SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR

Status: Original and derived artifacts are available for this document.

Download: docx | pdf | html

SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR 
PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT SUBMISSION

APPLICATION UNDER THE HAGUE CONVENTION ON THE CIVIL ASPECTS OF INTERNATIONAL CHILD ABDUCTION
OMB Number 1405-0076
DS-3013,  DS-3013S, DS-3013P

A.    JUSTIFICATION

    1. Why is this collection necessary and what are the legal statutes that allow this?
The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (Convention), which entered into force for the United States on July 1, 1988, requires each party to designate a “Central Authority” responsible for discharging the contracting states’ duties as set forth in the Convention (22 U.S.C. § 9006(c)). Executive Order 12648, 53 F.R. 30637, designated the U.S. Department of State as the U.S. Central Authority.  Within the Department of State (the Department), the Office of Children’s Issues in the Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA/OCS/CI) discharges the functions of the U.S. Central Authority.

    2. What business purpose is the information gathered going to be used for?
Article 8 of the Convention and the Convention’s implementing legislation, the International Child Abduction Remedies Act (ICARA) 22 U.S.C. § 9008, authorize this information collection.  Under the Convention, persons may apply to a state party’s central authority for assistance in obtaining the prompt return of a child wrongfully removed from or retained outside of the child’s country of habitual residence and currently located in another state party.  In addition, persons may apply to the central authority for assistance in securing their access or visitation rights to the child.  Article 8 of the Convention contains a list of items such an application must contain: (a) “information concerning the identity of the applicant, of the child and of the person alleged to have removed or retained the child”; (b) the child’s date of birth; (c) “the grounds on which the applicant’s claim for return of the child is based”; and (d) “all available information relating to the whereabouts of the child and the identity of the person with whom the child is presumed to be.”  Article 8 additionally provides that copies of pertinent decisions or agreements, a certified statement from a competent authority regarding the relevant law of the country of the child’s habitual residence, and any other relevant documents may accompany the application.  ICARA, in turn, states that the U.S. Central Authority can “receive from or transmit to any applicant, petitioner, or respondent, information necessary to locate a child or for the purpose of otherwise implementing the Convention with respect to a child . . . .” 22 U.S.C. § 9008(a).

    3. Is this collection able to be completed electronically (e.g. through a website or application)?
The form may be downloaded and completed electronically and then printed, or printed and filled out by hand.  Information about the form is available at File a Hague Application.  While the applicant may print out and sign the form, scan it, and then submit the scan by e-mail, the form may not be fully filled out and electronically submitted because some foreign central authorities require the applicant’s original signature to appear on the form.  In addition, the U.S. Central Authority includes the paper form in an informational package it distributes to potential applicants via traditional mail.  Occasionally applications are submitted by fax.  Typically, the applicant will complete the application and forward it by mail, e-mail attachment or other means, along with supporting documentation, to the U.S. Central Authority.  The U.S. Central Authority will review the form and enter the necessary information into the International Parental Child Abduction (IPCA) database.  Original documents received from the applicant are then attached to the U.S. Central Authority paper file as a permanent record or forwarded to a foreign central authority as appropriate.  At this time, the IPCA database is not capable of linking to information directly from an online electronic submission.

An application under the Convention is the formal document that enables the applicant to request a state party’s central authority’s assistance in securing the return of an abducted child or access to that child.  Filing the application with the central authority is a key step in initiating what is a time-sensitive process.  Use of the form is limited to IPCA cases to U.S. Hague Convention Treaty Partners.

In accordance with Articles 8 and 21 of the Convention, DS-3013 requests information from applicants regarding the identities of the applicant, the child or children who are the subject of the application (i.e., for return or access) , and the person with whom the child is alleged to be.  In addition, it requests the details surrounding the wrongful removal or retention, as well as the legal justification for return of, or access to, the child.

The U.S. Central Authority will use DS-3013 to facilitate applicants’ claims under the Convention and facilitate the relevant foreign central authority’s efforts in locating an abducted child and effecting the return of the child to the United States or access to the child.  In accordance with Article 9 of the Convention, the U.S. Central Authority will transmit the application and supporting documents to a foreign central authority if it has reason to believe the child is in that country.  (The U.S. Central Authority may also be the recipient of information from a foreign central authority where such Authority believes an unlawfully removed or retained child is present in the United States.)

DS-3013, DS-3013S and DS-3013P are available in electronic form at the following website: 
https://eforms.state.gov/.  Information about the form is available at File a Hague Application.  

    4. Does this collection duplicate any other collection of information?
The collection of information requested in DS-3013 is not duplicative of information maintained elsewhere or otherwise available.

    5. Describe any impacts on small business.
The collection of information requested in DS-3013 does not involve small businesses or other small entities.

    6. What are consequences if this collection is not done?
The information gathered through the submission of DS-3013 is essential for the U.S. Central Authority to be able to comply with the Convention.  In accordance with Articles 8 and 9 of the Convention and 22 U.S.C. § 9008, the Department needs this information to transmit it to the relevant foreign central authority.  Without such information, the central authority of the foreign country where the child is located may find it difficult or impossible to carry out its Convention duties; and the United States would be likewise hindered in fulfilling its own obligations to assist individuals seeking the return of or access to such a child, and to assist foreign central authorities in locating children and facilitating their return or access to them.  The information requested in DS-3013 will be collected only one time for each applicant.  In this manner, the frequency of collection will be kept at an absolute minimum.

    7. Are there any special collection circumstances?
No special circumstances exist.

    8. Document publication (or intent to publish) a request for public comments in the Federal Register
The Department published a 60 day Federal Register notice 91 FR 36037 June 15, 2026 for public comment.  There was one non relevant public comment received in response to the 60 day notice.  The commenter did not provide identity and simply attached a copy of the 60 day Federal Register notice.  

    9. Are payments or gifts given to the respondents?
No payments or gifts are provided to respondents.

10.	Describe assurances of privacy/confidentiality 
No promises of confidentiality are given to respondents.

11.	Are any questions of a sensitive nature asked?
No questions of a sensitive nature are asked.

12. Describe the hour time burden and the hour cost burden on the respondent needed to complete this collection

The following are the total numbers of new Hague International Parental Child Abduction Cases of children abducted from the United States (Outgoing Cases) opened in 2023, 2024 and 2025:

    • 2023: 371 (322 Hague Applications for Return, and 49 Hague Applications for Access)
    • 2024: 331 (282 Hague Applications for Return, and 49 Hague Applications for Access)
    • 2025: 476 (440 Hague Applications for Return, and 36 Hague Applications for Access)

The Department estimates that approximately 400 respondents will complete the DS-3013 annually.  The form takes approximately 60 minutes (one hour) to complete, resulting in an estimated time burden of 400 hours (4 responses x 60 minutes = 24,000 divided by 60 minutes = 400 hours. 

The 2026 projected annualized cost to all respondents for the hour burden for collections of information, based on appropriate wage rate categories, is $15,778.  This was determined by multiplying the average hourly wage, which is $33.54/hr, and multiplied by 1.2 (to account for benefits) yields $40.25/hr.  This amount was multiplied by 392 burden hours.  The hourly wage rate was taken from the 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Wage Statistics Query System, U.S. Median Hourly Wage for all occupations.”  The final calculation equals $15,778.  
1i   Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

13.	Describe the monetary burden to respondents (out of pocket costs) needed to complete this collection.
The majority of respondents that complete the DS-3013, submit the form by mail to the Office of Children’s Issues. The total average cost for courier delivery of the DS-3013 is $32.40.ii  The overall delivery cost burden was computed by multiplying 392 respondents by $32.40, which equals $12,700.80.

14.	Describe the cost incurred by the Federal Government to complete this collection 

The average annual cost to the federal government related to this service is based on the time required for Civil Service personnel in the Office of Children’s Issues to process the form.  The Office of Children’s Issues believes this takes approximately 60 minutes.  

The projected annual cost to the federal government is as follows: for FY 2026 Civil Service Domestic, the $200,615 annual American salaries rate divided by 2,080 work hours in a year is $96.45 per hour.  The projected cost to the government is based on multiplying the projected number of respondents by the calculated cost based on time for a Civil Service Children’s Issues Country Officer to process a respondent’s completed form.  A Civil Service Office of Children’s Issues Country Officer takes 60 minutes to process a respondent’s completed form (392 respondents x $96.45 per hour60 minutes per CI Officer) = $37,808.04.  The basis of determining the projected fiscal numbers above is calculated by using the recurring costs in the Bureau of Budget and Planning internal New Position Cost Model (NPCM).iii  The cost includes fringe and overhead costs.

15.	Explain any changes/adjustments to this collection since the previous submission
The estimated annual number of respondents to this information collection has increased. 

The form is being updated to reflect clarifying Privacy Act language.

16.	Specify if the data gathered by this collection will be published.
This collection of information will not be published for statistical purposes, except as permitted or required by law.  The International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act (ICAPRA) requires the Department to submit an Annual Report on International Child Abduction to Congress by April 30.  See travel.state.gov International Parental Child Abduction Reports and Data.

17.	If applicable, explain the reason(s) for seeking approval to not display the OMB expiration date.  Otherwise, write “The Department will display the OMB expiration date.”

The Department will display the OMB expiration date.

18.	Explain any exceptions to the OMB certification statement below.  If there are no exceptions, write “The Department is not seeking exceptions to the certification statement”.

No exceptions are requested.

B.    COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS
This collection does not employ statistical methods.