[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 37 (Friday, February 24, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11980-11981]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-03833]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[OMB Control No. 2900-0018]


Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review: 
Application for Accreditation as Service Organization Representative

AGENCY: Office of General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, 
this notice announces that the Office of General Counsel, 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 and it includes the actual 
data collection instrument.

DATES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function. Refer to 
``OMB Control No. 2900-0018.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maribel Aponte, Office of Enterprise 
and Integration, Data Governance Analytics (008), 810 Vermont Ave. NW, 
Washington, DC 20006, (202) 266-4688 or email [email protected]. 
Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0018'' in any correspondence.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Authority: 38 U.S.C. 5901, 5902, 5904; 38 CFR 14.629, 14.633.
    Title: Application for Accreditation as Service Organization 
Representative.
    OMB Control Number: 2900-0018.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: Service organizations are required to file an application 
with VA to establish eligibility for accreditation for representatives 
of that organization to represent benefit claimants before VA. VA Form 
21 is completed by service organizations to establish accreditation for 
representatives and recertify the qualifications of accredited 
representatives.
    Organizations requesting cancellation of a representative's 
accreditation based on misconduct, incompetence, or resignation to 
avoid cancellation of accreditation based upon misconduct or 
incompetence are required to inform VA of the specific reason for the 
cancellation request. VA will use the information collected to 
determine whether service organizations' representatives continue to 
meet regulatory eligibility requirements to ensure claimants have 
qualified representatives to assist in the preparation, presentation, 
and prosecution of their claims for benefits.
    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: Volume 87, No. 227, Monday, November 28, 
2022, pages 73073 and 73074.
    Affected Public: Individuals, not-for-profit institutions, and 
state, local, or tribal governments.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 1,010 hours (750 hours for new applicants, 
250 hours for recertifications, and 10 hours for accreditation 
cancellation information responses).
    Estimated Average Burden per Respondent: 13 minutes (15 minutes for 
new applicants, 10 minutes for recertifications, and 60 minutes for 
accreditation cancellation information responses).
    Frequency of Response: One time.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 4,510 (3,000 new applicants, 1,500 
recertifications, and 10 accreditation cancellation information 
responses).


[[Page 11981]]


    By direction of the Secretary.
Maribel Aponte,
VA PRA Clearance Officer, Office of Enterprise and Integration, Data 
Governance Analytics, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2023-03833 Filed 2-23-23; 8:45 am]
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