60-day FRN

Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 143 / Thursday, July 25, 2019 / Notices
approximately 700 U.S. Servicemembers
may have been impacted by a specific
airborne hazard while serving at a water
injection plant in Qarmat Ali, Iraq. The
Department of Defense (DoD) was
unable to determine specific exposure
levels near the water treatment facility.
In 2010, in response to DoD’s
notification, the VA offered no-cost
medical evaluations and encouraged the
cohort to enroll in a new Qarmat Ali
medical surveillance program within
the Gulf War Registry. The QA cohort is
also eligible to participate in the
AHOBPR program due to their
deployment to Iraq. As part of the
planned 5-year periodic medical followup and surveillance program, selfreported information will be collected
through the AHOBPR as outlined above.
Information collected is voluntary and
is used to provide outreach and quality
health services to AHOBPR participants.
Collected data contributes to VA’s
ability to understand the potential
health effects of the exposure to burn pit
emissions and other airborne hazards
during deployment, such as particulate
matter.
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 at 84 FR
19829 on May 6, 2019, pages 19829 and
19830.
Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit
Registry (AHOBPR) Self-Assessment/
Questionnaire
Affected Public: Individuals and
households.
Estimated Annual Burden: 33,333
hours.
Estimated Average Burden per
Respondent: 40 minutes.
Frequency of Response: Once.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
50,000.

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Subset of AHOBPR, Qarmat Ali
Questionnaire
Affected Public: Individuals and
households.
Estimated Annual Burden: 114 hours.
Estimated Average Burden per
Respondent: 10 minutes.
Frequency of Response: Once.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
686.

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By direction of the Secretary.
Danny S. Green,
Interim VA Clearance Officer, Office of
Quality, Performance and Risk (OQPR),
Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2019–15785 Filed 7–24–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS
[OMB Control No. 2900–0605]

Agency Information Collection
Activity: Application for Accreditation
as a Claims Agent or Attorney, Filing
of Representatives’ Fee Agreements
and Motions for Review of Such Fee
Agreements
Office of General Counsel,
Department of Veterans Affairs.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:

The Office of General Counsel
(OGC), Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA), is announcing an opportunity for
public comment on the proposed
collection of certain information by the
agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction
Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal agencies are
required to publish notice in the
Federal Register concerning each
proposed collection of information,
including each proposed extension of a
currently approved collection, and
allow 60 days for public comment in
response to the notice.
DATES: Written comments and
recommendations on the proposed
collection of information should be
received on or before September 23,
2019.
SUMMARY:

Submit written comments
on the collection of information through
Federal Docket Management System
(FDMS) at www.Regulations.gov or to
Jonathan Taylor, Office of General
Counsel (022D), Department of Veterans
Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20420 or email to
jonathan.taylor2@va.gov. Please refer to
‘‘OMB Control No. 2900–0605’’ in any
correspondence. During the comment
period, comments may be viewed online
through FDMS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jonathan Taylor at (202) 461–7699 or
FAX (202) 273–6404.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the
PRA of 1995, Federal agencies must
obtain approval from the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for each
collection of information they conduct
or sponsor. This request for comment is
being made pursuant to Section
3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA.
ADDRESSES:

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35931

With respect to the following
collection of information, OGC invites
comments on: (1) Whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of OGC’s
functions, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(2) the accuracy of OGC’s estimate of the
burden of the proposed collection of
information; (3) ways to enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (4)
ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on
respondents, including through the use
of automated collection techniques or
the use of other forms of information
technology.
Authority: 38 U.S.C. 5901, 5904; 38
CFR 14.629, 14.636.
Title: Application for Accreditation as
a Claims Agent or Attorney, Filing of
Representatives’ Fee Agreements and
Motions for Review of Such Fee
Agreements.
OMB Control Number: 2900–0605.
Type of Review: Reinstatement of a
previously approved collection.
Abstract: Applicants seeking
accreditation as claims agents or
attorneys to represent benefits claimants
before VA must complete VA Form 21a.
The applicant is required to file the
application with OGC to establish initial
eligibility for accreditation. The
information requested includes basic
identifying information, as well as
certain information concerning training
and experience, military service, and
employment. The information is used to
evaluate qualifications, ensure against
conflicts of interest, and to establish that
statutory and regulatory eligibility
requirements, e.g., good character and
reputation, are met. If a potential area of
concern is identified on the application,
additional information may be
requested. Applicants who become
accredited as agents and attorneys may
not lawfully represent claimants
without completing and maintaining
accreditation requirements. The data is
used to determine the applicant’s
eligibility for accreditation as a claims
agent or attorney. The information
collected with regard to an attorney or
agent’s good standing with other courts,
bars, and Federal and State agencies and
completion of their ongoing CLE
requirements is used by OGC in
monitoring accredited attorneys and
agents to determine whether they
continue to have the appropriate
character and reputation and that they
remain fit to prepare, present, and
prosecute VA benefit claims.
The data collected under Filing of
Representatives’ Fee Agreements is used
by OGC to associate the fee agreement

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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 143 / Thursday, July 25, 2019 / Notices

with the attorney or agent of record and
for potential use in a reasonableness
review. The fee agreement information
is used by VA’s Veterans Benefits
Administration (VBA) to associate the
fee agreement with the claimant’s
claims file for potential use in
processing as the direct payment of a fee
from the claimant’s past-due benefits
award. The information provided in the
fee agreements are used by both VBA
and OGC to determine whether they are
in compliance with the statutes and
regulations governing paid
representation. The data collected under
Motions for Review of Such Fee
Agreements is used when a motion is
filed by a claimant or raised sua sponte
by VA to determine the reasonableness
of an agent or attorney fee from a
claimant’s award of VA benefits. Also,
when a claimant receives an award of
benefits and has retained more than one
attorney or agent who has been found
eligible for direct payment of fees, the
data is used to determine each of the
attorney’s or agent’s contribution to and
responsibility for the ultimate outcome
of the claimant’s claim.
Affected Public: Individuals and
businesses or other for-profit
organizations.
Estimated Annual Burden:
a. Application for Accreditation as a
Claims Agent, VA Form 21a: 2,137.5
hours (975 hours for initial responses by
attorneys, 225 hours for initial
responses by non-attorneys, 187.5 hours
for follow up responses by nonattorneys, and 750 hours for
recertifications by accredited attorneys
and agents)
b. Filing of Representatives’ Fee
Agreements: 3,125 hours (750 hours for
first time filers and 2,375 hours for
repeat filers).
c. Motions for Review of Such Fee
Agreements: 420 hours.
Estimated Average Burden per
Respondent:
a. Application for Accreditation as a
Claims Agent or Attorney, VA Form 21a:
20 minutes (45 minutes for initial
responses by attorneys, 45 minutes for
initial responses by non-attorneys, 45
minutes for follow up responses by nonattorneys, and 10 minutes for
recertifications by accredited attorneys
and agents)
b. Filing of Representatives’ Fee
Agreements: 13 minutes (1 hour for first
time filers and 10 minutes for repeat
filers).
c. Motions for Review of Such Fee
Agreements: 2 hours.
Frequency of Response: One time.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
a. Application for Accreditation as a
Claims Agent, VA Form 21a: 6,350

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(1,300 initial responses by attorneys,
300 initial responses by non-attorneys,
250 follow up responses by nonattorneys, and 4,500 recertifications by
accredited attorneys and agents).
b. Filing of Representatives’ Fee
Agreements: 15,000 (750 first time filers
and 14,250 repeat filers).
c. Motions for Review of Such Fee
Agreements: 210.
By direction of the Secretary.
Danny S. Green,
VA Interim Clearance Officer, Office of
Quality, Performance and Risk, Department
of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2019–15783 Filed 7–24–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS
Rehabilitation Research and
Development Service Scientific Merit
Review Board, Notice of Meetings
The Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) gives notice under the Federal
Advisory Committee Act, that the
subcommittees of the Rehabilitation
Research and Development Service
Scientific Merit Review Board will he
held Tuesday, August 6 through Friday,
August 9, 2019, at the 20 F Conference
Center, 20 F Street NW, Washington, DC
20001; and Tuesday, October 29 and
Wednesday, October 30, 2019, at the
Crowne Plaza Washington National
Airport, 1480 Crystal Drive, Arlington,
VA 22202. The meetings will begin at
8:00 a.m. and end at 5:00 p.m., on the
dates listed below:
Meeting

Date(s)

Chronic Medical Conditions
and Aging.
Spinal Cord Injury/Disorders
and Neuropathic Pain.
Behavioral Health and Social
Reintegration.
Career Development Program.
Sensory Systems and Communication Disorders.
Regenerative Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation Engineering
and Prosthetics/Orthotics.
Brain Health and Injury ........
Musculoskeletal Health and
Function.
Center and Research Enhancement Award Program.

August 6, 2019.
August 6, 2019.
August 6–7, 2019.
August 6–7, 2019.
August 7, 2019.
August 8, 2019.
August 8, 2019.
August 8–9, 2019.
August 8–9, 2019.
October 29–30, 2019.

The subcommittee meetings will be
open to the public for approximately
one-half hour at the start of each
meeting to cover administrative matters
and to discuss the general status of the
program.
The objective of the Board is to
provide for the fair and equitable

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selection of the most meritorious
research projects for support by VA
research funds and to offer advice for
research program officials on program
priorities and policies. The ultimate
objective of the Board is to ensure that
the VA Rehabilitation Research and
Development program promotes
functional independence and improves
the quality of life for impaired and
disabled Veterans.
Board members advise the Director,
Rehabilitation Research and
Development Service and the Chief
Research and Development Officer on
the scientific and technical merit, the
mission relevance, and the protection of
human and animal subjects of
Rehabilitation Research and
Development proposals. The Board does
not consider grants, contracts, or other
forms of extramural research.
Members of the public who wish to
attend the open portion of the
teleconference sessions may dial 1 (800)
767–1750, participant code 35847. The
remaining portion of each subcommittee
meeting will be closed to the public for
the discussion, examination, reference
to, and oral review of the research
applications and critiques. During the
closed portion of each subcommittee
meeting, discussion and
recommendations will include
qualifications of the personnel
conducting the studies (the disclosure of
which would constitute a clearly
unwarranted invasion of personal
privacy), as well as research information
(the premature disclosure of which
would likely compromise significantly
the implementation of proposed agency
action regarding such research projects).
As provided by subsection 10(d) of
Public Law 92–463, as amended by
Public Law 94–409, closing the meeting
is in accordance with 5 U.S.C. Sec.
552b(c)(6) and (9)(B).
No oral or written comments will be
accepted from the public for either
portion of the meetings. Those who plan
to attend (by phone or in person) the
open portion of a subcommittee meeting
must contact Tiffany Asqueri,
Designated Federal Officer,
Rehabilitation Research and
Development Service, at Department of
Veterans Affairs (10X2R), 810 Vermont
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420, or
email Tiffany.Asqueri@va.gov, at least
five days before the meeting. For further
information, please call Mrs. Asqueri at
(202) 443–5757.

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