Information Collection Requests in the Federal Register

What an information collection request means

An information collection request, often called an ICR, is how a federal agency asks OMB to approve a covered collection of information under the Paperwork Reduction Act.

Standalone ICR documents in the Federal Register usually appear as notices, not as proposed rules or final rules. They can cover forms, surveys, reporting requirements, recordkeeping, third-party disclosures, or other recurring requests for information from people, businesses, nonprofits, or state, local, and tribal governments. If the collection is part of a proposed or final rule, the PRA discussion may appear inside that rulemaking document instead of as a separate notice.

For covered collections, the PRA generally requires the agency to seek public comment and obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget before the agency conducts or sponsors the collection. That is why an ICR notice matters even when it does not amend the Code of Federal Regulations by itself. A form, report, or disclosure can still create real operating work. The notice should explain what the agency wants to collect, why it needs the information, who would respond, how often, and how much time or cost the agency estimates the collection will impose.

The usual PRA comment windows

Most non-emergency ICRs move through two public-comment opportunities: first at the agency, then during OMB review.

• 60-day Federal Register notice: the agency asks for comments before submitting the ICR to OMB. This is often the best time to challenge burden estimates, ask for clearer instructions, or suggest less costly alternatives.
• 30-day OMB review notice: after considering comments, the agency submits the ICR to OMB and publishes a second notice. Comments during this stage usually go to OMB or through the route named in the notice.
• OMB decision: OIRA, the information collection review office within OMB, may approve the collection, require changes, disapprove it, return it if it was not properly submitted, or note that the agency withdrew it.

OMB approvals are not permanent. Under the PRA rules, OMB may not approve an information collection for longer than three years, so renewals and extensions often come back through the Federal Register. Emergency processing and collections tied to proposed rules can follow different timing, so rely on the specific DATES and ADDRESSES sections in the official notice.

How to read an ICR notice

Start with the deadline, then identify the collection, the docket, and the OMB identifiers.

• Check whether the notice says 60-day notice, 30-day notice, submission for OMB review, new collection, revision, extension, reinstatement, or renewal.
• Find the comment deadline in the DATES section. If the notice gives a relative deadline, count from the Federal Register publication date and confirm on the official page.
• Look for the OMB control number, ICR reference number, agency docket number, and title of the collection. New collections may not yet have an OMB control number.
• Read the burden estimate: number of respondents, frequency of response, time per response, annual burden hours, and any stated costs.
• Use the named submission route. Some comments go through Regulations.gov, some through Reginfo.gov, and some through an agency email or portal.

Do not assume every Federal Register document with a comment deadline is an ICR. Proposed rules ask for comment on regulatory text an agency may later codify in the CFR. Final rules announce adopted requirements and usually include an effective date. Notices cover many other official actions, including ICRs, meetings, guidance, permit actions, and deadline changes. If an ICR supports a rulemaking, read both the rulemaking document and the PRA discussion before deciding what the deadline means.

What to say in a useful comment

Good PRA comments are specific about burden, need, clarity, and practical alternatives.

Agencies and OMB are looking for practical evidence. Explain whether the information is necessary for the agency's work, whether the agency's time and cost estimates match real-world experience, whether the same data is already reported somewhere else, and whether the form or instructions could be clearer. If you represent a business or organization, describe the workflow: who gathers the data, what systems are involved, how often the work happens, and what hidden costs the estimate may miss.

Avoid putting confidential business information, trade secrets, or sensitive personal information into a public comment unless the notice gives a protected process and you have confirmed it with the agency. Public comment systems can make submissions and attachments visible to the public.

How to track ICR notices

The hard part is not understanding one notice. It is seeing the right notice before the window closes.

You can search FederalRegister.gov information collection notices for recent ICR activity, or search for phrases like information collection, Paperwork Reduction Act, OMB control number, or an agency name. You can also search Regulations.gov by docket and Reginfo.gov by OMB control number or ICR reference number. For ongoing monitoring, create a free RegWatch watch at RegWatch for your agency, program, form name, product category, or compliance topic. Related Federal Register basics are collected in the RegWatch guide library.