Supporting Statement(2900-0031)

Supporting Statement for VA FORM 26-4555c

VETERAN/SERVICEMEMBER’S SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATION FOR

ASSISTANCE IN ACQUIRING SPECIALLY ADAPTED HOUSING

(2900-0031)

A. Justification

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary. Identify legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection of information.

Title 38, U.S.C., chapter 21, authorizes a VA program of grants for specially adapted housing for disabled veterans or servicemembers. Section 2101(a) of this chapter specifically outlines those determinations that must be made by VA before such grant is approved for a particular veteran or servicemember. VA Form 26-4555c is used to collect information that is necessary for VA to meet the requirements of 38 U.S.C. 2101(a). (Also, see 38 CFR 36.4402(a), 36-4404(a), and 36.4405.)

2. Indicate how, by whom, and for what purposes the information is to be used; indicate actual use the agency has made of the information received from current collection.

The form is used by Loan Guaranty personnel in approving the benefit available under 38 U.S.C. 2101(a). The information requested is necessary in order to determine if it is financially feasible for a veteran or servicemember to reside in specially adapted housing and to compute the proper grant amount.

3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g. permitting electronic submission of responses, and the basis for the decision for adopting this means of collection. Also describe any consideration of using information technology to reduce burden.

This form is available in a fillable electronic format on the One VA forms website at http://www.va.gov/vaforms. Once a determination on eligibility is made and the file is reviewed by Loan Guaranty personnel, the veteran or servicemember is directed to complete VA Form 26-4555c with instructions. An electronic submission system would not allow for personal customer service, and would delay applications from being processed due to errors. VA will continue to explore the use of information technology to submit this form.

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar information already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purposes described in Item 2 above.

The information collected on VA Form 26-4555c is unique to VA and is not duplicated in other agencies' records or in other VA records.

5. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities, describe any methods used to minimize burden.

The collection of information does not involve small businesses or entities.

6. Describe the consequences to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden.

The information collected on this form is completed by veterans who are applying for assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing. The data furnished on this form is essential to determining grant approval under 38 U.S.C. 2101(a). The collection is generally conducted only once.

7. Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be conducted more often than quarterly or require respondents to prepare written responses to a collection of information in fewer than 30 days after receipt of it; submit more than an original and two copies of any document; retain records, other than health, medical, government contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records for more than three years; in connection with a statistical survey that is not designed to produce valid and reliable results that can be generalized to the universe of study and require the use of a statistical data classification that has not been reviewed and approved by OMB.

There is no special circumstance requiring collection in a manner inconsistent with 5 CFR 1320.6 guidelines.

8. If applicable, provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the sponsor’s notice, required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB. Summarize public comments received in response to that notice and describe actions taken by the sponsor in responses to these comments. Specifically address comments received on cost and hour burden.

The Department notice was published in the Federal Register on September 20, 2017, Volume 82, No, 181, page 44029. No comments were received in response to this notice.

9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.

No payments or gifts to respondents have been made under this collection of information.

10. Describe any assurance of privacy to the extent permitted by law provided to respondents and the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.

Loan Guaranty Home, Condominium and Manufactured Home Loan Applicant Records, Specially Adapted Housing Applicant Records, and Vendee Loan Applicant Records - VA (55VA26) contained in the Privacy Act Issuances, 2001 Compilation.

11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature (Information that, with a reasonable degree of medical certainty, is likely to have a serious adverse effect on an individual's mental or physical health if revealed to him or her), such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private; include specific uses to be made of the information, the explanation to be given to persons from whom the information is requested, and any steps to be taken to obtain their consent.

There are no questions of a sensitive nature.

12. Estimate of the hour burden of the collection of information:

1. Number of yearly respondents totals = 1,400.

2. Frequency of Response is one time.

3. Annual burden total = 350 hours.

4. The estimated completion time is 15 minutes.

5. The respondent population for VA Form 26-4555c are Veterans and Servicemembers applying for the Loan Guaranty Specially Adapted Housing Grant Program. VBA cannot make further assumptions about the population of respondents because of the variability of factors such as the educational background and wage potential of respondents.  Therefore, VBA used general wage data to estimate the respondents’ costs associated with completing the information collection.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) gathers information on full-time wage and salary workers. According to the latest available BLS data, the median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers are $954.40. Assuming a forty (40) hour work week, the median hourly wage is $23.86 based on the BLS wage code – “00-0000 All Occupations”. This information is taken from the following website: (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm, May 2016).

Legally, respondents may not pay a person or business for assistance in completing the information collection. Therefore, there are no expected overhead costs for completing the information collection. VBA estimates the total cost to all respondents to be $8,351.00 (350 burden hours x $23.86 per hour).

13. Provide an estimate of the total annual cost burden to respondents or record-keepers resulting from the collection of information. (Do not include the cost of any hour burden shown in Items 12 and 14).

This submission does not involve any recordkeeping costs.

14. Provide estimates of annual cost to the Federal Government. Also, provide a description of the method used to estimate cost, which should include quantification of hours, operation expenses (such as equipment, overhead, printing, and support staff), and any other expense that would not have been incurred without this collection of information. Agencies also may aggregate cost estimates from Items 12, 13, and 14 in a single table.

Estimated Costs to the Federal Government:

Grade	Step	Burden Time	Hourly Rate	Cost Per Response	Total Responses	Total
11	10	15	$33.05	$ 8.26	1,400	$ 11,567.50
Overhead at 100% Salary						$ 11,567.50
Overhead costs are 100% of salary and are the same as the wage listed above and the amounts are included in the total.
Processing / Analyzing Costs						$0
Printing and Production Cost						$0
Total Cost to Government						$11,567.50

Note: the hourly wage information above is based on the hourly 2018 General Schedule (Base) Pay (https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2018/GS_h.pdf). This rate does not include any locality adjustment as applicable.

15. Explain the reason for any burden hour changes since the last submission.

Not applicable as the burden has not changed. This information collection expired due to the program not issuing the extension request with enough time to complete prior to the expiration date. The program has instituted a tracking procedure to prevent incidents like this in the future.

16. For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication. Address any complex analytical techniques that will be used. Provide the time schedule for the entire project, including beginning and ending dates of the collection of information, completion of report, publication dates, and other actions.

The information collection is not for publication or tabulation use.

17. If seeking approval to omit the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.

We are not seeking approval to omit the expiration date for OMB approval.

18. Explain each exception to the certification statement identified in Item 19, “Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions,” of OMB 83-I.

This submission does not contain any exceptions to the certification statement.

B. Collection of Information Employing Statistical Methods

The data collection does not employ statistical methods.

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