[Federal Register: April 15, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 71)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 17445-17446]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15ap09-29]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
45 CFR Parts 302, 303, and 307
RIN 0970-AC01
State Parent Locator Service; Safeguarding Child Support
Information: Proposed Delay of Effective Date
AGENCY: Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Department of
Heath and Human Services.
ACTION: Proposed delay of effective date.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Memorandum of January 20, 2009, from
the Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff entitled ``Regulatory
Review'' [74 FR 4435], the Department published a document in the
Federal Register on March 3, 2009 [74 FR 9171], seeking public comment
on a contemplated delay of 60 days in the effective date of the rule
entitled ``State Parent Locator Service; Safeguarding Child Support
Information,'' published in the Federal Register on September 26, 2008
[73 FR 56422]. That rule addresses requirements for State Parent
Locator Service responses to authorized location requests, State IV-D
program safeguarding of confidential information, authorized
disclosures of this information, and restrictions on the use of
confidential data and information for child support purposes with
exceptions for certain disclosures permitted by statute. In response to
comments, the Department issued a document March 20, 2009 [74 FR 11880]
delaying the effective date of the rule by 60 days until May 22, 2009,
in order to permit officials of the new Administration an opportunity
to review and approve the policies in the regulation.
The Department is currently reviewing questions of law and policy
raised by the rule. However, based upon the review that has been
conducted to date and the nature of the comments received in response
to the March 3, 2009 document, it appears that further revisions to the
final rule may be warranted in one or more areas. In response to these
comments and in order to afford officials an opportunity to review and
consider further the provisions of the September 26, 2008 final rule,
the Department is considering delaying the effective date to December
30, 2010.
[[Page 17446]]
The Department solicits comments specifically on the contemplated
delay in effective date.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 5, 2009.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: Interested persons are invited to submit written
comments via regular postal mail to: Office of Child Support
Enforcement, Administration for Children and Families, 370 L'Enfant
Promenade, SW., 4th floor, Washington, DC 20447, Attention: Division of
Policy; Mail Stop: ACF/OCSE/DP.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Yvette Riddick, Office of Child
Support Enforcement, Division of Policy, (202) 401-4885.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
On September 26, 2008, a final rule following notice and comment
period entitled ``State Parent Locator Service; Safeguarding Child
Support Information'' [73 FR 56422], was published in the Federal
Register to address requirements for State Parent Locator Service,
State IV-D program safeguarding and authorized disclosure of
confidential information, and restrictions on the use of confidential
data and information for child support purposes with exceptions for
certain disclosures permitted by statute. The effective date given for
the final rule was March 23, 2009.
In accordance with the Memorandum of January 20, 2009, from the
Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff entitled ``Regulatory
Review'' [74 FR 4435], on March 3, 2009, we published a notice in the
Federal Register [74 FR 9171] on a contemplated delay of 60 days in the
effective date of the safeguarding. In response to comments, the
Department issued a subsequent notice on March 20, 2009 [74 FR 11880]
delaying the effective date of the September 26, 2008 final rule for 60
days until May 22, 2009, in order to permit officials of the new
Administration an opportunity to review and approve the policies in the
regulation.
We now believe additional time is needed for Department officials
to complete their review of the rule and to assess fully the comments
received in response to the March 3, 2009 notice. Although the Notice
invited comments generally on whether a delay in effective date was
needed ``to allow Department officials the opportunity for further
review and consideration,'' it also generated focused comments
recommending changes to several particular substantive areas of the
final rule. In addition to supporting a delay in the effective date,
the commenters raised a number of serious questions that warrant
further consideration by the Administration.
For example, one commenter indicated that the final rule appeared
to prohibit the State IV-D agency from disclosing confidential
information, such as child support payment records to other State
agencies, including the State food assistance (Food Stamps) program and
the State revenue (Tax) program. Another commenter stated that a delay
in the effective date would give the Administration an opportunity to
conduct a review of the child welfare data exchange provisions of the
rule to ensure that the provisions of the rule conform with The
Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act (Pub. L.
110-351), signed into law on October 7, 2008, after the rule was
finalized.
Several commenters raised specific policy objections to the
September 26, 2008 final rule including concerns about the rules for
disclosure of confidential location information. Another commenter
stated that the regulations need to be reviewed and revised to assure
significantly greater protection of that information from use for non-
child support purposes.
Additionally, a number of commenters focused on the disclosure of
information to an ``agent of a child'' and raised concerns that some
private collection agencies may not actually serve the child's best
interests and raised concerns that these private entities are not
subject to ethics and confidentiality rules such as those governing
State agencies and attorneys and there may be unintended adverse
consequences of such disclosures.
Department officials need time to complete their review of the
policies contained in the September 26, 2008, final rule and to
consider fully the concerns raised by commenters. Should Department
officials determine that it is necessary and appropriate to make any
changes to the provisions of the September 26, 2008, final rule, HHS
will provide the public with notice of and an opportunity to comment on
any proposed changes. Accordingly, we are considering delaying the
effective date of the September 26, 2008, final rule until December 30,
2010.
II. Provisions of This Action
The contemplated delay in the effective date would give Department
officials the opportunity for further review of the issues of law and
policy raised by the rule. The Department is inviting comments on the
contemplated extension of the effective date of the regulation to
December 30, 2010.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.563, Child
Support Enforcement)
Dated: April 9, 2009.
Charles E. Johnson,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-8542 Filed 4-10-09; 11:15 am]