RDP_Suporting Statement B_091024

SUPPORTING STATEMENT B

U.S. Department of Commerce

U.S. Census Bureau

Redistricting Data Program

OMB Control No. 0607-0988

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

1. Describe (including a numerical estimate) the potential respondent universe and any sampling or other respondent selection method to be used. Data on the number of entities (e.g., establishments, State and local government units, households, or persons) in the universe covered by the collection and in the corresponding sample are to be provided in tabular form for the universe as a whole and for each of the strata in the proposed sample. Indicate expected response rates for the collection as a whole. If the collection had been conducted previously, include the actual response rate achieved during the last collection.

The Redistricting Data Program (RDP) does not use sampling or any statistical methods to determine the universe of respondents. The Solicitation of Non-Partisan Liaisons will have 52 respondents comprising the 50 states, the District of Columbia (DC), and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (PR). For the 2030 RDP, the solicitation of the non-partisans will be issued through mail (U.S. Postal Service) in 2025 and responses will be accepted by mail or email.

Once appointed, the 52 non-partisan liaisons will serve as the respondents for Collection of Post-2020 Census Congressional and State Legislative District Plans and the Block Boundary Suggestion Project (BBSP). Both collections are voluntary.

The most recent Collection of Post-2020 Census Congressional and State Legislative District Plans in 2024 had a 100% participation rate. Liaisons will be emailed an invitation to submit any updates to their Post-2020 Census Congressional and State Legislative Districts in 2025. The Census Bureau will collect forms confirming participation through email. This process is the same from the last collection in 2024. The 2020 Census BBSP had 41 of the possible 52 respondents (including all 50 states, DC, and PR) participate (79%). Liaisons will be sent an invitation to participate in the both the delineation and verifications cycles of the BBSP through email (2026-2027).

2. Describe the procedures for the collection of information including:

   • Statistical methodology for stratification and sample selection,

   • Estimation procedure,

   • Degree of accuracy needed for the purpose described in the justification,

   • Unusual problems requiring specialized sampling procedures, and

   • Any use of periodic (less frequent than annual) data collection cycles to reduce burden.

Collection of information for the RDP does not include any of the procedures listed above.

3. Describe methods to maximize response rates and to deal with issues of non-response. The accuracy and reliability of information collected must be shown to be adequate for intended uses. For collections based on sampling, a special justification must be provided for any collection that will not yield "reliable" data that can be generalized to the universe studied.

Methods to maximize response rates and to deal with issues of non-response:

For the Solicitation of Non-Partisan Liaison activity, contact will continue through mail, email, and phone until at least one liaison has been assigned for each of the states, DC, and PR. Once assigned, the liaisons act as the point of contact for the Census Bureau’s RDP. Communication is consistently maintained between the liaison and the Census Bureau throughout the Collection of Post-2020 Census Congressional and State Legislative District Plans and the BBSP.

The Census Bureau provides multiple submission methods to liaisons that have changes to provide including block equivalency files and split block shapefiles for the Collection of Post-2020 Census Congressional and State Legislative District Plans as well as the Geographic Update Partnership Software (GUPS), or the liaison’s own geographic information system (GIS) mapping software for the BBSP.

Practical utility for the collection:

The RDP collects new Post-2020 Census Congressional and State Legislative District Plans every two years. Participation is voluntary. These boundaries are used as an input to the creation of tabulation blocks and for the Census Bureau to produce congressional and state legislative district data for the states, DC, and PR and the general public. If the states, DC, or PR do not participate in the Collection of Post-2020 Census Congressional and State Legislative Districts activity, congressional or state legislative district data will possibly not be released for that entity or would be released using outdated definitions of those districts.

The RDP provides the states, DC, and PR the opportunity to suggest census block boundaries for use in the 2030 Census redistricting data tabulations (Public Law 94-171 Redistricting Data File) during the BBSP. Participation is voluntary and allows the states, DC, and PR to provide suggestions to their block boundaries to fit their redistricting needs. States, DC, and PR are the only authority that can choose where and how to draw their congressional and legislative boundaries. If the states, DC, or PR do not participate in BBSP activity, they still receive block data for redistricting purposes, but the blocks do not reflect any suggestions from the states and therefore may not be as useful.

4. Describe any tests of procedures or methods to be undertaken. Testing is encouraged as an effective means of refining collections of information to minimize burden and improve utility. Tests must be approved if they call for answers to identical questions from 10 or more respondents. A proposed test or set of tests may be submitted for approval separately or in combination with the main collection of information.

The RDP does not conduct a test phase or test sampling. The program does conduct an evaluation with the liaisons as part of its ten-year lifecycle which is referred to as “Phase 5- The View from the States.” Phase 5 is outside the scope of this renewal. The results of that decennial evaluation are used to improve the collection process for each of these projects and the program as a whole.

5. Provide the name and telephone number of individuals consulted on statistical aspects of the design and the name of the agency unit, contractor(s), grantee(s), or other person(s) who will actually collect and/or analyze the information for the agency.

The RDP information collection is conducted and managed by the Census Bureau’s Redistricting & Voting rights Data Office (RVDO), Decennial Communications and Stakeholder Relations Office, Decennial Census Programs Directorate.

James Whitehorne, Chief, RVDO, <james.whitehorne@census.gov>, 301-763-4039.

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