at-97-11.htm

ACTION TRANSMITTAL

OCSE-AT-97-11

August 4, 1997

TO:STATE AGENCIES ADMINISTERING CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT PLANS APPROVED UNDER TITLE IV-D OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES.

SUBJECT:Federal Register Notice Regarding Required Data Elements for Paternity Acknowledgement Affidavits

ATTACHMENT:Section 452(a)(7) of the Social Security Act (the Act) as amended by section 331 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) requires the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to specify the minimum requirements of an affidavit to be used for the voluntary acknowledgment of paternity which shall include the social security number of each parent. In addition, section 466(a)(5)(C)(iv) of the Act as amended by section 331 of PRWORA requires States to enact laws requiring the development and use of an affidavit for the voluntary acknowledgement of paternity which includes the minimum requirements of the affidavit specified by the Secretary and to give full faith and credit to such an affidavit signed in any other State according to its procedures.

In 1996, the Department of Health and Human Services established a task group composed of Federal and State members to recommend minimum data elements and information requirements for all State paternity acknowledgement affidavits. Federal staff were drawn from the Office of Child Support Enforcement's central and regional offices and from the Federal Vital Statistics agency and State staff from several State Child Support agencies and one State Vital Statistics agency. We also sought input from advocacy groups. The task group completed its work in the spring of 1997.

The attached Federal Register notice published on July 22, 1997 (62 FR 39246) requests comments on the proposed minimum data elements as well as information collection activities to comply withthe requirements of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The comment period runs for 60 days from the date the notice was published in the Federal Register or September 20, 1997. Comments should be forwarded to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Information Services, Division of Information Resource Management Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer.

INQUIRIES:Inquiries should be directed to the appropriate Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Regional Administrator.

__________________________________
David Gray Ross /s/
Deputy Director
Office of Child Support
Enforcement

[Federal Register: July 22, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 140)]

[Notices]

[Pages 39246 - 39247]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo. gov]

___________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Proposed Projects:

Title: Voluntary Establishment of Paternity.

OMB No.: New Request.

Description: Public Law 104-193 requires the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to specify the minimum data requirements of an affidavit to be used for the voluntary acknowledgment of paternity. Public Law 104-193 also requires States to enact laws requiring the development and use of an affidavit which met 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 Department established a task group composed of Federal and State staff to recommend minimum data elements for all State paternity acknowledgment affidavits. The minimum data elements were crafted to balance the need for a tool for collecting information necessary to the establishment of a child support order and the need for a user-friendly form that addresses only the data necessary to establish legal paternity. The minimum data elements are: The current full name, social security number and date of birth of mother, father, and child; address of mother and father, birthplace of child; an explanation of the legal consequences of signing the affidavit; a statement indicating both parents understand their rights, responsibilities, alternatives and the consequences of signing the affidavit; the place the affidavit was completed; and signature lines for mother, father and witnesses or notaries.

Respondents: States and Other Entities.

Annual Burden Estimates:

Instrument	Number of Respondents	Number of Responses per respondent	Average Burden Hours per response	Total Burden Hours
Affidavits	2,000,000	.2243	.166	74,468

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 74,468.

In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) 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. Copies of the proposed collection of information can be obtained and comments may be forwarded by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Information Services, Division of Information Resource Management Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. All requests should be identified by the title of the information collection.

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.

Dated: July 16, 1997.

Bob Sargis,

Acting Reports Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 97-19185 Filed 7-21-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4184-01-M