Agency Information Collection: Collection (Requirement To Present Certain Health Information for a Service Dog, 81883 [2015-32954]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 251 (Thursday, December 31, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 81883]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32954]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[OMB Control No. 2900-0831]


Agency Information Collection: Collection (Requirement To Present 
Certain Health Information for a Service Dog

AGENCY: Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA), 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 and allow 60 days for public comment 
in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on the 
information needed for Veterans, Veteran Representatives and health 
care providers to request reimbursement from the federal government for 
emergency services at a private institution.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 1, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the collection of information 
through www.Regulations.gov, or to Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attn: VA Desk Officer; 725 
17th St. NW., Washington, DC 20503 or sent through electronic mail to 
oira_submission@omb.eop.gov. Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-
0831'' in any correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Crystal Rennie, Enterprise Records 
Service (005R1B), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20420, (202) 632-7492 or email 
crystal.rennie@va.gov. Please refer to ``OMB Control No. 2900-0831''.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Requirement to Present Certain Health Information for a 
Service Dog under 38 CFR 1.218(a)(11)
    OMB Control Number: 2900-0831.
    Type of Review: Emergency.
    Abstract: Pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 901, VA may prescribe rules to 
provide for the maintenance of law and order and the protection of 
persons and property on VA property. VA implements this authority in 
regulations at 38 CFR 1.218 pertaining to security and law enforcement. 
This final rule will amend Sec.  1.218(a)(11) to require VA facilities 
to permit service animals on VA property consistent with 40 U.S.C. 3103 
(section 3103) and Public Law 112-154, Sec.  109, 126 Stat. 1165 (2012) 
(section 109). Section 3103(a) provides that guide dogs or other 
service animals accompanying individuals with disabilities and 
especially trained for that purpose shall be admitted to any building 
or other property owned or controlled by the Federal Government on the 
same terms and conditions, and subject to the same regulations, as 
generally govern the admission of the public to the property. Section 
109 provides that VA specifically may not prohibit the use of a covered 
service dog in any VA facility, on any VA property, or in any facility 
or on any property that receives funding from VA, and further defines a 
covered service dog as a service dog that has been trained by an entity 
that is accredited by an appropriate accrediting body that evaluates 
and accredits organizations which train guide or service dogs. Current 
38 CFR 1.218(a)(11), however, reads that dogs and other animals, except 
seeing-eye dogs, shall not be brought upon property except as 
authorized by the head of the facility or designee. Our current 
regulation can be interpreted to allow the head of a VA facility or 
designee to bar access to all animals other than seeing-eye dogs, which 
is inconsistent with both section 3103(a) and section 109. We therefore 
revise our regulation to be consistent with the requirements in section 
3103(a) and section 109. The collection associated with this regulation 
revision only applies to those service dogs that would be staying on VA 
property with a Veteran for extended periods of time while that Veteran 
is being treated in a residential treatment setting. This collection is 
not associated with the basic entry of a service dog generally on VA 
property. This collection is also associated with the entry of Animal 
Assisted Therapy and Animal Assisted Activity animals on VA property, 
and residential animals on VA residential units.
    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 80 FR 49157 on August 17, 2015.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 125 burden hours.
    Estimated Average Burden per Respondent: 5 minutes.
    Frequency of Response: Annually.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,500.

    By direction of the Secretary.
Crystal Rennie,
Department Clearance Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2015-32954 Filed 12-30-15; 8:45 am]
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