Request for Assistance for Child Victims of Human Trafficking

Forms and Documents

Forms and supporting documents for this ICR

Document	Type	Status	Availability
Form 1 Request for Assistance for Child Victims of Human Trafficking	Form and Instruction	Modified	Repair queued
RFA Supporting Statement B_7.15.24_clean.docx	Supporting Statement B	Uploaded 2024-07-15	Repair queued
RFA Supporting Statement A_7.15.24_clean.docx	Supporting Statement A	Uploaded 2024-07-16	Repair queued

IC Document Collections

Information collection document groups

IC ID	Collection	Type	Status	Form
188787	Request for Assistance for Child Victims of Human Trafficking	Form and Instruction	Modified

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 0970-0362	ICR Reference No: 202407-0970-003
Status: Received in OIRA	Previous ICR Reference No: 202107-0970-002
Agency/Subagency: HHS/ACF	Agency Tracking No: OTIP
Title: Request for Assistance for Child Victims of Human Trafficking
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Regular	Date Submitted to OIRA: 07/18/2024

table that charts list comparision

	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	36 Months From Approved	09/30/2024
Responses	3,500	1,200
Time Burden (Hours)	3,500	1,200
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0

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Abstract: The Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000, as amended, directs the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), upon receipt of credible information that a foreign national minor may have been subjected to a severe form of trafficking in persons and is seeking assistance available to victims of trafficking, to promptly determine if the child is eligible for benefits and services to the same extent as refugees. In 2015 HHS delegated this authority to the Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP). OTIP developed a form (Request for Assistance (RFA), OMB Control Number 0970-0362) for case managers, attorneys, law enforcement officers, child welfare workers, and other representatives to report these trafficking concerns to HHS in accordance with the TVPA of 2000, as amended, and allow for OTIP to review the concerns and determine eligibility for benefits. The information provided through the completion of the RFA form is essential for OTIP to make prompt determinations regarding a foreign national minor’s eligibility for assistance, to facilitate the required consultation process should the minor receive interim assistance, and to assess and address potential child protection issues. Without a form, OTIP would be limited to notifying potential requesters about the assistance the law permits and providing a phone number or email address at OTIP for further information. An OTIP Child Protection Specialist would then have to describe to each potential requester the information sought in the form, which would likely require multiple follow-up calls, and possibly multiple interviews with the child, which could re-traumatize the child. Furthermore, the absence of a form to collect information necessary to process a request for assistance could result in errors in the information collection causing a child that should be eligible for benefits and services as a victim of trafficking to be denied access to assistance. There are no changes proposed to the RFA form, but burden estimates have been updated to reflect an increase in the estimated number of respondents based on most recent trends. See sections A12 and A15 of the Supporting Statement for additional information.

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 22 USC 7105 (b) Name of Law: Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA), as amended
  

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	89 FR 16773	03/08/2024
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	89 FR 58382	07/18/2024
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? Yes

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 1

table that charts list of burden

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
Request for Assistance for Child Victims of Human Trafficking	1	HHS RFA Form

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ICR Summary of Burden

table that charts list of burden

	Total Request	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	3,500	1,200	0	2,300	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	3,500	1,200	0	2,300	0	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: The number of requests for assistance received by OTIP is impacted by a variety of social, political, and environmental factors that fluctuate each year, as well as OTIP’s efforts to engage case managers, attorneys, law enforcement officers, child welfare workers, and other representatives who serve foreign national children and youth regarding reporting requirements under the TVPA of 2000, as amended. OTIP may receive one or multiple requests for assistance on behalf of any one child. The estimated number of respondents provided at the time of the most recent approval (September 2021) was based on prior year’s data. In the following years, OTIP experienced a marked increase in the requests for assistance received each year. OTIP continued to monitor case volume to assess whether observed increases were anomalous, given ongoing COVID-19 pandemic-related disruptions, or if the elevated volume of referrals would be a consistent trend. Monitoring of referral data has shown a consistent trend with requests for assistance continuing at a much higher rate than pre-2021. Therefore, OTIP has increased the estimated number of respondents. The form and estimated time per response remains the same.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $677,425

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     Yes

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     Yes

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? No

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Common Form ICR:  No

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On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:

(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;

(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;

(c) It reduces burden on small entities;

(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;

(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;

(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;

(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

(i) Why the information is being collected;

(ii) Use of information;

(iii) Burden estimate;

(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);

(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and

(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;

(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and

(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.

If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.

Certification Date: 07/18/2024

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