Agency Information Collection (Verification of VA Benefits) Activity 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. 3501-3521), 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; it includes the actual data collection instrument.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before February 19, 2016.

ADDRESSES:

Submit written comments on the collection of information through www.Regulations.gov,, or to Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attn: VA Desk Officer; 725 17th St. NW., Washington, DC 20503 or sent through electronic mail to oira_submission@omb.eop.gov. Please refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0406” in any correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Crystal Rennie, Enterprise Records Service (005R1B), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20420, (202) 632-7492 or email crystal.rennie@va.gov. Please refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0406.”

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Verification of VA Benefits.

OMB Control Number: 2900-0406.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Abstract: VA has instructed lenders that they may not close any proposed loan until they have evidence from VA that there is no debt, or if a debt exists, an acceptable repayment plan has been agreed to by the veteran, or payments under a plan already in effect are current. VA Form 26-8937 is designed to assist lenders and VA in the completion of debt checks in a uniform manner. The form restricts information requested to only that needed for the debt check and also eliminates unlimited versions of lender-designed forms.

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 80 FR 26645 on October 21, 2015.

Affected Public: Individuals or Households.

Estimated Annual Burden: 10,000 hours.

Estimated Average Burden per Respondent: 5 minutes.

Frequency of Response: One-time.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 120,000 respondents.