Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 25 / Monday, February 7, 2000 / Notices 5929

By Order of the Maritime Administrator.

Joel C. Richard,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–2712 Filed 2–4–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–81–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Bureau of Transportation Statistics

[Docket No. BTS–2000–6845]

Request for OMB Clearance of an

Information Collection; Customer

Satisfaction Surveys

AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation

Statistics, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the

Bureau of Transportation Statistics

(BTS) intends to request approval from

the Office of Management and Budget

for an information collection, its

Customer Satisfaction Surveys. Before

submitting its request, BTS is

publishing this notice to invite public

comment on the continuing need and

usefulness of BTS collecting this

information.

DATES: You must submit your written

comments by April 7, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Please send comments to

the Docket Clerk, Docket No. BTS–

2000–6845, Department of

Transportation, 400 Seventh Street,

SW., Room PL–401, Washington, DC

20590, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.,

Monday through Friday, except Federal

holidays.

You only need to submit one copy. If

you would like the Department to

acknowledge receipt of the comments,

you must include a self-addressed

stamped postcard with the following

statement: Comments on Docket BTS–

2000–6845. The Docket Clerk will date

stamp the postcard and mail it back to

you. If you wish to file comments using

the Internet, you may use the U.S. DOT

Dockets Management System website at

http://dms.dot.gov. Please follow the

instructions online for more

information. This website can also be

used to read comments received.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Heather M. Contrino, Office of

Statistical Programs and Services,

Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 400

Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC

20590, telephone number 202/366–

6584, email heather.contrino@bts.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Customer Satisfaction Surveys.

OMB Control Number: 2139–0007.

Type of Request: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Needs and Uses: Executive Order

12862, Setting Customer Service

Standards, directs BTS to conduct

surveys to determine the kind and

quality of services and products our

customers want and their level of

satisfaction with existing services and

products. BTS will use the information

it collects to improve product

development and service delivery and

determine whether additional products

and services are needed.

Description of Survey Topics: In 1998

and 1999, the BTS Customer Survey

Program included two surveys—the

Product Evaluation Survey (PES) and

the Customer Satisfaction Survey (CSS).

The main objective of the PES was to

give BTS a better understanding of the

technical preferences and information

needs of specific users. While it

provided information on levels of

customer satisfaction, the PES focused

on products. The main objective of the

CSS was to provide information about

the overall satisfaction of BTS

customers, the frequency of use of

products and services, and specific

information on how BTS is meeting

various customer service criteria.

Although the CSS addresses some

product issues such as format

compatibility and difficulty of use,

those were not the main objectives of

the survey.

In the next three years, BTS

anticipates surveys in two areas—

products and services. The product

survey is a continuation of the CSS and

PES and will sample the population of

BTS customers who have ordered BTS

products. The survey will obtain

information on overall levels of

customer satisfaction, technical

preferences, and informational needs of

customers. In addition, it will obtain

feedback from customers on specific

BTS products.

The services surveys will provide BTS

with feedback on the services it

provides to the general public and to

other agencies in the Department of

Transportation. Through these surveys,

BTS will obtain feedback on the quality,

completeness, utility, responsiveness,

and timeliness of its Statistical

Information Line, National

Transportation Library, website, and

BTS-sponsored workshops.

Burden Statement: The total annual

respondent burden estimate is 1,665

hours. The number of respondents and

average burden hour per response will

vary with each survey.

Public Comments Invited: BTS

requests comments regarding any aspect

of this information collection,

including, but not limited to: (1) The

necessity and utility of the information

collection for the proper performance of

the functions of the Bureau of

Transportation Statistics; (2) the

accuracy of the estimated burden; (3)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the collected information; and

(4) ways to minimize the collection

burden without reducing the quality of

the collected information, including the

use of automated collection techniques

or other forms of information

technology. BTS will summarize the

comments submitted in response to this

notice in its request for OMB clearance.

Susan Lapham,

Acting Associate Director for Statistical

Programs and Services.

[FR Doc. 00–2676 Filed 2–4–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–FE–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Fiscal Service

Surety Companies Acceptable on

Federal Bonds: Gerling Global

Reinsurance Corporation of America

AGENCY: Financial Management Service,

Fiscal Service, Department of the

Treasury.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This is Supplement No. 12 to

the Treasury Department Circular 570;

1999 Revision, published July 1, 1999,

at 64 FR 35864.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Surety Bond Branch at (202) 874–6779.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A

Certificate of Authority as an acceptable

reinsurer on Federal bonds is hereby

issued to the following Company under

31 U.S.C. 9304 to 9308. Federal bondapproving officers should annotate their

reference copies of the Treasury Circular

570, 1998 Revision, on page 35895 to

reflect this addition: Gerling Global

Reinsurance Corporation of America.

Business address: 717 Fifth Avenue,

New York, NY 10022. Phone: (212) 754–

7500. Underwriting Limitation b/:

$34,265,000. Incorporated in: New York.

Certificates of Authority expire on

June 30 each year, unless revoked prior

to that date. The Certificates are subject

to subsequent annual renewal as long as

the companies remain qualified (31 CFR

Part 223). A list of qualified companies

is published annually as of July 1 in

Treasury Department Circular 570, with

details as to underwriting limitations,

areas in which licensed to transact

surety business and other information.

The Circular may be viewed and

downloaded through the Internet at

5930 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 25 / Monday, February 7, 2000 / Notices

http://www.fms.treas.gov/c570/

index.html. A hard copy may be

purchased from the Government

Printing Office (GPO) Subscription

Service, Washington, DC, Telephone

(202) 512–1800. When ordering the

Circular from GPO, use the following

stock number: 048000–00527–6.

Questions concerning this Notice may

be directed to the U.S. Department of

the Treasury, Financial Management

Service, Financial Accounting and

Services Division, Surety Bond Branch,

3700 East-West Highway, Room 6A04,

Hyattsville, MD 20782.

Dated: January 24, 2000.

Wanda J. Rogers,

Director, Financial Accounting and Services

Division, Financial Management Service.

[FR Doc. 00–2603 Filed 2–4–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4810–35–M

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS

AFFAIRS

Cost-of-Living Adjustments and

Headstone or Marker Allowance Rate

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: As required by law, the

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is

hereby giving notice of cost-of-living

adjustments (COLAs) in certain benefit

rates and income limitations. These

COLAs affect the pension, parents’

dependency and indemnity

compensation (DIC), and spina bifida

programs. These adjustments are based

on the rise in the Consumer Price Index

(CPI) during the one year period ending

September 30, 1999. VA is also giving

notice of the maximum amount of

reimbursement that may be paid for

headstones or markers purchased in lieu

of Government-furnished headstones or

markers in Fiscal Year 2000, which

began on October 1, 1999.

DATES: These COLAs are effective

December 1, 1999. The headstone or

marker allowance rate is effective

October 1, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul

Trowbridge, Consultant, Compensation

and Pension Service (212A), Veterans

Benefit Administration, Department of

Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue,

NW., Washington, DC 20420, (202) 273–

7218.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under

former 38 U.S.C. 2306(d), VA was

authorized to provide reimbursement

for the cost of non-Government

headstones or markers at a rate equal to

the lesser of the actual cost of the nonGovernment headstone or marker or the

average actual cost of Governmentfurnished headstones or markers during

the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year

in which the non-Government

headstone or marker was purchased.

Section 8041 of Pub. L. 101–508

amended 38 U.S.C. 2306(d) to eliminate

the payment of the monetary allowance

in lieu of VA-provided headstone or

marker for deaths occurring on or after

November 1, 1990. However, in a

precedent opinion (O.G.C. Prec. 17–90),

VA’s General Counsel held that there is

no limitation period applicable to

claims for benefits under the provisions

of 38 U.S.C. 2306(d).

The average actual cost of

Government-furnished headstones or

markers during any fiscal year is

determined by dividing the sum of VA

costs during that fiscal year for

procurement, transportation, and

miscellaneous administration,

inspection and support staff by the total

number of headstones and markers

procured by VA during that fiscal year

and rounding to the nearest whole

dollar amount.

The average actual cost of

Government-furnished headstones or

markers for Fiscal Year 1999 under the

above computation method was $90.

Therefore, effective October 1, 1999, the

maximum rate of reimbursement for

non-Government headstones or markers

purchased during Fiscal Year 2000 is

$90.

Cost of Living Adjustments

Under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.

5312 and section 306 of Pub. L. 95–588,

VA is required to increase the benefit

rates and income limitations in the

pension and parents’ DIC programs by

the same percentage, and effective the

same date, as increases in the benefit

amounts payable under title II of the

Social Security Act. The increased rates

and income limitations are also required

to be published in the Federal Register.

The Social Security Administration

has announced that there will be a 2.4

percent cost-of-living increase in Social

Security benefits effective December 1,

1999. Therefore, applying the same

percentage and rounding up in

accordance with 38 CFR 3.29, the

following increased rates and income

limitations for the VA pension and

parents’ DIC programs will be effective

December 1, 1999:

TABLE 1.—IMPROVED PENSION

Maximum annual rates

(1) Veterans permanently and totally disabled (38 U.S.C. 1521):

Veteran with no dependents, $8,989

Veteran with one dependent, $11,773

For each additional dependent, $1,532

(2) Veterans in need of aid and attendance (38 U.S.C. 1521):

Veteran with no dependents, $14,999

Veteran with one dependent, $17,782

For each additional dependent, $1,532

(3) Veterans who are housebound (38 U.S.C. 1521):

Veteran with no dependents, $10,987

Veteran with one dependent, $13,771

For each additional dependent, $1,532

(4) Two veterans married to one another, combined rates (38 U.S.C. 1521):

Neither veteran in need of aid and attendance or housebound, $11,773

Either veteran in need of aid and attendance, $17,782

Both veterans in need of aid and attendance, $23,168

Either veteran housebound, $13,771

Both veterans housebound, $15,770

One veteran housebound and one veteran in need of aid and attendance, $19,777

For each dependent child, $1,532

(5) Surviving spouse alone and with a child or children of the deceased veteran in custody of the surviving spouse (38 U.S.C. 1541):

Surviving spouse alone, $6,026

Surviving spouse and one child in his or her custody, $7,891