80 FR 44203 - Agency Information Collection-Application for Accreditation as Service Organization Representative Activity Under OMB Review

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 142 (July 24, 2015)

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), this notice announces that the Office of the General Counsel (OGC), 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; it includes the actual data collection instrument.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 142 (Friday, July 24, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44203-44204]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-18163]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[OMB Control No. 2900-0018]


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

AGENCY: Office of the General Counsel, 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 Office of the 
General Counsel (OGC), 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; it includes the actual data collection instrument.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before August 24, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the collection of information 
through www.Regulations.gov, or to Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attn: VA Desk Officer; 725 
17th St. NW., Washington, DC 20503 or sent through electronic mail to 
[email protected]. Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-
0018'' in any correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dana Raffaelli, Office of the General 
Counsel (022O), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20420 or email to [email protected]. Please refer 
to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0018'' in any correspondence.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Application for Accreditation as Service Organization 
Representative, VA Form 21; Accreditation Cancellation Information.

[[Page 44204]]

    OMB Control Number: 2900-0018.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection and 
modification to the 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, recertify the qualifications of accredited 
representatives.
    Organizations requesting cancellation of a representative's 
accreditation based on misconduct or 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. VA is modifying the 
collection to include an optional request to permit the organization to 
provide an email address and phone number in which the representative 
may be reached. VA believes that the additional contact information 
pertaining to the organization will be helpful in that it provides an 
additional means of communication between VA and the organization as 
well as provides an additional way that Veterans and their family may 
contact the representative. The organization may choose to provide a 
general phone number and email address for the organization, e.g., 
[email protected], or the representative's individual email address through 
the organization and direct phone number, e.g., [email protected] 
does not anticipate the modification request will result in an 
additional burden. VA believes that the organizations already have the 
information available to them, and adding that information to the form 
should not take additional time. This is supported by the fact that 
many organizations are already providing the additional contact 
information. Finally, this request will be optional.
    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 May 20, 2015, at 80 FR 29158.
    Affected Public: Not-for profit institutions.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 782 hours.
    Estimated Average Burden per Respondent: 15 minutes for new 
applicants, 10 minutes for recertification, and 30 minutes for 
accreditation cancellation information responses.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 3,157 (2962 new applicants, 170 
recertification, and 25 accreditation cancellation information 
responses).

    By direction of the Secretary.
Kathleen M. Manwell,
Program Analyst, VA Privacy Service, Office of Privacy and Records 
Management, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2015-18163 Filed 7-23-15; 8:45 am]
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