Agency Information Collection Activity: Verification of VA Benefits

AGENCY:

Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, this notice announces that the Veterans Benefits Administration, 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:

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function. Refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0406”.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Maribel Aponte, Office of Enterprise and Integration, Data Governance Analytics (008), 1717 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20006, (202) 266-4688 or email maribel.aponte@va.gov. Please refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0406” in any correspondence.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-21.

Title: Verification of VA Benefits, 26-8937.

OMB Control Number: 2900-0406.

Type of Review: Revision to currently approved collection.

Abstract: VA Form 26-8937 is designed to assist lenders and VA in the completion of debt checks in a uniform manner. The form restricts information requested to only that needed for the debt check and also eliminates unlimited versions of lender-designed forms. This form is also occasionally used to inform the lender prior to loan closing if a Veteran is eligible for an exemption from the funding fee.

Lenders ensure the completion of the upper portion of VA Form 26-8937, including the veteran's authorization for release of the information, and forward it to the appropriate VA Office. VA personnel perform the debt check, complete the balance of the form, and return it to the lender, who considers any repayment terms in evaluating the veteran's creditworthiness. Following the closing of any loan, the lender submits the form with the loan report and related documents for post closing review. The form is reviewed by a loan examiner to ensure that debt check requirements have been observed in each case.

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 insert citation date: 87 FR 14100 on March 11, 2022, pages 14100 and 14101.

Affected Public: Individuals and households.

Estimated Annual Burden: 440 hours.

Estimated Average Burden per Respondent: 5 minutes.

Frequency of Response: One-time.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 5,500.