Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[OMB Control No. 2900-0567]

Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review

AGENCY:

National Cemetery 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 National Cemetery Administration (NCA), 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 March 3, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY OF THE SUBMISSION CONTACT:

Denise McLamb, Records Management Service (005E3), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420, (202) 273-8030, FAX (202) 273-5981 or e-mail:

denise.mclamb@mail.va.gov.

Please refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0567.”

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. 2900-0567” in any correspondence.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title:

President Memorial Certificate (PMC), VA Form 40-0247.

OMB Control Number:

2900-0567.

Type of Review:

Extension of a currently approved collection.

Abstract:

The PMC is a gold foiled-embossed certificate containing the Great Seal of the United States and bearing the President's signature. It is mailed to relatives and friends of deceased, honorably discharged veterans honoring their military service to our Nation. In most cases involving recent deaths, the PMC is automatically initiated for those eligible veterans buried in VA national cemeteries. The local VA Regional Office originates the application process without a request from the next of kin as part of processing death benefits claims.

The PMC insert is not self-initiated by the general public/eligible recipients. There is no form or application that is used to initiate an original request. Original requests are normally in the form of letters and/or telephone calls from eligible recipients. The purpose of the PMC Insert is to allow an eligible recipient, which includes the next of kin, other relatives or friends,

i.e.

, surviving spouses, sons, daughters, grandchildren, and others, to request additional certificates and/or replacements or corrected certificates upon receipt of the original PMC. Replacements are requested due to the PMCs being bent, water soaked, or otherwise damaged during mail handling; corrected PMCs are requested due to an incorrect name of the deceased veteran.

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 62664-62665.

Affected Public:

Individuals or households.

Estimated Annual Burden:

1,479.

Estimated Average Burden Per Respondent:

2 minutes.

Frequency of Response:

On occasion.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

44,363.

Dated: January 21, 2004.

By direction of the Secretary.

Jacqueline Parks,

IT Specialist, Records Management Service.

[FR Doc. 04-2043 Filed 1-30-04; 8:45 am]

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