Document

Proposed Information Collection Activity; Guidance for Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program, ACF-123

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is requesting a 3-year extension of the Guidance for the Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program, Form 1...

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Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families

[Office of Management and Budget #: 0970-0157]

AGENCY:

Office of Family Assistance, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

ACTION:

Request for public comments.

SUMMARY:

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is requesting a 3-year extension of the Guidance for the Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program, Form 123 (Office of Management and Budget 0970-0157, expiration date: August 31, 2026). While the statutory requirements remain unchanged, ACF is proposing revisions to the instructions for clarification and to ensure they are as clear and streamlined as possible. ACF estimates a 33 percent reduction in response time with the proposed revisions to the instructions.

DATES:

Comments due July 13, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ACF is soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described above. You can obtain copies of the proposed collection of information and submit comments by emailing infocollection@acf.hhs.gov. Identify all requests by the title of the information collection.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Description:42 U.S.C. 612 (Section 412 of the Social Security Act) requires each Indian tribe that elect to administer and operate a TANF program to submit a TANF Tribal Plan. This request includes the renewal of the guidance for completing the initial Tribal TANF Plan. The TANF Tribal Plan is a mandatory statement submitted to the Secretary of HHS by the Indian tribe, which consists of an outline of how the Indian tribes TANF program will be administered and operated. It is used by the Secretary to determine whether the plan is approvable and to determine that the Indian tribe is eligible to receive a TANF assistance grant. It is also made available to the public. The instructions have been edited for clarification and general improvements for respondents, including the following types of updates:

Eliminated redundant explanations and revised text to use shorter, clearer sentences.
Streamlined content and focused on the elements tribes need to develop and submit an approvable TANF plan.
Removed or condensed material that does not directly support plan preparation.
Organized plan requirements in a clearer, checklist-like format aligned with how federal staff review plans, making it easier for tribes to identify and address required elements without cross-referencing multiple sections.

Respondents: Indian tribes applying to operate a TANF program and to renew their Tribal Family Assistance Plan.

Annual Burden Estimates

The proposed edits are expected to result in reduced reading time, improved usability, reduced cognitive load and enhanced accessibility. Overall, the edits are expected to reduce the estimated time per response. ACF has reduced the estimated response time from 68 hours to 45.6 hours. The number of agencies has been increased to reflect current grant recipients. Overall, annual burden estimates have decreased from 1,700 hours to 1,170 hours. ( printed page 27352)

Instrument	Total number of respondents	Annual number of responses per respondent	Average burden hours per response	Annual burden hours
Guidance For the Tribal TANF Program	77	* 1/3	45.6	1,170
* Note: Over the 3-year approval period, ACF estimates one-third of tribes will submit a plan each year. To estimate total annual burden, we use one-third as the annual number of responses per respondent.

Comments: 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.

Authority:42 U.S.C. 612

Mary C. Jones,

ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.

[FR Doc. 2026-09623 Filed 5-13-26; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4184-36-P

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91 FR 27351

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“Proposed Information Collection Activity; Guidance for Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program, ACF-123,” thefederalregister.org (May 14, 2026), https://thefederalregister.org/documents/2026-09623/proposed-information-collection-activity-guidance-for-tribal-temporary-assistance-for-needy-families-tanf-program-acf-12.