OMB2900-0665(29-0309)(5-6-14)

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

VA FORM 29-0309,

DIRECT DEPOSIT ENROLLMENT FORM

2900-0665

A. JUSTIFICATION

1. This form is used by the insured or beneficiary to apply for direct deposit of a Treasury check. The information on the form is required by Public Law 104-134. The expiration date is being added to the form.

2. The data collected on the form is used by the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to initiate direct deposit of an insurance benefit. VA Form 29-0309 is not only used by VA beneficiaries but by living veterans for their active VA life insurance.

3. VA Form 29-0309 will be available on the One-VA web site in a fillable electronic format. VBA is currently hosting this form on a secure server and does not currently have the technology in place to allow for the complete submission of this form. Validation edits are performed to assure data integrity. Efforts within VA are underway to provide a mechanism to allow the information to be submitted electronically with a recognized signature technology. There currently is no utility process in place that will allow the data submitted on this form to be incorporated with an existing centralized legacy database.

4. The information is not contained in any other VA records. Similar information is not available elsewhere.

5. The information does not involve any small businesses.

6. This form is designed for use by the insured or beneficiary to establish his/her eligibility for direct deposit.

7. There are no special circumstances requiring that the collection of information be conducted in a manner inconsistent with the guidelines in 5 CFR Section 1320.6.

8. The Department notice was published in the Federal Register on April 16, 2014, Volume 79, Number 73, Page 21519. No comments were received in response to this notice.

9. The information collected is supplied by the respondent. No remuneration is made.

10. The information collection conforms with the Privacy Act of 1974 and is subject to the conditions of disclosure contained therein. The records are maintained in the system identified as 36VA00, “Veterans and Armed Forces Personnel United States Government Life Insurance Records - VA” as contained in the Privacy Act Issuances, 1993 Compilation.

11. There are no questions of a sensitive nature.

12. Estimate of Information Collection

a. Number of Respondents: 30,000

b. Frequency of Response: On occasion

c. Annual Burden Hours: 10,000 Burden Hours

d. Estimated Completion Time: 20 minutes

e. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Average Hourly Earnings, the cost to the respondent is $24, making the total cost to the respondents an estimated $240,000. 10,000 burden hours X $24 per hour).

13. This submission does not involve any record keeping costs.

14. Cost to Government:

$26,970.00 Estimated mailing cost (30,000 X 2 minutes per

form X $15.51/hour (average salary for station

mail personnel) plus 30,000 X 38.2 cents each

(presort discount)).

$13,980.00 Estimated cost for collections (30,000 X 2 minutes

per X $13.98/hour (average salary of station collections

personnel)).

$99,150.00 Estimated cost for processing (30,000 forms X 10

minutes per form X $19.83/hour (average salary

for reviewers)).

$900.00 Estimated printing costs (30,000 X $30/1,000 forms).

$141,000.00 Total cost to the Government.

15. There have not been any program changes or adjustments. The expiration date is being added to the form.

16. The information is collected for insurance purposes only and there are no plans for publication.

17. We are not seeking approval to omit the expiration date for OMB approval.

18. This submission does not contain any exceptions to the certification statement.

B. Collection of Information Employing Statistical Methods

This collection of information does not employ statistical methods.