2023-25731. Submission for OMB Review; Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity and Required Data Elements for Paternity Establishment Affidavits

AGENCY:

Office of Child Support Services, Administration for Children and Families, United States Department of Health and Human Services.

ACTION:

Request for public comments.

SUMMARY:

The Office of Child Support Services (OCSS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), United States Department of Health and Human Services, is requesting a three-year extension of the Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity and Required Data Elements for Paternity Establishment Affidavits (OMB #0970–0171, expiration 1/31/2024). No changes are proposed.

DATES:

Comments due within 30 days of publication. OMB must make a decision about the collection of information between 30 and 60 days after publication of this document in the Federal Register . Therefore, a comment is best assured of having its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function. You can also obtain copies of the proposed collection of information by emailing [e-mail]. Identify all emailed requests 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 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 acknowledgment of paternity, the mother and putative father must be given notice, orally, or through the use of video equipment, 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

Instrument	Total number of respondents	Annual number of responses per respondent	Average burden hours per response	Annual burden hours
Training	130,240	1	1	130,240
Paternity Acknowledgment Process	1,618,412	1	0.17	275,130
Data Elements	54	1	1	54
Ordering Brochures	2,604,802	1	.08	208,384

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 613,808.

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

Mary B. Jones,

ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.