Federal Register #2026-22462

HHS Seeks Comments on Three-Year Extension of Paternity Acknowledgment Information Collection

HHS is seeking public comments on extending its paternity acknowledgment information collection for three years. - Government buyer: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE). - Request: Comments on extending the Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity and Required Data Elements for Paternity Establishment Affidavits information collection. No changes to the required data elements are proposed. - Collection scope: Training, the paternity acknowledgment process, and required data elements used by hospitals, birth record agencies, state and tribal child support agencies, and other participating entities. - Burden estimate: Estimated annual burden is 40% lower than the previously approved estimate, reflecting automation, digital service delivery, and exclusion of brochure ordering from the calculation. - Procurement items and vendors: No products, services for purchase, quantities, part numbers, OEMs, or vendors are identified.

Description

The Office of Child Support Enforcement is requesting a 3-year extension of the information collection for Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity and Required Data Elements for Paternity Establishment Affidavits. No changes are proposed to the data elements, but the estimated burden has been adjusted to reflect improved automation. The affidavits are used by hospitals, birth record agencies, and other participating entities to collect information from parents of nonmarital children. Public comments are due December 4, 2026.

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