[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 67 (Tuesday, April 8, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16890-16891]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-8857]
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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
AGENCY: National Cemetery System, Department of Veterans Affairs.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and
respondent burden, the National Cemetery System (NCS) invites the
general public and other Federal agencies to comment on this
information collection. This request for comment is being made pursuant
to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-13; 44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(2)(A)). Comments should address the accuracy of the burden
estimates and ways to minimize the burden including the use of
automated collection techniques or the use of other forms of
information technology, as well as other relevant aspects of the
information collection.
DATES: Written comments and recommendations on the proposal for the
collection of information should be received on or before June 9, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Frances Willis, National
Cemetery System (402B2), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420. All comments will become a matter of
public record and will be summarized in the NCS request for Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) approval. In this document the NCS is
soliciting comments concerning the following information collection:
OMB Control Number: 2900-0559.
Title: State Cemetery Data, VA Form 40-0241.
Type of Review: Reinstatement, without change, of a previously
approved collection for which approval has expired.
Need and Uses: The information is collected annually and is used by
the NCS's State Cemetery Grants Service to conduct studies. For
example, the information is used to demonstrate to the States
(especially those without state veterans cemeteries) not only the
viability of the program, but to demonstrate that they have a need. In
1996 alone, for example, State cemeteries provided for burial of 11,280
veterans and eligible family members, nearly 16 percent of the total
number of burials provided by VA national cemeteries. This can
demonstrate that State cemeteries are needed and a demand exists for
the services provided. The State Cemetery Grants Service is a user of
the information as is the Field Operations Office of NCS and the Budget
and Planning Service in Operations Support, NCS. States use this data
as well as congressional offices, veterans organizations and interested
citizens.
Current Actions: VA Form 40-0241 is used to collect information
regarding the number of interments conducted at state veterans
cemeteries each year. This information is necessary for budget and
oversight purposes. In addition, NCS's State Cemetery Grants Service
needs the information to answer questions which arise during the course
of the year to respond to Congressional correspondence and to project
and predict the need for burial space and the demand for state grants.
Burial information provides the usage rates and helps in the prediction
of when a cemetery needs to develop additional acreage (request a grant
to expand) or is going to close. The amount of acreage used helps the
State Cemetery Grants Service and National Cemetery System anticipate
closing and the requirement for additional cemeteries (either state or
national). Lower burial rates may indicate problems such as ineffective
outreach or poor maintenance that should be investigated. The
information is used in conjunction with the information gained from the
national cemeteries to consider where to place national or state
cemeteries. 38 CFR, Section 39.3, points out that ``the Secretary and
any authorized representative (in this case the State Cemetery Grants
Service) will have access to and the right to examine all records,
books, papers or documents related to the grant.'' 38 CFR, Section
39.5, discusses follow-up procedures once a cemetery is established and
points out the need for audits.
Affected Public: State, Local or Tribal Government.
Estimated Annual Burden: 52 hours.
[[Page 16891]]
Estimated Average Burden Per Respondent: 1 hour.
Frequency of Response: Annually.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 52.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
copies of the form should be directed to Department of Veterans
Affairs, Attn: Frances L. Willis, National Cemetery System (402B2), 810
Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420, Telephone (202) 273-5189.
Dated: March 19, 1997.
By direction of the Secretary.
Donald L. Neilson,
Director, Information Management Service.
[FR Doc. 97-8857 Filed 4-7-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P
