ACS NSC Thank You Letter Revision

Request for Non-Substantive Change to the 2020 American Community Survey (ACS)
OMB Control No. 0607-0810
U.S. Department of Commerce
U.S. Census Bureau
Purpose:
The American Community Survey (ACS) mails survey materials to about 286,000 HU addresses
each month. The mailing operations are conducted through the U.S. Postal Service and use
first-class postage rates for all pieces. For addresses that were mailed survey materials but did
not respond by mail, internet, or by calling the telephone questionnaire assistance line, the
Census Bureau selects a subsample of all households and assign them to the CAPI (nonresponse
follow-up) data collection mode. Unmailable household addresses are sampled and included in
the CAPI data collection mode.
In 2017, the HU sample yielded approximately 135,000 self-response interviews. The HU CAPI
follow-up yielded an estimated response rate of approximately 87 percent in 2017. The 2017
final weighted response rate for ACS was 94 percent.
Background
On June 7, 2019, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the American
Community Survey (0607-0810) information collection. The current collection will expire on
June 30, 2022. This non-substantive change request is to update the 2020 American Community
Survey (ACS) and Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS), Thank You Letter, ACS-26(L).
The Census Bureau received feedback from ACS Field Staff that many respondents are not
aware that they may be contacted as part of our Reinterview (RI) operation, which is carried
out to evaluate the quality of the interviewer’s work.
The Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) instrument includes a statement informing
respondents they may be contacted by RI. The statement reads as follows: "In order to
evaluate the quality of my work, my supervisor may contact you to verify that I am doing my
job correctly." However, respondents may not recall hearing the statement or they end the
call before an interviewer can relay the statement.
To improve awareness among the CAPI respondents, the Census Bureau requests to include a
sentence in the Thank You Letter (ACS-26(01-01-2020) to inform respondents that RI may
contact them. This may improve RI response rates. The new sentence reads as follows: “You
may be contacted by Census Bureau staff to evaluate the quality of work done by the
interviewer who spoke with you.”
In addition, the following sentence was moved to the first paragraph and revised:

2018 letter: “The success of the survey depends upon cooperation from you and other
households selected for the survey.”
2020 letter: “The success of the survey depends on cooperation from you and other
households selected to participate.”
Burden
There is no change to burden.
The following materials are attached:
• Thank you Letter ACS-26(01-01-2020)
• Thank you Letter ACS-26(01-01-2020)(SP)
• Thank you Letter ACS-26(01-01-2020)(PR)

2

DC
U.S. Census Bureau
Washington, DC 20233
Office of the Director

A message from the Director, U.S. Census Bureau ...
Thank you for participating in the American Community Survey!
You may be contacted by Census Bureau staff to evaluate the quality of work done
by the interviewer who spoke with you. The success of the survey depends on
cooperation from you and other households selected to participate.
The Census Bureau is required by law to keep your information confidential. We are
not permitted to publicly release your responses in a way that could identify this
household. Per the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, your data are
protected from cybersecurity risks through screening of the systems that transmit your
data.
Federal, tribal, state, and local governments will use summarized information from this
survey to make decisions and to develop programs that will provide health care,
education, and transportation services that affect you and your community. To learn
more about the American Community Survey and to review the survey results, visit our
website at census.gov/acs.
Your participation is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,

Steven D. Dillingham

ACS-26(L)(01-01-2020) (9-2019)

census.gov

DC
U.S. Census Bureau
Washington, DC 20233
Office of the Director

Un mensaje del Director de la Oficina del Censo de los Estados Unidos ...
¡Gracias por participar en la Encuesta sobre la Comunidad Estadounidense!
Es posible que personal de la Oficina del Censo se ponga en contacto con usted para
evaluar la calidad del trabajo realizado por el entrevistador que habló con usted. El
éxito de la encuesta depende de la cooperación suya y de otros hogares
seleccionados para participar.
La Oficina del Censo está obligada por ley a mantener confidencial su información. No
se nos permite divulgar públicamente sus respuestas de manera que este hogar
pudiera ser identificado. Conforme a la Ley para el Fortalecimiento de la Seguridad
Cibernética Federal del 2015, sus datos están protegidos contra los riesgos de
seguridad cibernética mediante los controles aplicados a los sistemas que transmiten
sus datos.
El gobierno federal y los gobiernos tribales, estatales y locales usarán información
resumida de esta encuesta para tomar decisiones y desarrollar programas que
proporcionarán servicios de salud, educación y transporte que le afectan a usted y a
su comunidad. Para obtener más información acerca de la Encuesta sobre la
Comunidad Estadounidense y para ver los resultados de la encuesta, visite nuestro
sitio web en census.gov/acs.
Agradecemos mucho su participación.
Atentamente,

Steven D. Dillingham

ACS-26(L)(SP) (1-1-2020) (9-2019)

census.gov

DC
U.S. Census Bureau
Washington, DC 20233
Office of the Director

A message from the Director, U.S. Census Bureau ...
Thank you for participating in the Puerto Rico Community Survey!
You may be contacted by Census Bureau staff to evaluate the quality of work done by
the interviewer who spoke with you. The success of the survey depends on cooperation
from you and other households selected to participate.
The Census Bureau is required by law to keep your information confidential. We arenot
permitted to publicly release your responses in a way that could identify this household.
Per the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, your data are protected from
cybersecurity risks through screening of the systems that transmit your data.
Puerto Rico and local governments will use summarized information from this survey to
make decisions and to develop programs that will provide health care, education, and
transportation services that affect you and your community. To learn more about the
Puerto Rico Community Survey and to review the survey results, visit our website at
census.gov/acs.
Your participation is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,

Steven D. Dillingham

ACS-26(L)(PR)(1-1-2020) (9-2019)

census.gov

DC
U.S. Census Bureau
Washington, DC 20233
Office of the Director

Un mensaje del Director de la Oficina del Censo de los Estados Unidos ...
¡Gracias por participar en la Encuesta sobre la Comunidad de Puerto Rico!
Es posible que personal de la Oficina del Censo se ponga en contacto con usted para
evaluar la calidad del trabajo realizado por el entrevistador que habló con usted. El
éxito de la encuesta depende de la cooperación suya y de otros hogares
seleccionados para participar.
La Oficina del Censo está obligada por ley a mantener confidencial su información. No
se nos permite divulgar públicamente sus respuestas de manera que este hogar
pudiera ser identificado. Conforme a la Ley para el Fortalecimiento de la Seguridad
Cibernética Federal del 2015, sus datos están protegidos contra los riesgos de
seguridad cibernética mediante los controles aplicados a los sistemas que transmiten
sus datos.
El gobierno de Puerto Rico y los gobiernos locales usarán información resumida de
esta encuesta para tomar decisiones y desarrollar programas que proporcionarán
servicios de salud, educación y transporte que le afectan a usted y a su comunidad.
Para obtener más información acerca de la Encuesta sobre la Comunidad de Puerto
Rico y para ver los resultados de la encuesta, visite nuestro sitio web en
census.gov/acs.
Agradecemos mucho su participación.
Atentamente,

Steven D. Dillingham

ACS-26(L)(PR)(1-1-2020) (9-2019)

census.gov