E9-30834. Agency Information Collection (eBenefits Portal) Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY:

Office of Information and Technology, Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-21), this notice announces that the Office of Information and Technology, Department of Veterans Affairs, has submitted the collection of information abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden; it includes the actual data collection instrument.

DATE:

Comments must be submitted on or before January 29, 2010.

ADDRESSES:

Submit written comments on the collection of information through http://www.Regulations.gov;​; or to VA's OMB Desk Officer, OMB Human Resources and Housing Branch, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503 [phone]. Please refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0737” in any correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Denise McLamb, Enterprise Records Service (005R1B), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420, [phone], FAX [phone] or e-mail [e-mail]. Please refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0737.”

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:

Title: eBenefits Portal.

OMB Control Number: 2900-0737.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Abstract: The eBenefits portal, a joint project between the VA and DoD, is intended to serve as a single point of entry for benefits information. Users include members of the armed forces, veterans, wounded warriors, family members, delegates, and caregivers. Users wishing to access the full functionality of the eBenefits portal will register for a single sign-on credential that will ultimately be shared by other VA and DoD portals. The eBenefits portal allows authenticated users to create profiles for themselves so they can see a customized view of their homepage, receive personalized alerts, view a calendar of appointments, view content related to their benefits, and opt into other individualized features. Profiles will initially be populated with data from the existing Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting database, but will also offer users the option to indicate preferences and individual details that will enable the portal to deliver personalized information.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on October 23, 2009, at page 54882.

Affected Public: Individuals or Households.

Estimated Annual Burden: 225,000 hours.

Estimated Average Burden Per Respondent: 5 minutes.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 270,000.

Dated: December 23, 2009.

By direction of the Secretary:

Denise McLamb,

Program Analyst, Enterprise Records Service.