The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through its Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, has announced a request for public comments on a proposed extension of a critical information collection activity. This action, published in the Federal Register, concerns a "generic clearance" that permits ACF to gather data from individuals interested in or participating in its wide array of meetings, conferences, trainings, and workshops. The existing clearance is set to expire on September 30, 2026, and ACF is seeking to renew it, with an updated assessment of the associated public burden.
Purpose of Generic Clearance and Streamlined Operations
The core of this Federal Register notice is ACF's reliance on a generic clearance mechanism under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This mechanism allows federal agencies to obtain expedited review and approval from the Office of Management and Budget for similar, low-burden information collections that are frequently needed and do not raise significant policy questions. For ACF, this translates to an efficient process for planning its numerous gatherings, which are often organized on tight timelines. Without such a clearance, each individual event requiring participant information collection would necessitate a separate, time-consuming approval process, potentially hindering the agency's ability to engage with stakeholders effectively.
The types of information collected under this generic clearance are diverse but consistently focused on event logistics and participant engagement. These include basic contact information, organizational affiliation, and attendance preferences collected via registration forms. For events involving presentations or specific roles, ACF may collect applications or abstracts from prospective speakers or poster presenters. Pre-meeting surveys help gauge content preferences or existing knowledge, while post-meeting evaluations gather feedback on content, overall activity, and future programming needs. This systematic approach ensures that ACF can tailor its events to the needs and interests of its target audiences, which span researchers, program experts, grantees, contractors, and individuals receiving ACF services.
Scope and Burden Estimates
It is important to note the specific scope of this generic clearance. ACF explicitly states that this mechanism is primarily for information collected in connection with closed ACF meetings. Information gathered for public ACF meetings is not considered "information" under the Paperwork Reduction Act, as defined by 44 U.S.C., 5 CFR Ch. 11 (1-1-99 Edition), 1320.3: Definitions. This distinction highlights the regulatory boundaries within which ACF operates when collecting data.
The agency has also provided updated burden estimates for the next three years, reflecting a conscious effort to reduce the administrative burden on respondents. The estimated annual burden for new types of information collections is approximately 4,558 hours across 35,167 respondents, which represents a substantial 54 percent reduction compared to the original approval. Additionally, a detailed table lists numerous ongoing information collections under this umbrella generic, totaling an estimated 2,315 annual burden hours across 59,945 respondents. This reduction demonstrates ACF's commitment to efficiency and responsiveness to public feedback on data collection practices.
Call for Public Engagement
ACF is actively soliciting public comments on several key aspects of this proposed information collection extension. The agency specifically requests feedback on:
- The necessity of the proposed information collection for proper agency function and its practical utility.
- The accuracy of ACF's estimate of the burden imposed on respondents.
- The quality, utility, and clarity of the information proposed for collection.
- Potential ways to minimize the burden on respondents, including leveraging automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
Comments are due by August 10, 2026, and can be submitted via email. This public comment period is a critical opportunity for stakeholders to influence federal administrative practices and ensure that data collection remains efficient, necessary, and minimally burdensome. The input received will help ACF refine its approach to gathering information for its crucial programmatic gatherings, ultimately enhancing the quality and relevance of its engagements.
