00-20860. 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 September 18, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY OF THE SUBMISSION CONTACT:

Denise McLamb, Information Management Service (045A4), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420, [phone] or FAX [phone]. Please refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0178.”

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Monthly Certification of On-the-Job and Apprenticeship Training, VA Form 22-6553d. (NOTE: A reference to VA Form 22-6553d also includes VA Form 22-6553d-1 unless otherwise specified. VA Form 22-6553d-1 contains the same information as VA Form 22-6553d.)

OMB Control Number: 2900-0178.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Abstract: The form is used by trainees and employers to report the number of hours worked in on-the-job training programs and apprenticeships, and to report terminations of training in such programs. VA uses the information to determine whether a trainee's education benefits are to be continued, changed or terminated, and the effective date of such action. VA is authorized to pay education benefits to veterans and other eligible persons pursuing approved programs not leading to a standard college degree under Title 38, U.S.C., Chapters 32 and 35, Title 10, U.S.C., Chapter 1606, and Public Law 96-342, Section 903. Benefits are authorized monthly based upon the number of hours worked by the trainee and verified by the training establishment. Unscheduled terminations result in termination of the award of benefits. Reduction of hours worked to less than a full-time work schedule results in reduction of benefits. The form is completed by the trainee and the training establishment to report to VA the number of hours worked and/or to report the date of termination.

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 March 17, 2000 at pages 14648-14649.

Affected Public: Individuals or households, Business or other for-profit, Not-for-profit institutions, and State, Local or Tribal Government.

Estimated Annual Burden: 15,975 hours.

Estimated Average Burden Per Respondent: 10 minutes.

Frequency of Response: Monthly.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 10,650.

Number of Responses Annually: 95,850.

Send comments and recommendations concerning any aspect of the information collection to VA's OMB Desk Officer, Allison Eydt, OMB Human Resources and Housing Branch, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503 [phone]. Please refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0178” in any correspondence.

Dated: July 19, 2000.

By direction of the Secretary:

Donald L. Neilson,

Director, Information Management Service.