Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed eComments eCollection Requested; Notice of Non-Substantive Change Request to a Previously Approved Collection, 51940 [2016-18582]

Agencies

• Department of Justice

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 151 (Friday, August 5, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 51940]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-18582]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

[OMB Number [1123-0013]]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed eComments 
eCollection Requested; Notice of Non-Substantive Change Request to a 
Previously Approved Collection

AGENCY: Criminal Division, Department of Justice.

ACTION: Notice.

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DATES: The notice is effective August 5, 2016.
SUMMARY: The United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, 
Department of Justice (DOJ), Criminal Division, submitted a non-
substantive change request to an approved collection to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Special Master, United States 
Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, or the Chief, Program 
Management and Training Unit, Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 
Section, Criminal Division, Department of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania 
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20530-0001, telephone (202) 353-2046.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Justice for United States Victims of 
State Sponsored Terrorism Act (Act), part of the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act of 2016, established the U.S. Victims of State 
Sponsored Terrorism Fund (Fund), overseen by a Special Master, to 
provide compensation to certain eligible individuals who were injured 
in acts of state sponsored terrorism. See 42 U.S.C. 10609. The Act 
required the Special Master to publish, within 60 days of his 
appointment by the Attorney General, a notice in the Federal Register 
specifying the procedure by which eligible United States persons may 
apply and establish eligibility for payment. See id. 10609(b)(2)(A). 
Under 42 U.S.C. 10609(c)(3)(A)(i), claimants with eligible final 
judgments and those Iran hostages taken and held hostage from the U.S. 
Embassy in Tehran, Iran, during the period beginning November 4, 1979, 
and ending January 20, 1981, if such person is identified as a member 
of the proposed class in case number 1:00-CV-03110 (EGS) of the United 
States District Court for the District of Columbia, and their spouses 
and children, have 90 days after the publication of the Fund's notice 
in the Federal Register to file an application for payment from the 
Fund. Accordingly, because claimants could apply for payment from the 
Fund upon the date of publication of the notice in the Federal 
Register, and for 90 days thereafter, the Fund developed an Application 
Form to assist with the claim filing.
    On July 7, 2016, the Special Master submitted to OMB an emergency 
information collection request for the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored 
Terrorism Application Form in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995. On July 14, 2016, the Fund published its Notice in the 
Federal Register pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 10609(b)(2). Thus, under 42 
U.S.C. 10609(c)(3)(A)(i), the Fund could begin to accept applications. 
On July 15, 2016, OMB approved the emergency information collection 
request, thereby authorizing the availability and use of the 
Application Form.
    Part V of the Fund's Application Form, titled NOTICE TO INDIVIDUALS 
OF FILING OF CLAIM, specifically references a notice of filing claim 
for use by those applicants filing claims on behalf of deceased 
individuals and states that ``[t]he `Additional Forms' page of the Fund 
Web site contains the notice [the Personal Representative] must provide 
to the required individuals.'' This notice of filing claim is required 
under part VII.2.a of the Fund's Notice published in the Federal 
Register, which requires that ``[a]ny purported Personal Representative 
must, before filing a claim, provide written notice of the claim to the 
immediate family of the decedent; to the executor, administrator, and 
beneficiaries of the decedent's will; and to any other persons who may 
reasonably be expected to assert an interest in an award or to have a 
cause of action to recover damages relating to the wrongful death of 
the decedent.'' The Fund inadvertently did not, however, include the 
notice of filing claim as part of the Application Form and request for 
emergency collection of information for review and approval by OMB. 
Both the emergency collection of information request and the 
Application Form were drafted expeditiously in order to coincide with 
the publication of the Notice in the Federal Register and also to meet 
the other strict statutory time frames in the Act, including being able 
to authorize initial payments by December 18, 2016, in accordance with 
42 U.S.C. 10609(d)(2). Accordingly, on July 28, 2016, the Fund 
submitted a non-substantive change request to OMB for the notice of 
filing claim in order to clarify the already approved collection and 
complete the Application Form. The only aspect of the notice of filing 
claim that effected a change in the information collection was the 
inclusion of a drafted sample notice of filing claim for use by those 
applicants filing an application with the Fund on behalf of a deceased 
individual. The notice of filing claim for use by an applicant is not 
mandatory, but was prepared to assist those applying as Personal 
Representatives of deceased individuals to satisfy the written notice 
requirements in the Fund's Notice published in the Federal Register. 
The inclusion of the notice of filing claim with the Application Form 
did not add substantial burden hours to the information collection and 
was necessary to provide applicants a complete Application Form.
    At present, the Fund is preparing the 60-day notice of information 
collection request to OMB in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995. The notice will allow 60 days for public comment preceding 
submission of the collection to OMB. The notice of filing claim will be 
included as part of that information collection request to OMB.
    If additional information is required contact: Jerri Murray, 
Department Clearance Officer, United States Department of Justice, 
Justice Management Division, Policy and Planning Staff, Two 
Constitution Square, 145 N Street NE., 3E.405B, Washington, DC 20530.

    Dated: August 1, 2016.
Jerri Murray,
Department Clearance Officer for PRA, U.S. Department of Justice.
[FR Doc. 2016-18582 Filed 8-4-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4410-14-P