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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 15, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 8824]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3520]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Docket No. DoD-2007-OS-0145]

Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Defense Finance and Accounting Service, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service 
announces a proposed public information collection and seeks public 
comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether 
the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the 
information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information 
to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the information 
collection on respondents, including through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by March 
26, 2012.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and 
title, by any of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    Mail: Federal Docket Management System Office, 4800 Mark Center 
Drive, 2nd Floor, East Tower, Suite 02G09, Alexandria, VA 22350-3100.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency 
name, docket number and title for this Federal Register document. The 
general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the 
public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the 
Internet at http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without 
change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on this 
proposed information collection or to obtain a copy of the proposal and 
associated collection instruments, please write to Military Pay, 
Standards and Compliance, Defense Finance and Accounting Service, DFAS-
JJFMB/CL, 1240 East 9th Street, Room 1781, Cleveland, Ohio 44199, or 
call at (216) 204-3631.
    Title, Associated Form, and OMB Number: Claim Certification and 
Voucher for Death Gratuity Payment; DD Form 397; OMB Control Number 
0704-TBD.
    Needs and Uses: This information collection allows the government 
to collect the signatures and information needed to pay a death 
gratuity. Pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 1475-1480, a designated 
beneficiary(ies) or next-of-kin can receive a death gratuity payment 
for a deceased Service member. This form serves as a record of the 
disbursement of the death gratuity. The DoD Financial Management 
Regulation (FMR), Volume 7A, Chapter 36, defines the eligible 
beneficiaries and procedures for payment of the death gratuity. To 
provide internal controls for this benefit, and to comply with the 
above-cited statutes, the information requested is needed to 
substantiate the receipt of the benefit.
    Affected Public: Individuals who are beneficiaries of the Service 
member's death gratuity.
    Annual Burden Hours: 1208.
    Number of Respondents: 2416.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Average Burden per Response: .5 hours.
    Frequency: On occasion.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Summary of Information Collection

    The Service Casualty Office completes the upper portion of the DD 
Form 397 and then provides the form to the beneficiaries. The 
beneficiaries complete their portion of the DD Form 397 and then sign 
the form and have it witnessed. Once the documents are completed they 
are forwarded to DFAS for payment.

    Dated: January 31, 2012.
Patricia L. Toppings,
OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2012-3520 Filed 2-14-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P
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