provides eligible governments, which include tribal, state,
and general-purpose local governments, an opportunity to review the
Census Bureau’s legal boundary data to ensure the Census Bureau has
the correct boundary, name, and status information and make
necessary updates. BAS also allows for the review and update of
census designated place (CDP) boundaries and linear features. It
fulfills the agency’s responsibility as part of the National
Spatial Data Infrastructure, for which the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) Circular A-16 designates the Census Bureau as the lead
federal agency for maintaining national data about legal government
boundaries, as well as statistical and administrative boundaries.
It also supports the geospatial data steward responsibilities of
the Geospatial Data Act, the Evidence Act, OMB E-Gov, the Federal
Geographic Data Committee, Data.gov, GeoPlatform.gov, the National
Map, the Geographic Names Information System, and the Geospatial
One-Stop. The Census Bureau uses the boundaries collected during
BAS to tabulate data for various censuses and surveys including the
decennial census, American Community Survey (ACS), and Population
Estimates Program (PEP). It also uses the boundaries collected
through BAS to support other programs such as the Redistricting
Data Program, the Economic Census, the Geographically Updated
Population Certification Program, and the Special Census program.
Other federal programs also rely on accurate boundaries collected
through BAS. The Department of Housing and Urban Development uses
boundaries to determine jurisdictional eligibility for various
grant programs, such as the Community Development Block Grant
program. In addition, the Department of Agriculture uses boundaries
to determine eligibility for various rural housing and economic
development programs.
The Census Bureau added a
feedback component that may apply to a maximum of 1,000 eligible
governments. As a result, the estimated burden hours were increased
500 hours, from 300,000 to 300,500 hours annually.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.