Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY:

Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Department of Defense (DoD).

ACTION:

Information collection notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness announces a proposed public information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

DATES:

Consideration will be given to all comments received by December 28, 2021.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, identified by docket number and title, by any of the following methods:

Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

Mail: DoD cannot receive written comments at this time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Comments should be sent electronically to the docket listed above.

Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name, docket number and title for this Federal Register document. The general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request more information on this proposed information collection or to obtain a copy of the proposal and associated collection instruments, please write to Defense Human Resources Activity, 4800 Mark Center Drive, Suite 08F05, Alexandria, VA 22350, LaTarsha Yeargins, 571-372-2089.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: DoD Mortuary Affairs Forms; DD Form(s) 3045, 3046, 3047, 3048, 3049, 3050; OMB Control Number 0704-0581.

Needs and Uses: The information collection requirement is necessary to obtain and document the selection (as applicable) of the Person Authorized to Direct Disposition (PADD), who is authorized to direct disposition of human remains of decedents. As stated in 10 U.S. Code 1481, `Recovery, Care, and Disposition of Remains: Decedents Covered,' the DoD may provide for the recovery, care, and disposition of the remains for active-duty Regulars, Reserve Component members, applicants, trainees, military prisoners, and others. The Department of Defense is further authorized, per 10 U.S.C. 1482 and 10 U.S.C. 1482a to provide reimbursement, cover expenses, or otherwise provide mortuary services for decedents, including civilian employees serving with the armed forces. In order to provide reimbursement or these services, the DoD is charged with electing and documenting the elections of PADD of the remains, to whom the payment/reimbursement is made. The Service Casualty Office and DoD mortuaries use the information provided in this collection to document the election of the PADD for the preparation, transportation, and final disposition of the remains, as applicable. Depending on the circumstances, a PADD may be asked to complete up to six forms. All PADDs will complete the DD Form 3045, but may additionally be asked to provide information on the DD Forms 3046, 3047, 3048, 3049, and/or 3050. A description of each form has been provided to clarify under which circumstances each form may be used.

Affected Public: Individuals or households.

Annual Burden Hours: 300 hours.

Number of Respondents: 900.

Responses per Respondent: 1.33.

Annual Responses: 1,200.

Average Burden per Response: 15 minutes.

Frequency: On occasion.