Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 152 / Thursday, August 7, 1997 / Notices 42627

information used to evaluate the

applicant’s claim for the benefit.

Affected Public: Individuals or

households; State, Local or Tribal

Government.

Estimated Annual Burden: 85,000

hours.

Estimated Average Burden Per

Respondent: 15 minutes.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

340,000.

Dated: July 23, 1997.

By direction of the Secretary.

Donald L. Neilson,

Director, Information Management Service.

[FR Doc. 97–20745 Filed 8–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8320–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS

AFFAIRS

[OMB Control No. 2900–0559]

Agency Information Collection

Activities Under OMB Review

AGENCY: National Cemetery System,

Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995

(44 U.S.C., 3501 et seq.), this notice

announces that the National Cemetery

System (NCS), 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 September 8, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR A COPY OF

THE SUBMISSION CONTACT: Ron Taylor,

Information Management Service

(045A4), Department of Veterans

Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW,

Washington, DC 20420, (202) 273–8015

or FAX (202) 273–5981. Please refer to

‘‘OMB Control No. 2900–0559.’’

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title and Form Number: State

Cemetery Data, VA Form 40–0241.

OMB Control Number: 2900–0559.

Type of Review: Reinstatement,

without change, of a previously

approved collection for which approval

has expired.

Abstract: VA Form 40–0241 is used to

collect information regarding the

number of interments conducted at state

veteran’s cemeteries each year. This

information is necessary for budget and

oversight purposes. In addition, NCS’s

State Cemetery Grants Service uses the

information to answer questions which

arise during the course of the year to

respond to Congressional

correspondence and to project and

predict the need for burial space and the

demand for state grants. Burial

information provides the usage rates

and helps in the prediction of when a

cemetery needs to develop additional

acreage (request a grant to expand) or is

going to close. The amount of acreage

used helps the State Cemetery Grants

Service and National Cemetery System

anticipate closing and the requirement

for additional cemeteries (either state or

national). Lower burial rates may

indicate problems such as ineffective

outreach or poor maintenance that

should be investigated. The information

is used in conjunction with the

information gained from the national

cemeteries to consider where to place

national or state cemeteries. Title 38

CFR, Section 39.3, points out that ‘‘the

Secretary and any authorized

representative (in this case the State

Cemetery Grants Service) will have

access to and the right to examine all

records, books, papers or documents

related to the grant.’’ Title 38 CFR,

Section 39.5, discusses follow-up

procedures once a cemetery is

established and points out the need for

audits.

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 April

8, 1997 at page 16890.

Affected Public: State, Local or Tribal

Government.

Estimated Annual Burden: 52 hours.

Estimated Average Burden Per

Respondent: 60 minutes.

Frequency of Response: Annually.

Estimated Annual Responses: 52.

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. 2900–0559’’ in any

correspondence.

Dated: July 18, 1997.

By direction of the Secretary.

Donald L. Neilson,

Director, Information Management Service.

[FR Doc. 97–20746 Filed 8–6–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8320–01–P