# Proposed Information Collection Activity; Office of Refugee Resettlement Annual Survey of Refugees (Office of Management and Budget #0970-0033)
**AGENCY:**
Office of Refugee Resettlement, Administration for Children and Families, United States Department of Health and Human Services.
**ACTION:**
Request for public comments.
**SUMMARY:**
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services seeks an update to the existing data collection for the Annual Survey of Refugees. The Annual Survey of Refugees is a yearly sample survey of refugee households entering the U.S. in the previous 5 fiscal years. The requested update is based upon results of a multi-year effort in instrument redesign and field testing. ACF estimates the proposed changes will increase response burden from 48 to 50 minutes per respondent.
**DATES:**
*Comments due within 60 days of publication.* 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.
**ADDRESSES:**
You can obtain copies of the proposed collection of information and submit comments by emailing *[email protected].* Identify all requests by the title of the information collection.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
*Description:* Data from the Annual Survey of Refugees are used to meet the Office of Refugee Resettlement's (ORR) Congressional reporting requirements, as set forth in the Refugee Act of 1980 (section 413(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act). ORR makes survey findings available to the general public and uses findings for the purposes of program planning, policy-making, and budgeting. The requested update reflects changes to the survey instrument to: enhance ORR's understanding of refugees' resettlement experiences; streamline the collection of household-level information; and improve data reliability and validity.
*Respondents:* The Annual Survey of Refugees secures a nationally representative sample of refugee households arriving in the U.S. in the previous 5 fiscal years.
| Instrument | Total | Total | Average | Total burden hours | Annual burden hours |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Introduction Letter and Postcard | 4,500 | 1 | .05 | 225 | 75 |
| ORR-9 Annual Survey of Refugees | 4,500 | 1 | .80 | 3,600 | 1,200 |
| Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours | | | | | 1,275 |
*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:* Sec. 413. [8 U.S.C. 1523]
Mary B. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.