Key points
- Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) requires all federal agencies to obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget before collecting information from the public.
- Read about the PRA and the enforcement of the act at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Overview
The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) requires that any data collection conducted or sponsored by the federal government complies with its regulations. All Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) programs that engage with the general public to collect information must submit PRA requests to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in order to proceed with data collection activities. The Information Collection Review Office (ICRO) of the CDC facilitates the process of reviewing and submitting PRA requests to the OMB on behalf of all CDC programs.
CDC Paperwork Reduction Act Compliance
The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) is a law that requires federal agencies to:
- Seek public comment on proposed information collections.
- Obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) before collecting information from the public.
The PRA grants authority to OMB to review and approve federally conducted and sponsored data collections involving ten or more respondents. The law and its implementing regulation (5 CFR 1320) reduce the burden placed upon non-Federal entities (the public). The PRA prevents Federal agencies and their programs from collecting unnecessary information.
Goals of the PRA are to:
- Minimize the burden on the public when collecting information, especially by using technology.
- Maximize the practical use of the information collected.
- Ensure that an Information Collection does not duplicate already existing information.
- Maximize the cooperation amongst federal program areas and agencies.
- Promote openness and accountability in the collection and use of information.
- Improve integrity, quality, security, and utility of information to all users within and outside the federal government.
- Improve federal responsibility and accountability.
To access federal agencies' and their internal program offices' active and inactive information collection clearance packages, go to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. This is a United States government website produced by the OMB and the General Services Administration.
Contact us
For additional information, please contact the Information Collection Review Office at PRAclearance@cdc.gov.