30-day FRN_AHOBPR Questionnaire_published 07252019

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

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.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments
on the collection of information through
Federal Docket Management System
(FDMS) at www.Regulations.gov or to
Jonathan Taylor, Office of the 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. 2900–0018’’ 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.
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, 5902, 5904;
38 CFR 14.629, 14.633.
Title: Application for Accreditation as
Service Organization Representative.
OMB Control Number: 2900–0018.
Type of Review: Reinstatement of a
previously approved collection.
Abstract: Service organizations are
required to file an application with VA
to establish eligibility for accreditation
for representatives of that organization
to represent benefit claimants before

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VA. VA Form 21 is completed by
service organizations to establish
accreditation for representatives and
recertify the qualifications of accredited
representatives.
Organizations requesting cancellation
of a representative’s accreditation based
on misconduct, incompetence, or
resignation to avoid cancellation of
accreditation based upon misconduct or
incompetence are required to inform VA
of the specific reason for the
cancellation request. VA will use the
information collected to determine
whether service organizations’
representatives continue to meet
regulatory eligibility requirements to
ensure claimants have qualified
representatives to assist in the
preparation, presentation and
prosecution of their claims for benefits.
Affected Public: Individuals, not-forprofit institutions, and state, local, or
tribal governments.
Estimated Annual Burden: 1,013
hours (650 hours for new applicants,
350 hours for recertifications, and 13
hours for accreditation cancellation
information responses).
Estimated Average Burden per
Respondent: 13 minutes (15 minutes for
new applicants, 10 minutes for
recertifications, and 60 minutes for
accreditation cancellation information
responses).
Frequency of Response: One time.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
4,713 (2,600 new applicants, 2,100
recertifications, and 13 accreditation
cancellation information responses).
By direction of the Secretary.
Danny S. Green,
VA Interim Clearance Officer, Office of
Quality, Performance and Risk, Department
of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2019–15782 Filed 7–24–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS
[OMB Control No. 2900–0800]

Agency Information Collection Activity
under OMB Review: Airborne Hazards
and Open Burn Pit Registry (AHOBPR)
Web-Accessible Self-Assessment/
Questionnaire
Veterans Health
Administration, Department of Veterans
Affairs.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:

In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of
1995, this notice announces that the
Veterans Health Administration,

SUMMARY:

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Department of Veterans Affairs, will
submit 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 and it includes the
actual data collection instrument.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on
or before August 26, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments
on the collection of information through
www.Regulations.gov, or to Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget, Attn:
VA Desk Officer; 725 17th St. NW,
Washington, DC 20503 or sent through
electronic mail to oira_submission@
omb.eop.gov. Please refer to ‘‘OMB
Control No. 2900–0800’’ in any
correspondence.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Danny S. Green, Office of Quality,
Performance and Risk (OQPR),
Department of Veterans Affairs, 810
Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20420, (202) 421–1354 or email
danny.green2@va.gov Please refer to
‘‘OMB Control No. 2900–0800’’ in any
correspondence.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501–21.
Title: Airborne Hazards and Open
Burn Pit Registry (AHOBPR) Webaccessible Self-Assessment/
Questionnaire, VA Form 10–10066.
OMB Control Number: 2900–0800.
Type of Review: Reinstatement with
change of a previously approved
collection.
Abstract: Public Law 112–260 Section
201, enacted by President Obama on 10
January 2013, required Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish and
maintain an ‘‘Airborne Hazards and
Open Burn Pit Registry (AHOBPR)’’ no
later than one year from enactment. VA
launched the AHOBPR in June 2014.
There is no sunset date identified in the
law. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs
may ‘‘include any information in such
registry that the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs determines necessary to
ascertain and monitor the health effects
of the exposure of members of the
Armed Forces to toxic airborne
chemicals and fumes caused by open
burn pits.’’ Currently, VA plans to
operate the AHOBPR indefinitely, and
we request approval to continue
administering the questionnaire. The
Qarmat Ali (QA) program is a new
request for a follow-up information
collection for a subset of Veterans
impacted by a specific airborne hazard.
In the Spring and Summer of 2003,

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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.

jspears on DSK30JT082PROD with NOTICES

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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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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