Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[OMB Control No. 2900-NEW]

Agency Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Veterans Health 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

Health Administration (VHA), 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 January 24, 2000.

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

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

Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420, (202) 273-8030

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Ecclesiastical Endorsing Organization Verification/

Reverification Information, VA Form 10-0379.

OMB Control Number: 2900-NEW.

Type of Review: New collection.

Abstract: This information is used by VHA's Chaplain Service to

determine whether organizations seeking recognition as ecclesiastical

endorsing organizations meet VA requirements for such recognition. To

assure that individuals employed by VA as chaplains are qualified to

provide for constitutional rights of veterans to free exercise of

religion, VA requires that each applicant for Chaplaincy submit an

official statement (``ecclesiastical endorsement'') from their religion

or faith group, certifying that the applicant is in good standing with

the faith group and is qualified to perform the full range of ministry

required in the VA setting. VA must obtain information from the faith

groups which supply these endorsements in order to determine: (1) Who

the faith group designates as its endorsing official(s); (2) whether

the faith group provides ministry to a lay constituency; and (3) what

is the constituency to which persons endorsed by this group may

minister.

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 September 23, 1999, at page 51584.

Affected Public: Not-for-profit institutions.

Estimated Annual Burden: 3 hours.

Estimated Average Burden Per Respondent: 15 minutes.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 11.

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-NEW'' in any correspondence.

Dated: December 3, 1999.

By direction of the Secretary.

Sandra McIntyre,

Program Analyst, Information Management Service.

[FR Doc. 99-33250 Filed 12-22-99; 8:45 am]

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