2024-07862. Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review: Supporting Statement Regarding Marriage

AGENCY:

Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, this notice announces that the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs, will submit 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 and it includes the actual data collection instrument.

DATES:

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function. Refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0115”.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Maribel Aponte, Office of Enterprise and Integration, Data Governance Analytics (008), 810 Vermont Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20420, [phone] or email [e-mail]. Please refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0115” in any correspondence.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority:38 U.S.C. 103.

Title: Supporting Statement Regarding Marriage, 21P-4171.

OMB Control Number: 2900-0115.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Abstract: VA Form 21P-4171 is primarily used to collect information from third-parties regarding claimed common-law marriage between Veterans and spouses/surviving spouses. VBA uses the information collected to determine whether the claimed common-law marriage is valid under the law of the place where the parties resided at the time of marriage, or the law of the place where the parties resided when the right to benefits accrued, to comply with 38 CFR 3.1(j) and pay monetary benefits. Without this information, determination of continued entitlement would not be possible. This is a revision with no changes to the form. The burden has not changed since the last approval.

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 at 89 FR 8277 on February 6, 2024, pages 8277 and 8278.

Affected Public: Individuals or Households.

Estimated Annual Burden: 792 hours.

Estimated Average Burden per Respondent: 20 minutes.

Frequency of Response: One time.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,400.

By direction of the Secretary.

Maribel Aponte,

VA PRA Clearance Officer, Office of Enterprise and Integration, Data Governance Analytics, Department of Veterans Affairs.