2020-00862. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; DCIA Aging and Compliance Data Requirements for Guaranty Agencies

AGENCY:

Federal Student Aid (FSA), Department of Education (ED).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is proposing a new information collection.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before February 20, 2020.

ADDRESSES:

To access and review all the documents related to the information collection listed in this notice, please use http://www.regulations.gov by searching the Docket ID number ED-2019-ICCD-0132. Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov by selecting the Docket ID number or via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. If the regulations.gov site is not available to the public for any reason, ED will temporarily accept comments at [e-mail]. Please include the docket ID number and the title of the information collection request when requesting documents or submitting comments. Please note that comments submitted by fax or email and those submitted after the comment period will not be accepted. Written requests for information or comments submitted by postal mail or delivery should be addressed to the Director of the Strategic Collections and Clearance Governance and Strategy Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave SW, LBJ, Room 6W-208D, Washington, DC 20202-4537.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact Beth Grebeldinger, 202-377-4018.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Department of Education (ED), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The Department of Education is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) Is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.

Title of Collection: DCIA Aging and Compliance Data Requirements for Guaranty Agencies

OMB Control Number: 1845-NEW.

Type of Review: A new information collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments; Private Sector.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 550.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,430.

Abstract: The Department is required to report to the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) the status and condition of its non-tax debt portfolio in accordance with the requirements of the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 (DCIA) and the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 (DATA Act). The Department is unable to prepare an accurate and compliant Treasury Report based on the data it currently receives from its Guaranty Agencies (GAs). The new guidance will require the GAs to: Age debt according to DCIA; report the eligibility of DCIA-aged debt for referral to the Treasury Offset Program (TOP); and report compliance with Form 1099-C reporting. The new reporting requirements are titled DCIA Aging and Compliance Data Requirements for Guaranty Agencies (the Requirements). The Department plans to issue the Requirements to the GAs by April 1, 2020 for implementation by the first quarter of FY 2021.

Dated: January 15, 2020.

Kate Mullan,

PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance, Governance and Strategy Division, Office of Chief Data Officer.