Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[OMB Control No. 2900-0455]

Agency Information Collection Activities 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 et seq.), this notice announces that the Veterans

Benefits Administration (VBA), 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 November 26, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY OF THE SUBMISSION CONTACT: Ron

Taylor, Information Management Service (045A4), Department of Veterans

Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420, (202) 273-8015

or FAX (202) 273-5981. Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0455.''

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Equal Opportunity Compliance Review Report, VA Form 20-8734,

and Supplement to Equal Opportunity Compliance Review Report, VA Form

20-8734a.

OMB Control Number: 2900-0455.

Type of Review: Reinstatement, without change, of a previously

approved collection for which approval has expired.

Abstract: Executive Order 12250, Leadership and Coordination of

Nondiscrimination Laws, delegated authority to the Attorney General to

[[Page 55674]]

coordinate the implementation and enforcement by Executive agencies of

various equal opportunity laws. Government-wide guidelines issued by

the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in 28 CFR 42.406 instructs funding

agencies to ``provide for the collection of data and information from

applicants for and recipients of Federal assistance sufficient to

permit effective enforcement of Title VI.'' Executive, Order 12250

extended the delegation to cover Title IX of the Education Amendments

of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

VA's requirements to effectuate our external civil rights

requirements are contained on 38 CFR, Part 18. These regulations, in

part, provide that the responsible agency official or designee shall

from time to time review the practices of recipients to determine

whether they are complying with the equal opportunity provisions. VA

Form 20-8734 is used to gather information from post-secondary

proprietary schools below college level. The information is used to

assure that VA Federally-funded programs are in compliance with equal

opportunity laws. VA Form 20-8734a, is used to gather information from

students and instructors at post-secondary proprietary schools below

college level. The information is used to assure equal access and equal

treatment to participants in VA Federally-funded programs.

Education Compliance Survey Specialists in VA field stations use VA

Forms 20-8734 and 20-8734a during regular scheduled educational

compliance survey visits, as well as during investigations of equal

opportunity complaints, to identify areas which may indicate whether

there is disparate treatment of members of protected groups. The

information obtained on these forms is analyzed and maintained on file

at the regional office. If this information were not collected, VA

would be unable to carry out its civil rights enforcement

responsibilities established in the DOJ's instructions.

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 July 18, 1997 at page 38607.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.

Estimated Annual Burden and Average Burden Per Respondent: Based on

past experience, VBA estimates that 76 interviews will be conducted

with recipients using VA Form 20-8734 at an average of 1 hour and 45

minutes per interview (133 hours). This includes one hour for an

interview with the principal facility official, plus 45 minute for

reviewing records and reports and touring the facility. It is also

estimated that 76 interviews will be conducted with students using VA

Form 20-8734a at an average of 30 minutes per interview (38 hours) and

with instructors at an average of 30 minutes per interview (38 hours)

with a total of 76 hours. Interviews are also conducted with 76

students without instructors at an average time of 30 minutes.

VBA estimates that it will take 1 hour to conduct an interview with

the recipients (76 hours) and 30 minutes with the instructors (38

hours). The total number of hours for interviewing recipients and

instructors are estimated at 114.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 228.

Send comments and recommendations concerning any aspect of the

information collection to VA's OMB Desk Officer, Allison Eydt, OMB

Human Resources and Housing Branch, New Executive Office Building, Room

10235, Washington, DC 20503 (202) 395-4650. Please refer to ``OMB

Control No. 2900-0455'' in any correspondence.

Dated: September 30, 1997.

By direction of the Secretary.

William Morgan,

Program Analyst, Information Management Service.

[FR Doc. 97-28390 Filed 10-24-97; 8:45 am]

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