2022-15667. Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review: Application Request To Add and/or Remove Dependents

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. 2900-0043.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Maribel Aponte, Office of Enterprise and Integration, Data Governance Analytics (008), 1717 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20006, [phone] or email [e-mail]. Please refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0043” in any correspondence.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority:38 U.S.C. 1115, 38 CFR 3.205 and 3.209.

Title: Application Request to Add and/or Remove Dependents (VA Form 21-686c).

OMB Control Number: 2900-0043.

Type of Review: Reinstatement of a previously approved collection.

Abstract: VA Form 21-686c is used to obtain current information about marital status and dependent child(ren). The information is needed to determine the correct rate of payment for veterans and beneficiaries who may be entitled to an additional allowance for dependents or to remove dependents. Without this information, entitlement to these benefits could not be determined.

No changes have been made to this form. The respondent burden has increased due to the estimated number of receivables averaged over the past year.

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 87 FR 97 on May 19, 2022, pages 30560 and 30561.

Affected Public: Individuals or Households.

Estimated Annual Burden: 184,581.

Estimated Average Burden per Respondent: 30 minutes.

Frequency of Response: One time.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 369,162.

By direction of the Secretary:

Dorothy Glasgow,

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