Change Request Memo 13NOV2026

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Change Request for

2026 Ebola Passenger Disclosure and Attestation 
(OMB Control No. 0920-1474)
Expiration Date: 03/31/2027

























Contact:  
Thomas J. “Chip” Daymude 
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases  
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  
1600 Clifton Road, NE  
Atlanta, Georgia 30333  
Phone: (470) 553-3567  
Email: [email protected]


	






Submission Date: November 13, 2026
Circumstances of Change Request for OMB 0920-1474

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Global Migration Health (DGMH) requests a nonmaterial/non-substantive change of the currently approved emergency Information Collection Request: 2026 Ebola Passenger Disclosure and Attestation (OMB Control 0920-1474). As of October 28, 2026, CDC has issued an amended Order (Requirement for Attestation By All Persons Arriving in the United States from Any Foreign Country via Transportation by Aircraft and Controlled Free Pratique for Airlines and Other Aircraft Operators Confirming That Such Persons Have Not Been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the Past 21 Days),1 referred to as “amended Attestation Order” hereafter, clarifying that the attestation requirement to board an international flight into or connecting through the United States applies to all persons. The amended Attestation Order clarifies that all persons, including crew, are required to complete an attestation that they have not been present in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the past 21 days before traveling to the United States. The previous Attestation Order only required passengers to complete an attestation. The amended Attestation Order also allows for an authorized representative to also act on behalf of any person who is unable to act on their own behalf (e.g., by reason of age, or physical or mental impairment) to complete an attestation. 

Additionally, based on feedback from the airline industry regarding operationalizing the amended Attestation Order, CDC has determined that verbal attestations (in addition to written) are an acceptable format. Previously CDC assumed that all persons would complete a written attestation and airlines would review every attestation submitted. Based on feedback from the airline industry regarding operationalizing the amended Attestation Order, CDC has determined that verbal attestations are an acceptable format. An airline or other aircraft operator may accept a verbal attestation to complete the form on behalf of a person if a person attempting to board a flight (or authorized representative) has reviewed the applicable attestation language, either in print, or through a digital mechanism (e.g. hyperlink, screen) and (1) the agent has asked the person to confirm that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 21 days prior to boarding and (2) the agent then records that the person reviewed the language and provided this attestation. The traveler, or their authorized representative, remains the person providing the attestation. If recorded in this manner, the system must create a unique electronic record that can be retained for 42 days after the person's flight departs to the United States and produced to the U.S. Government upon request. The amended Attestation Order does not require airlines to collect attestations in a specific format (written vs verbal) in order to allow airlines to develop systems and processes that are most effective for them, therefore no language in the amended Attestation Order needs to be updated as a result of this change in collection method.  
As stated in the amended Attestation Order, CDC may request the U.S. Department of Justice seek to prosecute individuals who knowingly and willfully submit false attestations in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001 regardless of the method of collection (verbal or written). There is no difference in the potential legal consequences based on the method of attestation (verbal or written) and any further action would be decided upon the U.S. Department of Justice. 

Change Request

CDC is requesting non-substantive changes to 2026 Ebola Passenger Disclosure and Attestation 
(OMB Control No. 0920-1474). CDC is requesting changing the name of the data collection package from “2026 Ebola Passenger Disclosure and Attestation” to “2026 Ebola Disclosure and Attestation” as well as changes to the Traveler Disclosure and Attestation to the United States of America form (previously titled Passenger Disclosure and Attestation to the United States of America). The purpose of these changes is to align the title and language of the package and form with the amended Attestation Order. 
CDC does not consider this change substantive as it does not add or remove any data collection elements. The changes to the Traveler Disclosure and Attestation to the United States of America form are necessary to align the form with the amended Attestation Order.
Although there is a change in the annualized total burden hours (93% decrease), CDC feels the revised burden estimates using data from an updated source represent the most accurate estimates and account for the inclusion of air crew in the amended Attestation Order. These changes do not affect whether a person is able to board a flight to the United States. 

Change in Annualized Total Burden Hours:

CDC estimates a 93% decrease relative to the previous burden calculated for this data collection. 

Respondents include persons arriving in the United States on any flight. The original total annual burden estimated for this request was 270,600,100 respondents and 22,550,200 burden hours. The updated burden estimate for this request is 146,778,100 respondents and 1,798,950 burden hours.

CDC’s original estimate was based on the data published by U.S. International Trade Administration,2 which indicated that approximately 135,300,000 persons arrived in the United States via air travel in 2025. This estimate includes the number of U.S. citizens and all other citizens but does not specifically note whether it is inclusive of air crew. CDC originally assumed that all persons would complete a written attestation and airlines would review every attestation submitted. The revised burden estimates represent changes in operations that will allow people to verbally attest. 

Data published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection3 indicates that approximately 143,900,000 persons arrived in the United States via air travel in 2025. Given CBP’s role in processing all international air travelers entering the United States, CDC has elected to use this updated source in an effort to ensure that air crew are included in the estimated burden for this data collection.  

It is possible that an individual may travel to the United States more than once, and in those instances the individual would need to complete an attestation for each trip. 
    • CDC estimates that 90% of people will verbally attest. A verbal attestation will take approximately 10 seconds. 
        ◦ This proportion aligns with estimates provided in a previously approved CBP collection (OMB control #1651-0009).4 
    • CDC estimates that 10% of people will complete a written attestation. Reading and signing an attestation will take approximately 5 minutes. 
        ◦ This proportion aligns with estimates provided in a previously approved CBP collection (OMB control #1651-0009).
    • CDC estimates that approximately 2% of people will need assistance or airline staff review of their attestation, and this will take approximately 5 minutes per attestation. 

The amended Attestation Order includes an exemption available to individuals for whom the CDC has issued an exemption based on humanitarian or other important government considerations (e.g., emergency medical evacuations). Additional conditions may be placed on individuals granted such exemptions, including but not limited to, observing precautions during travel, providing consent to post-arrival monitoring, and/or self-quarantine after arrival in the United States, as may be directed by federal, state, territorial, tribal or local public health authorities to reduce the risk of disease transmission. CDC will work with the Department of State to determine if an exemption to the amended Attestation Order is appropriate. Although there is no standard form for the information individuals must submit to request an exemption, CDC anticipates that at a minimum individuals will need to provide a summary of their circumstances, reasons for requesting an exemption, and appropriate supporting documentation. There is no change to the expected number of people requesting exemptions.
    • CDC estimates there will be 100 requests from individuals for exemptions on an annual basis. This number is based on the number of exemption requests CDC has received since other Ebola travel restrictions were implemented, prorated to twelve months.
    • CDC estimates that each exemption request will take individuals approximately 2 hours to collect documentation and develop/submit the exemption request. 


Type of Respondent
Form Name
No. of Respondents
No. Responses per Respondent
Avg. Burden per response (in hrs.)
Total Burden (in hrs.)
Travelers and crew
Verbal CDC Ebola Attestation
129,510,000
1
10 seconds
359,750
Travelers and crew
Written CDC Ebola Attestation (Attachment A)
14,390,000
1
5/60
1,199,167
Airline staff
Assist or review CDC Ebola Attestation (Attachment A)
2,878,000
1
5/60
239,833 
Traveler
Exemption Request (no form)
100
1
2
200

Total
1,798,950



Change in Total Annual Cost Burden to Respondents or Record Keepers:

The revised fully loaded cost burden to respondents is $135,701,480. The original estimated fully loaded cost burden to respondents was $2,219,158,916. This change is due to the updated estimated number of respondents and associated burden hours. 
    • Persons completing the attestation or requesting an exemption: There will be no anticipated costs other than time. Wages for travelers ($33.54) were gathered from BLS category 00-0000 “All Occupations” (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#00-0000).
    • Airline staff assisting with and reviewing attestations: Wages for airline staff ($64.87) were gathered from BLS category 11-1021 “General and Operations Managers” (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#00-0000). 
Type of Respondent
Form Name
Total Burden Hours
Hourly Wage Rate
Total Respondent Costs
Wage Rate Multiplier 
Fully loaded Cost Burden 
Travelers and crew
Verbal CDC Ebola Attestation
359,750
$33.54
$12,066,015
x 2
$24,132,030
Travelers and crew
Written CDC Ebola Attestation (Attachment A)
1,199,167
$33.54
$40,220,050
x 2
$80,440,100
Airline staff
Assist or review CDC Ebola Attestation (Attachment A)
239,833 
$64.87
$15,557,967
x 2
$31,115,934
Traveler
Exemption Request (no form)
200
$33.54
$6,708
x 2
$13,416
Total



$135,701,480

Although airlines may incur costs related to the printing or digitizing of attestation forms and storage of completed attestation forms, CDC does not believe the change in number of respondents will impact airline costs for these activities. CDC estimates the following costs to airlines: 
    • Cost to print or digitize attestation forms: $14,575,000 annually
    • Cost to store completed attestation forms (varies based on size of airline and volume of travelers): $1,430 - $1,250,000 annually
CDC requires that airlines (pursuant to 42 CFR 71.31(b)) retain the completed attestation provided by the traveler for at least 42 days after the passenger’s flight arrives in the United States. As long as the attestation conforms to Attachment A of the Order (Attachment A), either electronic or hard copy retention is acceptable. CDC anticipates that any hard copy attestation provided by a traveler would be digitized for ease of retrieval and result in some additional storage costs. 

The cost associated with retention are detailed below:
    • Airline staff time to scan or otherwise digitize hard copy passenger attestations:
        ◦ CDC is using the BLS category 43-4071 File Clerks, with a mean hourly wage of $21.92.
        ◦ Smaller commercial airlines and general aviation carriers may not have digital systems and processes in place to implement an electronic version of the attestation. Therefore, CDC estimates that approximately 10% of people will sign a paper copy of the attestation form. This proportion aligns with estimates provided in a previously approved CBP collection (OMB control #1651-0009).
            ▪ Previously CDC estimated that 30% of airlines would use paper copies of the attestation form. 
        ◦ CDC is anticipating 1 minute to scan or otherwise digitize each of the 14,390,000 estimated attestations. 
        ◦ The estimate for this process is $5,257,147. When combined with a wage rate multiplier of x2, the fully loaded cost burden for this process is $10,514,293. 
        ◦ CDC assumes airlines have access to common office equipment, such as a document scanner and no new equipment would be necessary.
    • Airline costs to store completed attestations:
        ◦ A wide variety of document management systems are available to airlines, therefore the range of potential costs varies significantly depending on how each airline decides to pursue their retention program. Some larger airlines may be able to incorporate this into currently existing document retention programs at no or low cost, while others may need to purchase a digital solution, or rely on hard copies. 
Annualized Cost to the Government

There is no change to the estimated cost to the government. The estimated fully loaded cost burden to the federal government for creating, distributing and publishing the attestation form is $283,962. This estimate accounts for 3 staff at the GS-12 level spending approximately 50% of their time on this activity and includes a x2 wage rate multiplier. 


Attachments

Attachment A - CDC Ebola Attestation Form