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Please note that the OMB number and expiration date may not have been determined when this Information Collection Request and associated Information Collection forms were submitted to OMB. The approved OMB number and expiration date may be found by clicking on the Notice of Action link below.
View ICR - OIRA Conclusion
OMB Control No:
0970-0171
ICR Reference No:
202504-0970-020
Status:
Active
Previous ICR Reference No:
202311-0970-012
Agency/Subagency:
HHS/ACF
Agency Tracking No:
OCSE
Title:
Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity and Required Data Elements for the Paternity Establishment Affidavit
Type of Information Collection:
No material or nonsubstantive change to a currently approved collection
Common Form ICR:
No
Type of Review Request:
Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action:
Approved without change
Conclusion Date:
06/06/2025
Retrieve Notice of Action (NOA)
Date Received in OIRA:
05/28/2025
Terms of Clearance:
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
Expiration Date
01/31/2027
01/31/2027
01/31/2027
Responses
4,353,508
0
4,353,508
Time Burden (Hours)
613,808
0
613,808
Cost Burden (Dollars)
0
0
0
Abstract:
This request is for an extension of an approved information collection: Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity and Required Data Elements for the Paternity Establishment Affidavit (OMB #0970-0171). The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is proposing minor changes to the burden estimate as last updated in 2020. 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 State must provide that, before a mother and putative father can sign a voluntary acknowledgment 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. One affidavit needs to be filled out for each paternity established and the information cannot be provided any less frequently than once to each mother and putative father. The development and use of an affidavit for the voluntary acknowledgment of paternity would include the minimum requirements specified by the Secretary and to give full faith and credit to such an affidavit signed in any other State according to its procedures. The following ICR has been updated with non substantive changes in response to the Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government Executive Order (Defending Women EO) and recent Presidential Actions related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), such as those covered under the EO Initial Recissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions.
Authorizing Statute(s):
US Code:
42 USC 652
Name of Law: Social Security, Subchapter IV Part D: Child Support and Establishment of Paternity
US Code:
42 USC 666
Name of Law: Social Security, Subchapter IV Part D: Child Support and Establishment of Paternity
Citations for New Statutory Requirements:
None
Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:
Stage of Rulemaking:
Federal Register Citation:
Date:
Not associated with rulemaking
Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:
Federal Register Citation:
Citation Date:
88 FR 42075
06/29/2023
30-day Notice:
Federal Register Citation:
Citation Date:
88 FR 81086
11/21/2023
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR?
No
Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR:
4
IC Title
Form No.
Form Name
Brochures
Data Elements
Paternity Acknowledgment Process
Training
ICR Summary of Burden
Total Approved
Previously Approved
Change Due to New Statute
Change Due to Agency Discretion
Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate
Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses
4,353,508
4,353,508
0
0
0
0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)
613,808
613,808
0
0
0
0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)
0
0
0
0
0
0
Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion:
No
Burden Increase Due to:
Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion:
No
Burden Reduction Due to:
Short Statement:
In the last review of this information collection in 2020, OCSS calculated the total annual burden to be 593,947 hours. In this information collection, we estimate the total annual burden to be 613,808 hours. This adjustment is due to several factors. • Since 2020, there has been a decrease in the estimated number of partners involved in the voluntary paternity acknowledgment program by about 89,000 entities. This decrease affects the overall burden downward in the rows for training and for ordering brochures on the burden table. • Since 2020, there has been an increase in the burden for paternity acknowledgment services. In 2020 we estimated the number of nonmarital births for which services would be appropriate was approximately 1.4 million, while in 2023, we estimate the number of nonmarital births to be approximately 1.6 million (based on 2021 data). These overall changes have resulted in an overall increase of approximately 16,000 annual burden hours.
Annual Cost to Federal Government:
$43,580,455
Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods?
No
Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see
OMB Circular No. A-130
for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.
Yes
Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see
5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3)
)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.
No
Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]?
No
Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]?
No
Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)?
No
Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response?
No
Agency Contact:
Molly Buck 202 205-4724 mary.buck@acf.hhs.gov
Common Form ICR:
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;
(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;
(c) It reduces burden on small entities;
(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;
(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;
(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;
(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.
(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and
(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Certification Date:
05/28/2025
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