[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 21 (Thursday, January 31, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6849-6850]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-02023]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[OMB Control No. 2900-0406]


Agency Information Collection (Verification of VA Benefits) 
Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans 
Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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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, 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 March 4, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the collection of information 
through www.Regulations.gov or 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Crystal Rennie, Records Management 
Service (005R1B), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue 
NW., Washington, DC 20420, (202) 632-7492, FAX (202) 632-7583 or email 
[email protected]. Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0406.''

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Verification of VA Benefits, VA Form 26-8937.
    OMB Control Number: 2900-0406.

[[Page 6850]]

    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: Lenders authorized to make VA-guaranteed home or 
manufactured loans on an automatic basis are required to determine 
through VA 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, or the 
veteran has agreed on an acceptable repayment plan, or payments under a 
plan already in effect are current. VA Form 26-8937 is used to assist 
lenders and VA in the completion of debt checks in a uniform manner. 
The form restricts information requested to only that which is needed 
for the debt check and to eliminate unlimited versions of lender-
designed forms. The form also informs 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 October 19, 2012, at page 64383.
    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.

    Dated: January 25, 2013.

    By direction of the Secretary.
William F. Russo,
Deputy Director, Office of Regulations Policy and Management, Office of 
General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2013-02023 Filed 1-30-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P