Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 201 / Thursday, October 17, 2024 / Notices 83759 

business enterprises, and labor surplus 

area firms are used when possible. 

In 2015, Congress instructed the 

Secretary of Transportation to conduct a 

nationwide disparity and availability 

study on the availability and use of 

small businesses owned and controlled 

by socially and economically 

disadvantaged individuals and veteranowned small businesses in publicly 

funded intercity rail passenger 

transportation projects. 

The report for the study was provided 

to Congress in 2022. The report noted a 

gap in data available for analysis to 

determine if there is any disparity in rail 

transportation grant awards. To address 

the data gap identified in the report, 

FRA is proposing to add new form, FRA 

F 6180.281 titled, Small Business (SB) 

Commitments/Awards and Payments. 

The proposed data collection will 

address this gap and aid future 

considerations of the application of the 

DBE program. 

The purpose of FRA F 6180.281 is to 

collect data from grant recipients to 

determine the amount of dollars from 

FRA grants and contracts that flow to 

small, women-owned and 

Disadvantaged Business Enterprises 

(DBE). This would identify all prime 

contractors, sub-contractors, 

consultants, and vendors that FRA grant 

recipients worked with and on which 

they spent grant funds. Additionally, 

the proposed new form, FRA F 6180.281 

‘‘SB Commitments/Awards and 

Payments’’ would be used by FRA to 

carry out its oversight responsibilities of 

non-Federal entities receiving grant 

funds. 

This collection of information aligns 

with DOT’s Strategic Goal of Equity as 

it supports establishing economic equity 

for small businesses owned by 

disadvantaged individuals and 

promoting development opportunities. 

Type of Request: Approval of a new 

collection of information. 

Affected Public: Generally, includes 

States and local governments and 

railroads. 

Form(s): FRA F 6180.281. 

Respondent Universe: 140 grant 

recipients. 

Frequency of Submission: Annually. 

Total Estimated Annual Responses: 

140. 

Total Estimated Annual Burden: 

49,980 hours. 

Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour 

Dollar Cost Equivalent: $2,289,584. 

FRA informs all interested parties that 

it may not conduct or sponsor, and a 

respondent is not required to respond 

to, a collection of information that does 

not display a currently valid OMB 

control number. 

Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501–3520. 

Christopher S. Van Nostrand, 

Deputy Chief Counsel. 

[FR Doc. 2024–23921 Filed 10–16–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 

AFFAIRS 

[OMB Control No. 2900–0717] 

Agency Information Collection Activity 

Under OMB Review: Child Care 

Provider Information—For the Child 

Care Subsidy Program 

AGENCY: Human Resources and 

Administration/Operations, Security, 

and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), 

Department of Veterans Affairs. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 

1995, this notice announces that the 

Human Resources and Administration/ 

Operations, Security, and Preparedness 

(HRA/OSP), 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 and 

recommendations for the proposed 

information collection should be sent by 

November 18, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: To submit comments and 

recommendations for the proposed 

information collection, please type the 

following link into your browser: 

www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, 

select ‘‘Currently under Review—Open 

for Public Comments’’, then search the 

list for the information collection by 

Title or ‘‘OMB Control No. 2900–0717.’’ 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: VA 

PRA information: Maribel Aponte, 202– 

461–8900, vacopaperworkreduact@

va.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Child Care Provider 

Information—For the Child Care 

Subsidy Program. 

OMB Control Number: 2900–0717 

https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/ 

PRASearch. 

Type of Review: Reinstatement with 

change of a previously approved 

collection. 

Abstract: The Department of Veterans 

Affairs (VA) needs to collect 

information from child care providers to 

determine employee eligibility to 

participate in the VA Child Care 

Subsidy Program. 

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 89 FR 

56477, July 9, 2024. 

Affected Public: Individuals or 

Households. 

Estimated Annual Burden: 937 Hours. 

Estimated Average Burden per 

Respondent: 15 Minutes. 

Frequency of Response: On Occasion. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

4,500. 

Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. 

Maribel Aponte, 

VA PRA Clearance Officer, Office of 

Enterprise and Integration, Data Governance 

Analytics, Department of Veterans Affairs. 

[FR Doc. 2024–23925 Filed 10–16–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8320–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 

AFFAIRS 

Dependency and Indemnity 

Compensation Cost of Living 

Adjustments 

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: As required by the Veterans’ 

Compensation Cost-of-Living 

Adjustment Act of 2023, the Department 

of Veterans Affairs (VA) is hereby giving 

notice of Cost-of-Living Adjustments 

(COLA) in certain benefit rates. These 

COLAs affect the Dependency and 

Indemnity Compensation (DIC) 

Program. The rate of the adjustment is 

tied to the increase in Social Security 

benefits, effective December 1, 2023, as 

announced by the Social Security 

Administration (SSA). SSA has 

announced an increase of 3.2%. 

DATES: The increases in amounts 

became effective December 1, 2023. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Gabrielle Mancuso, Lead Management 

and Program Analyst, Pension and 

Fiduciary Service, Veterans Benefits 

Administration, Department of Veterans 

Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, 

Washington, DC 20420; 202–632–8862. 

This is not a toll-free number. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the 

provisions of Public Law 118–6, VA is 

required to increase, effective December 

1, 2023, the benefit rates of DIC 

programs by the same percentage as 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
83760 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 201 / Thursday, October 17, 2024 / Notices 

increases in the benefit amounts payable 

under title II of the Social Security Act. 

VA is required to publish notice of the 

increased rates in the Federal Register. 

SSA has announced a 3.2% COLA 

increase in Social Security benefits 

effective December 1, 2023. Therefore, 

applying the same percentage, the 

following increased rates for the DIC 

program became effective December 1, 

2023: 

Dependency and Indemnity 

Compensation Monthly Payment Rates 

DIC Payable to a Surviving Spouse— 

Veteran Death on or After January 1, 

1993 

Basic Monthly Rate: $1,612.75. 

If at the time of the Veteran’s death, 

the Veteran was in receipt of or entitled 

to receive compensation for a serviceconnected disability rated totally 

disabling (including a rating based on 

individual unemployability) for a 

continuous period of at least 8 years 

immediately preceding death AND the 

surviving spouse was married to the 

Veteran for those same 8 years, add: 

$342.46. 

For each dependent child under the 

age of 18, add: $399.54. 

If the surviving spouse is entitled to 

Aid and Attendance benefits, add 

$399.54. 

If the surviving spouse is entitled to 

Housebound benefits, add $181.17. 

If the surviving spouse has one or 

more children under the age of 18 on 

the award per 38 U.S.C. 1311(f), add the 

2-year transitional benefit of $342.00. 

DIC Payable to a Surviving Spouse— 

Veteran Death Prior to January 1, 1993 

Veteran paygrade Amount payable 

E–1(f) ................................ $1,612.75 

E–2(f) ................................ 1,612.75 

Veteran paygrade Amount payable 

E–3(a,f) ............................. 1,612.75 

E–4(f) ................................ 1,612.75 

E–5(f) ................................ 1,612.75 

E–6(f) ................................ 1,612.75 

E–7(g) ............................... 1,668.49 

E–8(g) ............................... 1,761.43 

E–9(g) ............................... 1,837.07 

E–9(b) ............................... 1,983.09 

W–1(g) .............................. 1,703.03 

W–2(g) .............................. 1,770.71 

W–3(g) .............................. 1,822.47 

W–4(g) .............................. 1,928.66 

O–1(g) ............................... 1,703.03 

O–2(g) ............................... 1,761.43 

O–3(g) ............................... 1,882.19 

O–4 ................................... 1,995.01 

O–5 ................................... 2,195.47 

O–6 ................................... 2,475.55 

O–7 ................................... 2,671.96 

O–8 ................................... 2,934.81 

O–9 ................................... 3,139.21 

O–10 ................................. 3,443.18 

O–10(c) ............................. 3,695.39 

(a) Surviving spouse of Aviation 

Cadet or other service not covered by 

this table is paid the DIC rate for 

enlisted E–3. 

(b) Veteran who served as Sgt. Major 

of the Army or Marine Corps, Senior 

Enlisted Advisor of the Navy, Chief 

Master Sgt. of the Air Force, or Sergeant 

Major of the Marine Corps, or as Master 

Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard. 

(c) Veteran who served as Chairman 

of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Chief of Staff 

of the Army or Air Force, Chief of Naval 

Operations, Commandant of the Marine 

Corps, or as Commandant of the Coast 

Guard. 

(d) If surviving spouse is entitled to 

aid and attendance, add $399.54; if 

entitled to housebound, add $187.17. 

(e) Add $399.54 for each child under 

18. 

(f) Add $342.46 if Veteran rated 

totally disabled for 8 continuous years 

prior to death and surviving spouse was 

married to Veteran those same 8 years. 

(g) Base rate is $1,955.21 if Veteran 

rated totally disabled 8 continuous years 

prior to death and surviving spouse was 

married to Veteran those same 8 years. 

DIC Payable to Children 

Surviving Spouse Entitled 

For each child over the age of 18 who 

is attending an approved course of 

education, the rate is $338.49. 

For each child over the age of 18 who 

is helpless, the rate is $680.94. 

No Surviving Spouse Entitled 

Number of children Total 

payable 

Each child’s 

share 

1 ............................ $680.94 $680.94 

2 ............................ 979.58 489.79 

3 ............................ 1,238.63 426.09 

For each additional child, add 

$242.91 to the total payable amount to 

be paid in equal shares to each child. 

For each additional helpless child 

over 18, add $399.54 to the amount 

payable to the helpless child. 

Signing Authority 

Denis McDonough, Secretary of 

Veterans Affairs, signed and approved 

this document on October 8, 2024, and 

authorized the undersigned to sign and 

submit the document to the Office of the 

Federal Register for publication 

electronically as an official document of 

the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Luvenia Potts, 

Regulation Development Coordinator, Office 

of Regulation Policy & Management, Office 

of General Counsel, Department of Veterans 

Affairs. 

[FR Doc. 2024–23878 Filed 10–16–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8320–01–P 


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