Notice2026-22462
Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review; Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity and Required Data Elements for Paternity Establishment Affidavits
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
November 4, 2026
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentChildren and Families Administration
Abstract
The Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is requesting a 3-year extension of the Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity and Required Data Elements for Paternity Establishment Affidavits. No changes are proposed to the data elements, but burden has been adjusted to reflect improved automation for processes.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 212 (Wednesday, November 4, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 212 (Wednesday, November 4, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 69566]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-22462]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
[Office of Management and Budget #: 0970-0171]
Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review; Voluntary
Acknowledgment of Paternity and Required Data Elements for Paternity
Establishment Affidavits
AGENCY: Office of Child Support Enforcement, Administration for
Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
ACTION: Request for public comments.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE), Administration
for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, is requesting a 3-year extension of the Voluntary
Acknowledgment of Paternity and Required Data Elements for Paternity
Establishment Affidavits. No changes are proposed to the data elements,
but burden has been adjusted to reflect improved automation for
processes.
DATES: Comments due December 4, 2026.
ADDRESSES: The public may view and comment on this information
collection request at: <a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202610-0970-006">https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202610-0970-006</a>. You can also obtain copies of the
proposed collection of information by emailing
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a8c1c6cec7cbc7c4c4cdcbdcc1c7c6e8c9cbce86c0c0db86cfc7de"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f49d9a929b979b98989197809d9b9ab4959792da9c9c87da939b82">[email protected]</span></a>. Identify all emailed requests by the title
of the information collection.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Description: Section 466(a)(5)(C) of the Social Security Act
requires states to enact laws ensuring a simple civil process for
voluntarily acknowledging paternity via an affidavit. The development
and use of an affidavit for the voluntary acknowledgment of paternity
would include the minimum requirements of the affidavit specified by
the Secretary under section 452(a)(7) of the Social Security Act and
give full faith and credit to such an affidavit signed in any other
state according to its procedures. The state must provide that, before
a mother and putative father can sign a voluntary acknowledgment of
paternity, the mother and putative father must be given notice, orally,
or through the use of video equipment, and in writing, of the
alternatives to, the legal consequences of, and the rights (including
any rights, if one parent is a minor, due to minority status) and
responsibilities of acknowledging paternity. The affidavits will be
used by hospitals, birth record agencies, and other entities
participating in the voluntary paternity establishment program to
collect information from the parents of nonmarital children.
Respondents: The parents of nonmarital children, state and tribal
agencies operating child support programs under Title IV-D of the
Social Security Act, hospitals, birth record agencies, and other
entities participating in the voluntary paternity establishment
program.
Annual Burden Estimates
Annual burden estimates have been updated to remove ordering
brochures from the annual burden hours calculation, as ordering
brochures is not required under federal guidelines. With advancements
in automation and digital service delivery, most partners now rely on
electronic devices located in hospitals and other automated public-
facing platforms to deliver education on paternity establishment and
highlight the benefits of signing the paternity establishment
affidavit. This results in a 40 percent overall decrease in estimated
annual burden compared to the most recently approved annual burden
estimates (2024). The number of responses and estimated time per
response for the remaining instruments have not changed.
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Annual number Average burden
Instrument Total number of responses hours per Annual burden
of respondents per respondent response hours
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Training....................................... 135,155 1 1 135,155
Paternity Acknowledgment Process............... 1,372,816 1 0.17 233,379
Data Elements.................................. 54 1 1 54
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Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours........ .............. ............... .............. 368,588
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Authority: 42 U.S.C. 666(a)(5)(C) and 652(a)(7).
Samantha L. Illangasekare,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2026-22462 Filed 11-3-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-41-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on November 4, 2026.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.