Digital.gov Guide
A guide to the Paperwork Reduction Act
Get help with the PRA
On this page
Do you need advice on the PRA? There are a few people who may be able to help.
Find PRA help in your agency
If you have a question about PRA, your first step should be to connect with someone in your agency with PRA expertise. Often agencies have their own requirements and processes around PRA that your collection may be subject to.
Help planning an information request
You will want to make sure you are following your agency’s best practices for collecting and managing information when you start developing your information collection request. Here are some people you may want to consult with:
- The Privacy Officer, if you are collecting personally identifiable information (PII). Your privacy officer can help you determine if you are collecting PII and share agency guidance on how to properly store and use this information.
- A statistician or program evaluation expert, if you are using statistical methodology. If you are using statistical methods like sampling, you’ll need to detail your approach in a Supporting Statement Part B. An agency program evaluation expert or statistician can help you plan the correct approach and write the supporting statement.
Help submitting an information request
At larger agencies, there is often someone who is responsible for managing the agency’s PRA requests and submitting them for OIRA review through the ROCIS system. Often PRA officers are located in these offices:
- Office of the General Counsel (OGC)
- Chief Information Officer (CIO)
- Chief Data Officer (CDO)
- Regulatory Affairs / Regulatory Secretariat
Find an agency’s PRA contact
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Office of the Chief Information Officer, Information Resource Management Center
Email: USDA.PRA@usda.gov
Department of Commerce (DOC)
Office of the Chief Information Officer
Email: docpra@doc.gov
Department of Education
Office of the Chief Information Officer
Email: ICDocketMgr@ed.gov
https://www.ed.gov/about/ed-overview/required-notices/paperwork-reduction-act
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Office of the Chief Information Officer
Email: PRA@hhs.gov
HHS Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Office of Information Management and Technology
Email: PRAStaff@fda.hhs.gov
HHS Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
Office of Planning, Analysis and Evaluation
Email: InfoCollectOfficer@hrsa.gov
HHS National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration, Project Clearance Branch
Email: projectclearancebranch@mail.nih.gov
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Office of the Chief Information Officer
Email: dhs.pra@hq.dhs.gov
Department of the Interior (DOI)
Office of the Secretary, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Planning and Performance Management Division
Email: doi-pra@ios.doi.gov
Phone: 202-208-7072
https://www.doi.gov/ocio/pra_contacts
Department of Justice (DOJ)
Office of the Chief Information Officer
Email: PRAInbox@jmd.usdoj.gov
Department of State (DOS)
Bureau of Administration, Global Information Services, Office of Directives Management
Email: eRegs@state.gov
Department of the Treasury
Office of Privacy, Transparency, and Records under the Assistant Secretary for Management
Email: PRA@treasury.gov
https://home.treasury.gov/about/offices/management/privacy-transparency-and-records
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Office of Enterprise Integration
Email: VACOPaperworkReduAct@va.gov
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Office of Managing Director - Performance Evaluation and Records Management
Email: PRA@fcc.gov
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
Legal Division
Phone: 202-898-3767
Email: PRA@fdic.gov
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
Information Collection Management Team, IT Policy and Resources Management Division, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of the Executive Director
Email: DataClearance@ferc.gov
https://www.ferc.gov/information-collections
Federal Reserve System Board of Governors
Information Collection Coordination Section under the Office of the Chief Data Officer
Phone: 202-452-3829
Email: OCDO-ICC@frb.gov
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Office of the General Counsel
Email: PRA@ftc.gov
General Services Administration (GSA)
Regulatory Secretariat Division
Phone: 202-501-4755
Email: GSARegSec@gsa.gov
National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA)
Enterprise Services and Integration Division (ESID) within the Office of the CIO
Email: HQ-OCIO-PRA-Program@mail.nasa.gov
https://www.nasa.gov/nasas-paper-reduction-act-pra-program/
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Office of the Chief of Management and Administration
Email: surveys@nara.gov
National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)
Information and Access Law Division (IAL), Office of General Counsel
Email: PRAComments@NCUA.gov
Office of Government Ethics (OGE)
The Legal, External Affairs and Performance Branch within the Program Counsel Division
Email: usoge@oge.gov
Phone: 202-482-9300
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Office of the Chief Data Officer
Email: #OCDOPRA@sec.gov
If you know of a PRA office that should be added, please email the OIRA team at pra@omb.eop.gov so they can add it to the list.
Look up unfamiliar words
If you encounter unfamiliar words or concepts in these guides, you can find definitions and explanations in the glossary.
Connect with OIRA
The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) handles the PRA approval process. They review agency information collection requests and issue guidance on how the PRA should be interpreted and applied.
Each agency has an OIRA desk officer who reviews the agency’s information requests. You may want to contact your desk officer if:
- You are an agency PRA officer and have a question about guidance or a particular ICR
- You are at a small agency who does not have a PRA officer
OIRA is not the appropriate point of contact for PRA help if:
- Your agency has an office with PRA expertise
- You are not an agency PRA officer
To find the desk officer assigned to your agency, you can email the OIRA team at pra@omb.eop.gov.
Additional PRA resources
Find helpful documents, systems, legal information, and tools related to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA).
OMB guidance memoranda
Complete Collection of OIRA memos - including sources on:
- Supporting Usability Testing Through Paperwork Reduction Act Flexibilities (PDF, 341 KB, 6 pages)
- M-22-10: Improving Access to Public Benefits Programs (PDF, 605 KB, 18 pages)
- Flexibilities (PDF, 2.6 MB, 7 pages)
- Web Technologies (PDF, 2.9 MB, 5 pages)
- PRA Primer (PDF, 97 KB, 8 pages)
PRA systems
- RegInfo PRA Search - find approved ICRs and supporting statements
- ROCIS🔒 (login required) - where to submit PRA requests
PRA legal text
- Law: 44 USC Chapter 35
- Legislation:
- Regulation: 5 CFR 1320
Reports
- Information Collection Budget (PDF, 1,007 KB, 52 pages) — Report on Burden Reduction Initiatives and Total Paperwork Burdens (Fiscal Year 2024)
Tools and templates
Note
A guide to the Paperwork Reduction Act was made in collaboration with 18F and PRA officers across the federal government. It is maintained by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) within the Office of Management and Budget.
Please contact the OIRA team at pra@omb.eop.gov to:
- Share feedback about the guide
- Ask any questions about interpretations of the PRA law and guidance
