03-7700. Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review

AGENCY:

Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C., 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), 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.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before May 1, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY OF THE SUBMISSION CONTACT:

Denise McLamb, Records Management Service (005E3), 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. 2900-0353.”

Send comments and recommendations concerning any aspect of the information collection 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. 2900-0353” in any correspondence.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Certification of Lessons Completed, (Chapters 30, 32, and 35, Title 38, U.S.C.; Chapter 1606, Title 10, U.S.C., and section 903, Pub. L. 96-343), VA Forms 22-6553b and 22-6553b-1.

OMB Control Number: 2900-0353.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Abstract: VA Forms 22-6553b and 22-6553b-1 are used to determine the number of lessons completed by a student and serviced by the correspondence school, and if necessary to determine the date of completion or termination of correspondence training. VA pays education benefits based on the information furnished on the form. Benefits are not payable when training is interrupted, discontinued or completed. Without this information, VA would be unable to determine the proper payment or the student's training status.

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 December 3, 2002, at pages 72029-72030.

Affected Public: Individuals or households, Business or other for-profit.

Estimated Annual Burden: 1,782 hours.

Estimated Average Burden Per Respondent: 10 minutes.

Frequency of Response: Quarterly.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 3,564.

Number of Responses Annually: 10,692.

Dated: March 13, 2003.

By direction of the Secretary.

Martin L. Hill,

Acting Director, Records Management Service.