60-day Federal Register Notice - Actual

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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 27, 2023 / Notices

can attend the meeting via WEBEX by
joining from the meeting link below.
The link will be active from 8 a.m. to
12 p.m. PDT on January 31, 2024, and
from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. PDT on
February 1, 2024.

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS
[OMB Control No. 2900–0932]

Day 1
Veteran Community Oversight and
Engagement Board (VCOEB)
Meeting (January 31–February 1,
2024)
Hosted by Walsh, Margaret K. (ERPI)
https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/
veteransaffairs/
j.php?MTID=m58910f86b693a
33153cc01165f45e6c2
Wednesday, January 31, 2024 8 a.m.
| 4 hours | (UTC–05) Pacific Time
(US & Canada)
Meeting number: 2761 648 5320
Password: CvkBYhd*482
Agenda: TBD
Join by video system
Dial 27616485320@
veteransaffairs.webex.com
You can also dial 207.182.190.20 and
enter your meeting number.
Join by phone
14043971596 USA Toll Number
Access code: 276 164 85320

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Day 2
Veteran Community Oversight and
Engagement Board (VCOEB)
Meeting (January 31–February 1,
2024)
Hosted by Walsh, Margaret K. (ERPI)
https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/
veteransaffairs/
j.php?MTID=med643bde1cd
f2d501fac1d2a5a3236d8
Thursday, February 1, 2024 8 a.m. | 9
hours | (UTC–05) Pacific Time (US
& Canada)
Meeting number: 2760 511 3108
Password: GpDAyH24k*5
Agenda: TBD
Join by video system
Dial 27605113108@
veteransaffairs.webex.com
You can also dial 207.182.190.20 and
enter your meeting number.
Join by phone
14043971596 USA Toll Number
Access code: 276 051 13108
Any member of the public seeking
additional information should contact
Mr. Eugene W. Skinner Jr. at (202) 631–
7645 or at Eugene.Skinner@va.gov.
Dated: December 21, 2023.
Jelessa M. Burney,
Federal Advisory Committee Management
Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023–28546 Filed 12–26–23; 8:45 am]
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Agency Information Collection
Activity: Application for Approval of an
Institution of Higher Learning Facility;
Institution of Higher Learning—
Program Submission List; Application
for Approval of Organizations Other
Than Institutions of Higher Learning;
Non-Institution of Higher Learning—
Program Submission List
Veterans Benefits
Administration, Department of Veterans
Affairs.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:

Veterans Benefits
Administration, Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA), is announcing an
opportunity for public comment on the
proposed collection of certain
information by the agency. Under the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of
1995, Federal agencies are required to
publish notice in the Federal Register
concerning each proposed collection of
information, including each proposed
extension of a currently approved
collection and allow 60 days for public
comment in response to the notice.
DATES: Written comments and
recommendations on the proposed
collection of information should be
received on or before February 26, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments
on the collection of information through
Federal Docket Management System
(FDMS) at www.Regulations.gov or to
Nancy J. Kessinger, Veterans Benefits
Administration (20M33), Department of
Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20420 or email to
nancy.kessinger@va.gov. Please refer to
‘‘OMB Control No. 2900–0932’’ in any
correspondence. During the comment
period, comments may be viewed online
through FDMS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Maribel Aponte, Office of Enterprise
and Integration, Data Governance
Analytics (008), 810 Vermont Ave. NW,
Washington, DC 20420, (202) 266–4688
or email maribel.aponte@va.gov. Please
refer to ‘‘OMB Control No. 2900–0932’’
in any correspondence.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the
PRA of 1995, Federal agencies must
obtain approval from the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for each
collection of information they conduct
or sponsor. This request for comment is
being made pursuant to section
3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA.
With respect to the following
collection of information, VBA invites
SUMMARY:

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comments on: (1) whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of VBA’s
functions, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(2) the accuracy of VBA’s estimate of the
burden of the proposed collection of
information; (3) ways to enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (4)
ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on
respondents, including through the use
of automated collection techniques or
the use of other forms of information
technology.
Authority: Sec. 11, Public Law 117–
333; 38 U.S.C. 3672 and 3674.
Title: Application for Approval of an
Institution of Higher Learning Facility,
VA Form 22–10287; Institution of
Higher Learning—Program Submission
List, VA Form 22–10287a; Application
for Approval of Organizations Other
Than Institutions of Higher Learning,
VA Form 22–10288; Non-Institution of
Higher Learning—Program Submission
List, VA Form 22–10288a.
OMB Control Number: 2900–0932.
Type of Review: Extension.
Abstract: Sec. 11, Public Law 117–
333, enacted January 5, 2023, amended
title 38 U.S.C. 3672, ‘‘Approval of
Courses’’. This provision of the law
required VA to create and design two
new uniform applications and any
accompanying documentation for
approval of courses of educational
programs, and for those forms to be
available for use by October 1, 2023.
The Program Office created those four
forms to meet the amended criteria of 38
U.S.C. 3672.
These forms are completed by
educational institutions, training
establishments and other organizations
seeking approval of one or more
programs of study for the payment of
VA Education benefits rendered to
eligible beneficiaries. The institutions
submit the forms to the State Approving
Agencies (SAAs) of jurisdiction for their
review. By law, each SAA has the
authority to make such approvals in
their respective state. VA contracts with
SAAs in each state for this approval
assessment work.
Prior to the new legislative
requirement, each SAA used their own
application form(s), making it difficult
for training institutions operating in
more than one state to readily complete
the process, as different states required
different information. The amendment
to title 38 U.S.C. 3672 now ensures
uniformity in the program approval
process across all states.
The uniform SAA applications are
used by educational and training

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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 27, 2023 / Notices

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institutions to apply for initial approval
of their programs for payment of VA
benefits; to make revisions of existing
program approvals, or to submit
withdrawals of approved programs no
longer being offered. The institutions
complete either the VA Form 22–10287,
or the VA Form 22–10288, based on the
type of training offered at their
institution.
Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs)
will use the VA Form 22–10287
exclusively, and all other types of
educational training establishments will
use the VA Form 22–10288. Each
institution may use the associated
‘‘Program List’’, VA Form 22–10287a or
VA Form 22–10288a to add, revise, or
remove any program offered. In some
cases, institutions may use their own
documentation to make administrative
revision(s) such as changes of address,
banking information, or ownership
changes, when all program offerings
remain the same.
The VA Forms 22–10287 and 22–
10288, and any associated program list
or documentation are submitted by the
educational or training institution to the
SAA of jurisdiction for review.

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Currently the educational institution
sends the requests for program approval
to the SAAs either via email, direct
mail, an SAA portal, or as directed by
the SAA. The SAA makes an approval
decision and notifies the institution
accordingly. The SAA then sends the
approval package to the VA Education
Liaison Representative (ELR) of
jurisdiction. Program reviews will be
conducted in the near future to
determine the availability of advanced
automation technology for submitting
the applications between educational
and training institutions, SAAs and VA,
which may help to reduce future
burdens.
The approval package includes the
application/form received from the
training institution, the SAA’s findings,
and any additional related information
that supports payment of GI Bill
benefits, as well as a copy of the
notification sent to the training
institution. The VA Education Liaison
Representative (ELR) reviews the
approval package for completeness, or
requests additional information, if
required. After the package is deemed

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complete, the ELR processes the
package by entering the required
information into VA’s internal ‘‘Web
Enabled Approval Management System
(WEAMS)’’. The ELR provides the
report to the training institution, which
contains the final approval information.
The ELR then sends a copy to the SAA
of jurisdiction. Finally, the approval
data entered in WEAMS by the ELR is
then used by Veterans Claims
Examiners to adjudicate education
benefit claims.
Affected Public: Individuals or
Households.
Estimated Annual Burden: 70,400
hours.
Estimated Average Burden Time per
Respondent: 8 hours or 480 minutes.
Frequency of Response: Once.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
8,800.
By direction of the Secretary.
Maribel Aponte,
VA PRA Clearance Officer, Office of
Enterprise and Integration/Data Governance
Analytics, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2023–28364 Filed 12–26–23; 8:45 am]
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