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Can one conduct a data collection without PRA approval if fewer than 10 respondents are involved?

Lapse in Appropriations

For workplace safety and health, please call 800-321-6742; for mine safety and health, please call 800-746-1553; for Job Corps, please call 800-733-5627 and for Wage and Hour, please call 1-866-487-9243 (1 866-4-US-WAGE).  This website is currently not being updated due to the suspension of Federal government services. The last update to the site was 10/1/2025.  Updates to the site will start again when the Federal government resumes operations.

The PRA only applies to collections directed at 10 or more respondents, but with one important exception.  Any information requirement in a "rule of general applicability" is presumed to affect or potentially affect at least 10 respondents, even if MSHA expects there to be fewer respondents.  A rule should be considered to have general applicability unless you can demonstrate that it would be impossible for there ever to be 10 respondents.