Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Proposed Projects

Title: Federal Tax Offset, Administrative Offset, and Passport Denial Program.

OMB No.: 0970-0161.

Description: The Tax Refund Offset and Administrative Offset Programs collect past-due child support by intercepting certain Federal payments, including Federal tax refunds, of parents who have been ordered to pay child support and who are behind in paying the debt. The program is a cooperative effort among the Department of Treasury's Financial Management Service (FMS), the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE), and State Child Support Enforcement (CSE) agencies. The Passport Denial program reports non-custodial parents who owe arrears above a threshold to the Department of State (DOS), which will then deny passports to these individuals. On an ongoing basis, CSE agencies submit to OCSE the names, Social Security numbers (SSNs), and the amount(s) of past-due child support of people who are delinquent in making child support payments.

Respondents: State IV-D Agencies.

In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Administration for Children and Families is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described above. Copies of the proposed collection of information can be obtained and comments may be forwarded by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Administration, Office of Information Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447, Attn: ACF Reports Clearance Officer. E-mail address: infocollection@acf.hhs.gov. All requests should be identified by the title of the information collection.

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.