[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]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual number Average annual
Instrument Annual number of responses burden hours Annual burden
of respondents per respondent per response hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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