Emergency Office of Management and Budget Review and Public Comment: Questionnaire for the Refugee Outreach and Well-Being Initiative
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Department of Health and Human Services, is requesting emergency review of an informati...
Office of Refugee Resettlement, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services.
ACTION:
Request for public comments.
SUMMARY:
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Department of Health and Human Services, is requesting emergency review of an information collection request from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and inviting public comments on and extension to the proposed collection. This questionnaire is used during brief telephone interviews with Afghan arrivals who might have received ORR benefits and services, to identify any additional service needs that may support assimilation, self-sufficiency, and citizenship for eligible populations.
DATES:
Comments due November 2, 2026. As an emergency approval, this questionnaire will be approved for use immediately. Comments will be considered for the following extension request.
ADDRESSES:
In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 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:
ACF is requesting that OMB grant 180-day approval for this request under procedures for emergency processing (see 5 CFR 1320.13). If ORR cannot collect this information quickly, vulnerable Afghan families who need additional support may face significant harm, including loss of income, unstable housing, food insecurity, or loss of immigration status. Emergency clearance ensures ORR can rapidly identify needs and intervene, as appropriate, before these situations worsen.
In compliance with the PRA, ACF will request review under normal procedures within 180 days of the approval for this request. Any edits resulting from public comment will be incorporated into the submission under normal procedures.
The questionnaire requests information to inform ORR's understanding of the current needs and service access of resettled Afghan individuals and families. ORR intends to use the information to:
Identify common challenges (e.g.,
housing, employment, access to critical support);
Assess whether additional resources are necessary to support assimilation, pathways to citizenship, and self-sufficiency, and help with identified vulnerabilities;
Inform technical assistance to resettlement agencies and interagency coordination; and
Inform Department and White House leadership on trends and the current challenges that this population faces as they work toward successful assimilation.
Personally identifiable information will be collected solely for the purpose of confirming cases that were interviewed. This information will be used to verify client identities and confirm their current locations to ensure they can access appropriate services, and, when appropriate and permitted by law, information provided by respondents may also be shared with other government entities or service providers, including ORR grantees, to facilitate referrals to available services or inform the development of additional services or resources.
ORR may have situations in the future for which this survey may be useful for
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additional populations. If necessary, ORR will work with OMB to reflect updates to the survey or respondents through revision or nonsubstantive change requests.
As an emergency approval, this questionnaire will be approved immediately. Comments will be considered for the following extension request, if pursued.
Respondents:
Afghans who might have received ORR benefits and services.
Annual Burden Estimates:
Semi-structured telephone interviews will be conducted with Afghans who received ORR benefits and services and are likely to have additional assistance needs and vulnerabilities. Interviews will be based on available contact information. Phone interviews are voluntary and are expected to take about 30 minutes.
Instrument
Total
number of
respondents
Total number
of responses per
respondent
Average
burden
hours per
response
Annual burden
hours
ROWI Questionnaire
1,800
1
.50
900
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:
ORR is authorized to conduct this survey under the Refugee Act of 1980 (8 U.S.C. 1522(a)(3)).
Use this for formal legal and research references to the published document.
91 FR 56148
Web Citation
Suggested Web Citation
Use this when citing the archival web version of the document.
“Emergency Office of Management and Budget Review and Public Comment: Questionnaire for the Refugee Outreach and Well-Being Initiative,” thefederalregister.org (September 1, 2026), https://thefederalregister.org/documents/2026-17856/emergency-office-of-management-and-budget-review-and-public-comment-questionnaire-for-the-refugee-outreach-and-well-bein.
5 CFR 1320.13
8 U.S.C. 1522(a)(3)