Summary of the Paperwork Reduction Act

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44 USC §3501 et seq. (1980)

The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) was enacted to minimize the paperwork burden for individuals; small businesses; educational and nonprofit institutions; Federal contractors; State, local and tribal governments; and other persons resulting from the collection of information by or for the federal government.

The Act generally provides that every federal agency must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) before using identical questions to collect information from 10 or more persons. If EPA decides to gather information, we must prepare an Information Collection Request (ICR), which:

  • Describes the information to be collected,
  • Gives the reason the information is needed, and
  • Estimates the time and cost for the public to answer the request.

After reviewing the request, OMB may approve or disapprove the ICR, or define conditions that must be met for approval. Examples of information collections include surveys, permits, questionnaires, and reports.

More information

The NOAA Environmental Data Division (NEDD), in the Office of the Chief Information Officer, manages the Bureau's administration of the burden reduction provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA).  The NEDD:

  • provides policy direction and oversight of implementation of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) and processing of the Information Collection Requests (ICRs);
  • manages the Agency's administration of the burden reduction provisions of the PRA; and
  • promotes innovative alternatives to standard, paper-based recordkeeping and reporting by the public.

Information Collection Request (ICR) Center

What is an ICR?

An Information Collection Request (ICR) is a set of documents that describes reporting, record keeping, survey, or other information collection requirements imposed on the public by a federal agency. 

The Paperwork Reduction Act stipulates that every federal agency must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) before collecting the same or similar information from 10 or more members of the public.

What is covered in an ICR?

  • A description of the information to be collected 
  • The reason the information is needed 
  • An estimate of the time and cost for the public to answer the request. 

Examples:

  • Surveys 
  • Permit Applications 
  • Questionnaires 
  • Standardized Data Collection 
  • Reports 

What is my role in the ICR process?

If NOAA decides to gather such information, the appropriate program office must prepare an Information Collection Request (ICR) and submit it to the appropriate Line Office PRA Coordinator or the NOAA PRA Office.  NOAA staff should reference the NOAA Paperwork Reduction Act intranet page for details on processing new requests, tracking NOAA clearance, and much more.

The ICR provides an overview of the collection, and estimates the cost and time for the public to respond. The public may view an ICR and submit comments any time on Regulations.gov.

Find an ICR

Use Reginfo.gov or Regulations.gov to find and comment on ICRs

At Regulations.gov you can:

  • Search for an ICR
  • Submit or view public comments
  • Access the contents of the docket for a particular ICR

At Reginfo.gov you can:

  • Track an ICR
  • View an ICR's package contents
  • View the current inventory
    • Select Department of Commerce under Agency
    • Select National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration as the Sub Agency
    • Select Active in the ICR Status
    • Click Search.
  • View burden estimates
  • View historical packages

Please send any questions or comments to NOAA.PRA@noaa.gov.

 

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