[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 196 (Thursday, October 8, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63661-63662]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22282]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[OMB Control No. 2900-0500]


Agency Information Collection Activity: Mandatory Verification of 
Dependents

AGENCY: Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans 
Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans 
Affairs (VA), is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the 
proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal agencies are required to 
publish notice in the Federal Register

[[Page 63662]]

concerning each proposed collection of information, including each 
proposed revision of a currently approved collection, and allow 60 days 
for public comment in response to the notice.

DATES: Written comments and recommendations on the proposed collection 
of information should be received on or before December 7, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the collection of information 
through Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) at www.Regulations.gov 
or to Nancy J. Kessinger, Veterans Benefits Administration (20M33), 
Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 
20420 or email to [email protected]. Please refer to ``OMB Control 
No. 2900-0500'' in any correspondence. During the comment period, 
comments may be viewed online through FDMS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Danny S. Green at (202) 421-1354.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA of 1995, Federal agencies must 
obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each 
collection of information they conduct or sponsor. This request for 
comment is being made pursuant to Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA.
    With respect to the following collection of information, VBA 
invites comments on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information 
is necessary for the proper performance of VBA's functions, including 
whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy 
of VBA's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of 
the collection of information on respondents, including through the use 
of automated collection techniques or the use of other forms of 
information technology.
    Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501.
    Title: Mandatory Verification of Dependents (VA Form 21-0538).
    OMB Control Number: 2900-0500.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: VA Form 21-0538 is used to request verification of the 
status of dependents for whom additional compensation is being paid to 
veterans. Without this information, continued entitlement to the 
benefits for dependents could not be determined.
    VA Form 21-0538 has been revised; (1) letter template removed as it 
was a duplicate of a VA cover letter already in use, (2) the title has 
been changed from `Mandatory Status of Dependents' to Mandatory 
Verification of Dependents, (3) Section II: Status Certification, was 
added to help delineate whether the veteran is needed to provide 
additional information on the status of their dependents, or not, (4) 
the form was changed to include removals only as these are dependents 
that have already been previously added to the veteran's benefits, as 
another collection is used to add dependents, and (5) an e-signature 
has been added to provide a digital format for online signatures. The 
burden estimate has also been decreased.
    Affected Public: Individuals and households.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 29,233 hours.
    Estimated Average Burden per Respondent: 10 minutes.
    Frequency of Response: Once.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 175,400.

    By direction of the Secretary.
Danny S. Green,
VA PRA Clearance Officer, Office of Quality, Performance and Risk 
(OQPR), Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2020-22282 Filed 10-7-20; 8:45 am]
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