[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38489-38490]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15526]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Proposed Information Collection Activity; National Human 
Trafficking Hotline (NHTH) Performance Indicators

AGENCY: Office on Trafficking in Persons, Administration for Children 
and Families, Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is 
requesting approval for a new information collection: National Human 
Trafficking Hotline (NHTH) Performance Indicators.

DATES: Comments due within 60 days of publication. In compliance with 
the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Administration for Children and Families 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 107(b)(1)(B)(ii) of the Trafficking Victims 
Protection Act of 2000, as amended at 22 U.S.C. 7105(b)(1)(B)(ii), 
authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make a 
grant for a national communication system--the NHTH--to assist victims 
of severe forms of trafficking in persons in seeking help, receiving 
referrals, and reporting potential trafficking cases.
    HHS made an award in the form of a Cooperative Agreement to a 
single, competitively selected grantee to maintain and support 
operation of the NHTH throughout the United States and U.S. 
territories. The NHTH is a toll-free hotline that operates 24 hours a 
day, every day of the year.
    The Cooperative Agreement delineates the roles and responsibilities 
for the administration of the grant program, which include:
    1. Operating the NHTH with experienced and trained anti-trafficking 
advocates;
    2. Operating the NHTH website and responding to online signals;
    3. Promoting NHTH services to increase the identification and 
protection of victims of severe forms of human trafficking;
    4. Providing timely information and service referrals to human 
trafficking victims using a trauma-informed, person-centered, 
culturally responsive, and linguistically appropriate approach;
    5. Notifying law enforcement agencies of potential cases of human 
trafficking as well as instances when a trafficking victim is in 
imminent danger; and
    6. Documenting emerging trafficking schemes to assist in the 
detection and investigation of trafficking cases.
    The NHTH grantee collects information about signalers (individuals 
who contact the hotline) and from signalers regarding potential victims 
of a severe form of trafficking in persons and human trafficking cases. 
Given the unique relationship the NHTH has to the public, OTIP is 
seeking clearance to collect information about and from these signalers 
that will be summarized and reported to OTIP by the NHTH grantee in the 
aggregate. The NHTH Performance Indicators information collection will 
provide data for OTIP to assess the extent to which the grantee meets 
required program activities to:
     Ensure potential victims of trafficking remain able to 
access assistance by constantly monitoring and mitigating factors 
impacting NHTH operations;
     Assist the grantee to assess and improve their project 
over the course of the project period;
     Disseminate insights related to human trafficking cases 
and trends to inform anti-trafficking strategies and policies; and

[[Page 38490]]

     Provide information to Congress, other federal agencies, 
stakeholders, the public, and other countries on the aggregate outputs 
and outcomes of the NHTH operations.
    Respondents: Potential victims, representatives of governmental 
entities, law enforcement, first responders, members of the community, 
representatives of nongovernmental entities providing social, legal, or 
protective services to individuals in the United States who may have 
been subjected to severe forms of trafficking in persons utilize the 
NHTH as signalers.

                                                                 Annual Burden Estimates
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                                                                     Total number of  Total number of  Average  burden
                             Instrument                                respondents     responses per      hours per       Total burden    Annual burden
                                                                       (signalers)       respondent        response          hours            hours
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National Human Trafficking Hotline (NHTH) Performance Indicators...         585,300                1       0.43333333          253,630           84,543
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    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 84,543.
    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: 22 U.S.C. 7105.

Mary B. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-15526 Filed 7-20-21; 8:45 am]
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