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Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation; Administration for Children and Families; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Request for public comments.
The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is proposing to collect data for the new Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Pilot Evaluation.
Comments due May 26, 2026.
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 opreinfocollection@acf.hhs.gov. Identify all requests by the title of the information collection.
Description: The TANF Pilot Evaluation will include implementation and outcomes studies of pilot programs authorized under the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) of 2023 (Pub. L. 118-5), which authorizes HHS to select up to five states to test new outcomes-based performance benchmarks in the TANF program. The implementation study will describe pilot design, staffing, service provision, partnerships, contextual details, and factors that support or hinder the pilot's implementation. The outcomes study will assess changes in participant outcomes using surveys and administrative data. This new information collection request includes a semi-structured discussion guide, staff survey, time-use survey, cost and resource workbooks, and in-depth participant interview guide for the implementation study. It also includes a 12-month post-TANF-exit survey for the outcomes study. These instruments will provide information on how states implement the pilots, how services and staffing evolve, and how outcomes change under the new performance benchmarks. The data will be used to produce a report on outcomes to be submitted to Congress, as required by the FRA; inform future TANF policy development; and contribute to the broader evidence base on outcomes-based performance monitoring.
Respondents: Most of the implementation study data collection instruments will be conducted with TANF staff including state and local-level leadership staff, data specialists, supervisors, and frontline staff. The in-depth interview guide will be conducted with TANF participants. The 12-month post-TANF-exit survey will be conducted with TANF participants who provided contact information through the Study Information Form, which was approved under ACF's generic clearance for formative research (Office of Management and Budget #: 0970-0356), and agreed to be contacted for this survey.
Instruments 1, 2, and 5 will be tailored based on the respondent and, therefore, the burden table shows the breakdown by respondent type. ( printed page 14860)
| Instrument | Respondent | Total number of respondents | Total number of responses per respondent | Average burden per response | Total burden hours (3 years) | Annual burden hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instrument 1: Semi-structured program discussion guide | state-level leadership staff local-level leadership staff | 50 200 | 6 6 | 1.5 1.5 | 450 1,800 | 150 600 |
| data specialists | 10 | 6 | 1 | 60 | 20 | |
| supervisors | 100 | 6 | 1 | 600 | 200 | |
| frontline staff | 200 | 6 | 1 | 1,200 | 400 | |
| Instrument 2: Leadership and staff survey | local-level leadership staff | 500 | 2 | 0.33 | 330 | 110 |
| supervisors | 500 | 2 | 0.33 | 330 | 110 | |
| Instrument 3: Staff survey | frontline staff | 2,140 | 2 | 0.33 | 1412 | 471 |
| Instrument 4: Staff time use survey | frontline staff | 2,140 | 9 | 0.17 | 3274 | 1,091 |
| Instrument 5: Pilot costs and resources workbook | state-level leadership staff | 10 | 3 | 4 | 120 | 40 |
| local-level leadership staff | 10 | 3 | 4 | 120 | 40 | |
| Instrument 6: In-depth participant interview guide | participants | 100 | 1 | 1.25 | 125 | 42 |
| Instrument 7: 12-Month Post-TANF-Exit Survey | participants | 3,000 | 1 | 0.75 | 2,250 | 750 |
| Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours | 4,024 |
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. 613.)
Mary C. Jones,
ACF/OPRE Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2026-05938 Filed 3-26-26; 8:45 am]
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