Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 168 / Wednesday, August 29, 2018 / Notices 44055 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Administration for Children and 

Families 

Proposed Information Collection 

Activity; Comment Request 

Proposed Projects 

Title: Request for Certification for 

Adult Victims of Human Trafficking. 

OMB No.: 0970–0454. 

Description: The Trafficking Victims 

Protection Act, Public Law 106–386 

(TVPA) requires the Department of 

Health and Human Services (HHS) to 

certify adult alien (‘‘foreign’’) victims of 

severe forms of trafficking in persons 

(‘‘human trafficking’’) who are willing to 

assist law enforcement in the 

investigation and prosecution of human 

trafficking, unless unable to cooperate 

due to physical or psychological trauma, 

and who have either made a bona fide 

application for T nonimmigrant status 

that has not been denied or been granted 

Continued Presence (CP) from the U.S. 

Department of Homeland Security 

(DHS). The Office on Trafficking in 

Persons (OTIP) within the HHS 

Administration for Children and 

Families issues HHS Certification 

Letters that grant adult foreign victims 

of human trafficking eligibility for 

federal and state benefits and services to 

the same extent as refugees. 

In general, OTIP initiates the 

certification process when it receives a 

notice from DHS that DHS has granted 

a foreign victim of trafficking CP or T 

nonimmigrant status, or has determined 

an application for T nonimmigrant 

status is bona fide. To issue HHS 

Certification Letters, it is necessary for 

OTIP to collect information from a 

victim, or a victim’s representative, such 

as an attorney, case manager, or law 

enforcement victim specialist, including 

an address to send the HHS Certification 

Letter. 

OTIP will ask if the victim is in need 

of a case management services and the 

current location (city, state) of the 

victim, and refer the victim to an 

appropriate service provider in his or 

her area, if requested. OTIP will also ask 

about the victim’s primary language and 

urgent concerns, such as medical care or 

housing, and transmit this information 

to the service provider with the victim’s 

consent. 

Finally, OTIP collects information, 

such as the victim’s sex and the type of 

human trafficking the victim 

experienced, to provide to Congress in 

an annual report on U.S. Government 

activities to combat trafficking that is 

prepared by the U.S. Department of 

Justice. Congress requires HHS and 

other appropriate Federal agencies to 

report, at a minimum, information on 

the number of persons who received 

benefits or other services under 

subsections (b) and (f) of section 7105 of 

Title 22 of the U.S. Code in connection 

with programs or activities funded or 

administered by HHS. HHS includes in 

these annual reports additional 

aggregate information that it collects 

about the victims when assisting each 

victim to obtain certification or 

eligibility. 

Previously, OTIP collected HHS 

Certification information via email. 

However, as email is not a secure means 

of transfer, OTIP developed the form to 

facilitate the submission of consistent 

information and improve program 

reporting. The provider will fill out the 

form, and return the form via password 

protected email or encryption. OTIP 

will store this information and any other 

details regarding the victim’s case in 

OTIP’s secure database. Other details 

maintained in the victim’s file may 

include OTIP staff actions, referrals, and 

notes regarding the victim’s interest in 

receiving services. Maintaining victim 

records within OTIP’s database will 

ensure efficient service delivery for 

victims, allow OTIP staff to track 

victims’ progress toward certification, 

verify their eligibility for benefits, and 

organize information for reporting 

aggregate data to Congress. 

Respondents: Nongovernmental 

entities providing social or legal 

services, or victim/survivors of 

trafficking may use this form to submit 

a request for certification. The use of 

this form is optional; the victim or his/ 

her representative has the option to 

make a request for certification via 

telephone. 

ANNUAL BURDEN ESTIMATES

Instrument Number of 

respondents 

Number of 

responses per 

respondent 

Average 

burden 

hours per 

response 

Total burden 

hours 

Trafficking Victims Tracking System form ....................................................... 800 1 .25 200 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 200. 

In compliance with the requirements 

of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(Pub. L. 104–13, 44 U.S.C. Chap 35), the 

Administration for Children and 

Families is soliciting public comment 

on the specific aspects of the 

information collection described above. 

Copies of the proposed collection of 

information can be obtained and 

comments may be forwarded by writing 

to the Administration for Children and 

Families, Office of Planning, Research 

and Evaluation, 33 C Street SW, 

Washington, DC 20201. Attn: ACF 

Reports Clearance Officer. Email 

address: infocollection@acf.hhs.gov. All 

requests should be identified by the title 

of the information collection. 

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. 

Robert Sargis, 

Reports Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2018–18760 Filed 8–28–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4184–47–P 


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