[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 150 (Tuesday, August 4, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 47216]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-16893]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

[OMB #0970-0171]


Proposed Information Collection Activity; Voluntary 
Acknowledgment of Paternity and Required Data Elements for Paternity 
Establishment Affidavits

AGENCY: Office of Child Support Enforcement, Administration for 
Children and Families, HHS.

ACTION: Request for Public Comment.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE), Administration 
for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services, is requesting a 3-year extension of the Voluntary 
Acknowledgment of Paternity and Required Data Elements for Paternity 
Establishment Affidavits (OMB #0970-0171). There are no changes 
requested to the form.

DATES: Comments due within 60 days of publication. In compliance with 
the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, ACF is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects 
of the information collection described above.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed collection of information can be 
obtained and comments may be forwarded by emailing 
[email protected]. Alternatively, copies can also be obtained 
by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of 
Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), 330 C Street SW, Washington, 
DC 20201, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. All requests, emailed or 
written, should be identified by the title of the information 
collection.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Description: Section 466(a)(5)(C) of the Social Security Act 
requires states to enact laws ensuring a simple civil process for 
voluntarily acknowledging paternity via an affidavit. The development 
and use of an affidavit for the voluntary acknowledgment of paternity 
would include the minimum requirements of the affidavit specified by 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 452(a)(7) of 
the Social Security Act and give full faith and credit to such an 
affidavit signed in any other state according to its procedures. The 
state must provide that, before a mother and putative father can sign a 
voluntary acknowledgement of paternity, the mother and putative father 
must be given notice, orally and in writing of the alternatives to, the 
legal consequences of, and the rights (including any rights, if one 
parent is a minor, due to minority status) and responsibilities of 
acknowledging paternity. The affidavits will be used by hospitals, 
birth record agencies, and other entities participating in the 
voluntary paternity establishment program to collect information from 
the parents of nonmarital children.
    Respondents: The parents of nonmarital children, state and tribal 
agencies operating child support programs under Title IV-D of the 
Social Security Act, hospitals, birth record agencies, and other 
entities participating in the voluntary paternity establishment 
program.

                                             Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                                   Annual number  Average annual
                   Instrument                      Annual number   of responses    burden hours    Annual burden
                                                  of respondents  per respondent   per response        hours
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Training........................................         134,685               1               1         134,685
Paternity Acknowledgment Process................       1,471,079               1            0.17         250,083
Data Elements...................................              54               1              54              54
Ordering Brochures..............................       2,693,695               1             .08         215,496
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Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 600,318.

    Comments: The Department specifically requests comments 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 of the proposed collection of 
information; (c) 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. 
Consideration will be given to comments and suggestions submitted 
within 60 days of this publication.

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 666(a)(5)(C) and 652(a)(7).

John M. Sweet Jr.,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020-16893 Filed 8-3-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-41-P