E8-22106. Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

AGENCY:

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

NARA is giving public notice that the agency has submitted to OMB for approval the information collection described in this notice. The public is invited to comment on the proposed information collection pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES:

Written comments must be submitted to OMB at the address below on or before October 22, 2008 to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES:

Send comments to Mr. Nicholas A. Fraser, Desk Officer for NARA, Office of Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503; fax: [phone]; or electronically mailed to [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or copies of the proposed information collection and supporting statement should be directed to Tamee Fechhelm at telephone number 301-837-1694 or fax number 301-713-7409.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-13), NARA invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed information collections. NARA published a notice of proposed collection for this information collection on June 25, 2008 (73 FR 36128). Two comments were received. One comment requested that the veteran or requestor should be afforded the opportunity to request their entire record on the form so they don't have to request it more than once. Another comment requested replacing “service” with “component” in several areas of the form; changing “VA Loan” to “VA Loan Programs”; and requesting all documents in the Official Military Personnel File (OMPF). Both comments were accepted and the changes were made to the SF 180. NARA has submitted the described information collection to OMB for approval.

In response to this notice, comments and suggestions should address one or more of the following points: (a) Whether the proposed information collection is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of NARA; (b) the accuracy of NARA's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including the use of information technology; and (e) whether small businesses are affected by this collection. In this notice, NARA is soliciting comments concerning the following information collection:

Title: Request Pertaining to Military Records.

OMB number: 3095-0029.

Agency form number: SF 180.

Type of review: Regular.

Affected public: Veterans, their authorized representatives, state and local governments, and businesses.

Estimated number of respondents: 1,028,769.

Estimated time per response: 5 minutes.

Frequency of response: On occasion (when respondent wishes to request information from a military personnel record).

Estimated total annual burden hours: 85,731 hours.

Abstract: The authority for this information collection is contained in 36 CFR 1228.168(b). In accordance with rules issued by the Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS, U.S. Coast Guard), the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) administers military service records of veterans after discharge, retirement, and death. When veterans and other authorized individuals request information from or copies of documents in military service records, they must provide in forms or in letters certain information about the veteran and the nature of the request. Federal agencies, military departments, veterans, veterans' organizations, and the general public use Standard Forms (SF) 180, Request Pertaining to Military Records, in order to obtain information from military service records stored at NPRC. Veterans and next-of-kin of deceased veterans can also use eVetRecs (http://www.archives.gov/​research_​room/​vetrecs/​) to order copies.

Dated: September 17, 2008.

Martha Morphy,

Assistant Archivist for Information Services.