Notice2026-17856
Emergency Office of Management and Budget Review and Public Comment: Questionnaire for the Refugee Outreach and Well-Being Initiative
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 1, 2026
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentChildren and Families Administration
Abstract
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Department of Health and Human Services, is requesting emergency review of an information collection request from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and inviting public comments on and extension to the proposed collection. This questionnaire is used during brief telephone interviews with Afghan arrivals who might have received ORR benefits and services, to identify any additional service needs that may support assimilation, self- sufficiency, and citizenship for eligible populations.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 168 (Tuesday, September 1, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 168 (Tuesday, September 1, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56148-56149]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-17856]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
[Office of Management and Budget #: 0970-0NEW]
Emergency Office of Management and Budget Review and Public
Comment: Questionnaire for the Refugee Outreach and Well-Being
Initiative
AGENCY: Office of Refugee Resettlement, Administration for Children and
Families, Department of Health and Human Services.
ACTION: Request for public comments.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Administration for
Children and Families (ACF), Department of Health and Human Services,
is requesting emergency review of an information collection request
from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and inviting public
comments on and extension to the proposed collection. This
questionnaire is used during brief telephone interviews with Afghan
arrivals who might have received ORR benefits and services, to identify
any additional service needs that may support assimilation, self-
sufficiency, and citizenship for eligible populations.
DATES: Comments due November 2, 2026. As an emergency approval, this
questionnaire will be approved for use immediately. Comments will be
considered for the following extension request.
ADDRESSES: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), ACF is soliciting public comment on the
specific aspects of the information collection described above. You can
obtain copies of the proposed collection of information and submit
comments by emailing <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a8c1c6cec7cbc7c4c4cdcbdcc1c7c6e8c9cbce86c0c0db86cfc7de"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="026b6c646d616d6e6e6761766b6d6c426361642c6a6a712c656d74">[email protected]</span></a>. Identify all requests
by the title of the information collection.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Description: ACF is requesting that OMB grant 180-day approval for
this request under procedures for emergency processing (see 5 CFR
1320.13). If ORR cannot collect this information quickly, vulnerable
Afghan families who need additional support may face significant harm,
including loss of income, unstable housing, food insecurity, or loss of
immigration status. Emergency clearance ensures ORR can rapidly
identify needs and intervene, as appropriate, before these situations
worsen.
In compliance with the PRA, ACF will request review under normal
procedures within 180 days of the approval for this request. Any edits
resulting from public comment will be incorporated into the submission
under normal procedures.
The questionnaire requests information to inform ORR's
understanding of the current needs and service access of resettled
Afghan individuals and families. ORR intends to use the information to:
<bullet> Identify common challenges (e.g., housing, employment,
access to critical support);
<bullet> Assess whether additional resources are necessary to
support assimilation, pathways to citizenship, and self-sufficiency,
and help with identified vulnerabilities;
<bullet> Inform technical assistance to resettlement agencies and
interagency coordination; and
<bullet> Inform Department and White House leadership on trends and
the current challenges that this population faces as they work toward
successful assimilation.
Personally identifiable information will be collected solely for
the purpose of confirming cases that were interviewed. This information
will be used to verify client identities and confirm their current
locations to ensure they can access appropriate services, and, when
appropriate and permitted by law, information provided by respondents
may also be shared with other government entities or service providers,
including ORR grantees, to facilitate referrals to available services
or inform the development of additional services or resources.
ORR may have situations in the future for which this survey may be
useful for
[[Page 56149]]
additional populations. If necessary, ORR will work with OMB to reflect
updates to the survey or respondents through revision or nonsubstantive
change requests.
As an emergency approval, this questionnaire will be approved
immediately. Comments will be considered for the following extension
request, if pursued.
Respondents: Afghans who might have received ORR benefits and
services.
Annual Burden Estimates: Semi-structured telephone interviews will
be conducted with Afghans who received ORR benefits and services and
are likely to have additional assistance needs and vulnerabilities.
Interviews will be based on available contact information. Phone
interviews are voluntary and are expected to take about 30 minutes.
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Total number of Average burden
Instrument Total number of responses per hours per Annual burden
respondents respondent response hours
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ROWI Questionnaire.......................... 1,800 1 .50 900
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Comments: 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.
Authority: ORR is authorized to conduct this survey under the
Refugee Act of 1980 (8 U.S.C. 1522(a)(3)).
Mary C. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2026-17856 Filed 8-31-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-89-P
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