Emergency
approval is granted. VA shall proceed with the normal clearance
process in order to avoid a lapse in OMB approval.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
01/31/2021
6 Months From Approved
12/31/2020
343,922
0
300
171,861
0
50
0
0
0
Section 7331 of title 38, United
States Code (U.S.C.), requires, in relevant part, that the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, upon the recommendation of the Under
Secretary for Health, prescribe regulations to ensure, to the
maximum extent practicable, that all VA patient care be carried out
only with the full and informed consent of the patient, or in
appropriate cases, a representative thereof. Based on VA’s
interpretation of this statute and our mandate in 38 U.S.C. 7301(b)
to provide a complete medical and hospital service, we recognize
that patients with decision-making capacity have the right to state
their treatment preferences in a VA or other valid advance
directive. The VA advance directive form (both English and Spanish
language versions) is VA Form 10-0137. These forms have a current
OMB Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) clearance under OMB Control
Number 2900-0556.
This request for an
emergency PRA clearance applies to changes made to the Witnesses
Section of VA Form 10-0137 Advance Directive (both English and
Spanish language versions). This information collection is noticed
in the interim final rule associated with RIN 2900-AQ97. Emergency
clearance is requested because AQ97 changed from a proposed rule to
an interim final rule that will soon be cleared for publication in
the Federal Register. The use of regular OMB clearance procedures
will not allow for coordination of the PRA clearance with
publication of the rule.
US Code:
38
USC 7331 Name of Law: Informed consent
The burden for this information
collection has not changed for VA Form 10-0137; however, there was
an addition previously approved by OMB for an estimated 300 Close
Friend Statements to be collected annually as part of
2900-0556.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.