[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 21 (Monday, February 2, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4986-4987]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-2042]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[OMB Control No. 2900-0406]


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. 3501-21), 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 and includes the actual data collection instrument.

[[Page 4987]]


DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 3, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Denise McLamb, Records Management 
Service (005E3), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, 
NW., or e-mail [email protected]. Please refer to ``OMB Control 
No. 2900-0406.''
    Send comments and recommendations concerning any aspect of the 
information collection to VA's OMB Desk Officer, OMB Human Resources 
and Housing Branch, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, 
Washington, DC 20503 (202) 395-7316. Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 
2900-0406'' in any correspondence.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Verification of VA Benefit-Related Indebtedness, VA Form 26-
8937.
    OMB Control Number: 2900-0406.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: Lenders authorized to make VA-guaranteed home or 
manufactured home loans on the automatic basis are required to 
determine through VA Finance Officers whether any benefits related 
debts exist in the veteran-borrower's name prior to the closing of any 
automatic loan. Lenders cannot close any proposed automatic loan until 
evidence is received from VA stating that there is no debt, or if a 
debt exists, the veteran has agreed on an acceptable repayment plan, 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. It provides information advising the lender 
whether or not the veteran is exempt from paying the funding fee, which 
must be collected on all VA home loans unless the veteran is receiving 
service-connected disability compensation.
    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 November 5, 2003, at pages 62665-62666.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 6,250 hours.
    Estimated Average Burden Per Respondent: 5 minutes.
    Frequency of Response: One-time.
    Estimated Number of Total Respondents: 75,000.

    Dated: January 15, 2004.

    By direction of the Secretary.
Jacqueline Parks,
IT Specialist, Records Management Service.
[FR Doc. 04-2042 Filed 1-30-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P