Overview
Title
Proposed Information Collection Activity; Interstate Administrative Subpoena and Notice of Interstate Lien (OMB #0970-0152)
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The Administration for Children and Families wants to keep using two special forms that help them gather important money information and enforce rules about child support when people live in different states. They are asking people to share their thoughts on these forms, but there will be no changes made to them for now.
Summary AI
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is asking for public comments on extending for three years the use of the Interstate Administrative Subpoena and Notice of Interstate Lien forms, which are due to expire on July 31, 2021. These forms help state agencies collect income information and enforce child support orders across state lines. There will be no changes made to the forms. Feedback is welcomed on their necessity, the accuracy of the burden estimate, the clarity of the information, and suggestions for reducing the response burden, and should be submitted within 60 days of publication.
Abstract
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is requesting a 3-year extension of the Interstate Administrative Subpoena and Notice of Interstate Lien forms (OMB #0970-0152, expiration 7/31/ 2021). There is no change requested to these forms.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The document in question is a notice from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, requesting public comment on extending the use of two specific forms: the Interstate Administrative Subpoena and the Notice of Interstate Lien. These forms, which are set to expire on July 31, 2021, are instrumental in helping state child support enforcement agencies collect necessary income details and enforce child support orders across state lines.
General Summary
The ACF seeks to extend the validity of these forms for an additional three years without any changes. This request is part of compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, which mandates public feedback on government information collection activities. The forms in question facilitate the efficient collaboration between different state agencies, thus ensuring effective child support enforcement.
Significant Issues and Concerns
One concern regarding this notice is the lack of clarity on how public comments will be evaluated and potentially incorporated. While the ACF requests feedback on the necessity, utility, and burden of these forms, it does not specify the criteria for assessing this input. This omission could result in a lack of transparency in the decision-making process.
Furthermore, while the document states an estimated total annual burden of 907,376 hours for respondents using these forms, it fails to provide a detailed breakdown of how this figure was determined. Without this information, it is challenging to evaluate whether the estimation is reasonable or to identify areas where efficiencies might be achieved.
Additionally, there is no discussion of the cost implications for agencies involved with these forms. Understanding these costs would offer insights into possible resource allocations and whether the forms impose undue financial burdens.
Impact on the Public and Stakeholders
Broadly, the extension of these forms is likely to impact families involved in interstate child support cases positively. By maintaining consistent tools for data collection and enforcement, the ACF supports the effective administration of child support across different jurisdictions, which ultimately benefits the children and families who rely on this support.
For specific stakeholders, such as state, local, and tribal child support agencies, the extension requests that they continue to use the current forms. Without any changes proposed, agencies will not need to adjust their practices, which could save time and resources. On the flip side, maintaining the status quo might also mean missing opportunities for improving efficiency or reducing the administrative burden through new technologies or streamlined processes.
Overall, while the proposed extension facilitates continuity in child support enforcement, there remains room for the ACF to address concerns about transparency and efficiency in the use of these forms. Such considerations could help enhance public understanding and trust in the system.
Issues
• The document does not mention the specific criteria or guidelines that will be used to evaluate public comments, which may lead to ambiguity in determining how feedback will be incorporated.
• The estimated total annual burden hours (907,376) is provided, but there is no clear breakdown or explanation of how this number was calculated, making it difficult to assess its accuracy.
• There is no specific mention of any potential cost implications for the agencies involved in the use of these forms, which could be relevant to understanding overall resource allocation and potential waste.
• The document references compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 but does not specify how the proposed extension aligns with the goals of reducing paperwork, thus potentially missing an opportunity to address public concerns about administrative efficiency.
• The language used in the document may be overly technical for a general audience, particularly phrases related to the legal mandates under the Social Security Act, potentially limiting understanding among non-experts.