11948 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 49 / Thursday, March 13, 1997 / Notices

UNITED STATES INFORMATION

AGENCY

New Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: United States Information

Agency.

ACTION: Request OMB emergency

approval: Certificate of eligibility for

exchange visitor status (J–1 Visa).

The United States Information Agency

has submitted the following information

collection request (ICR) requesting

emergency review procedures to the

Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) for review and clearance in

accordance with the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 [Public Law 104–

13; 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. OMB

approval has been requested by March

14, 1997. If granted the emergency

approval is only valid for 180 days.

During the first 60 days of this same

period a regular review of this

information collection is also being

undertaken. Comments are encouraged

and will be accepted until May 12, 1997

concerning the public use form entitled

‘‘Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange

Visitor Status (J–1 Visa)’’. Comments are

requested concerning: (a) whether the

proposed collection of information is

necessary for the proper performance of

the agency, including whether the

information has practical utility; (b) the

accuracy of the Agency’s burden

estimates; (c) ways to enhance the

quality, utility, and clarity of the

information collected and (d) ways to

minimize the burden of the collection of

information on the respondents,

including the use of automated

collection techniques or other forms of

information technology.

Send comments regarding this burden

estimate or any other aspect of this

collection of information to the United

States Information Agency, M/ADD, 301

Fourth Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.

20547; and to the Office of Information

and Regulatory Affairs, Office of

Management and Budget, New

Executive Office Building, Docket

Library, Room 10202, NEOB,

Washington, D.C. 20503.

SUMMARY: In cooperation with the U.S.

Information Agency (USIA), the

Immigration and Naturalization Service

(INS), was mandated by Congress under

Public Law, 104–208, Subtitle D,

Section 641 of the Illegal Immigration

Reform and Immigrant Responsibility

Act of 1996, to implement a pilot

program by which institutions of higher

education and designated exchange

visitor programs may electronically

generate and submit this collection of

information to administer and monitor

nonimmigrant exchange visitor status by

the INS and USIA on a regular basis.

The statutory time-line for

implementation of this pilot program

mandated by the Attorney General

requires an emergency review of this

information collection. The pilot

program is scheduled to commence on

April 7, 1997.

In addition, this program is conducted

pursuant to the mandate given to USIA

under the terms and conditions of the

Mutual Educational and Cultural

Exchange Act of 1961, Title 22 Code of

Federal Regulations (CFR), Section 514,

Exchange Visitor Program, Final Rule;

and Title 8, Section 101(a)(15) of the

Immigration and Nationality Act.

COPIES: Copies of the Request for

Clearance (OMB 83–I), supporting

statement, and other documents that

have been submitted to OMB for

approval may be obtained from the

USIA Clearance Officer. Comments

should be submitted to the Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs of

OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for USIA,

and also to the USIA Clearance Officer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Agency Clearance Office, Ms. Jeannette

Giovetti, United States Information

Agency, M/ADD, 301 Fourth Street,

S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547,

telephone (202) 619–4408; and OMB

review: Ms. Victoria Wassmer, Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs,

Office of Management and Budget, New

Executive Office Building, Docket

Library, Room 10202, NEOB,

Washington, D.C. 20503, Telephone

(202) 395–3176.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public

reporting burden for this new collection

of information is estimated to average 30

minutes per response, including the

time for reviewing instructions,

searching existing data sources,

gathering and maintaining the data

needed, and completing and reviewing

the collection of information.

Title: ‘‘Certificate of Eligibility for

Exchange Visitor Status’’, (J–1 Visa).

Form Number: IAP–66P.

Abstract: This form will be used to

electronically collect and submit

information in a limited pilot

environment from non-immigrant

exchange visitors participating in

exchange visitor programs in the U.S. in

order that INS and USIA can monitor

the exchange visitors nonimmigrant

status and ensure that the exchange

visitors do not violate the conditions

imposed by their nonimmigrant status

while participating in an exchange

visitor program.

Proposed Frequency of Responses:

No. of Respondents—10,000;

Recordkeeping Hours—.50;

Total Annual Burden—20,000.

Dated: March 6, 1997.

Rose Royal,

Federal Register Liaison.

[FR Doc. 97–6257 Filed 3–12–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8230–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS

AFFAIRS

Proposed Information Collection

Activity; Public Comment Request

AGENCY: Veterans Benefits

Administration, Department of Veterans

Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort

to reduce paperwork and respondent

burden, Veterans Benefits

Administration (VBA) invites the

general public and other Federal

agencies to comment on this

information collection. This request for

comment is being made pursuant to the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.

L. 104–13; 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

Comments should address the accuracy

of the burden estimates and ways to

minimize the burden including the use

of automated collection techniques or

the use of other forms of information

technology, as well as other relevant

aspects of the information collection.

DATES: Written comments and

recommendations on the proposal for

the collection of information should be

received on or before May 12, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments

to Nancy J. Kessinger, Veterans Benefits

Administration (20S52), Department of

Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue,

NW, Washington, DC 20420. All

comments will become a matter of

public record and will be summarized

in the VBA request for Office of

Management and Budget (OMB)

approval. In this document VBA is

soliciting comments concerning the

following information collection:

OMB Control Number: 2900–0465.

Title and Form Numbers: Student

Verification of Enrollment, VA Forms

22–8979 and 22–8979–1.

(Note: VA Forms 22–8979 and 22–8979–1

collect the same information. VA Form 22–

8979 is electronically generated for monthly

mailings while VA Form 22–8979–1 is

printed and distributed to VA regional offices

for individual use.)

Type of Review: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Need and Uses: The form is used by

students in certifying attendance and

continued enrollment in courses leading