91 FR 38042
PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION
AGENCY:
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
ACTION:
Notice of request for extension of OMB approval of information collection.
SUMMARY:
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) is requesting that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approve, under the Paperwork Reduction Act, a new collection of information. The purpose of the information collection is to obtain information necessary to enroll individuals in the Direct Express debit card program. This notice informs the public of PBGC's request and solicits public comment on the collections of information.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 24, 2026 to be assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES:
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collections should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find these particular information collections by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function. All comments received will be posted without change to PBGC's website, www.pbgc.gov, including any personal information provided. Do not submit comments that include any personally identifiable information (such as name, address, or other contact information) or confidential business information that you do not want publicly disclosed. Comments may be submitted anonymously.
A copy of the request will be posted on PBGC's website at www.pbgc.gov/employers-practitioners/federal-register. It may also be obtained without charge by writing to the Disclosure Division ( disclosure@pbgc.gov ), Office of the General Counsel of PBGC, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024-2101, or, calling 202-229-4040 during normal business hours. If you are deaf or hard of hearing or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Joseph Krettek ( krettek.joseph@pbgc.gov ), Attorney, Office of the General Counsel, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024-2101; 202-229-5507. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The Direct Express card is a prepaid debit card that federal benefit recipients can use to receive their benefits electronically and is administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”). Federal benefit recipients do not need a bank account to sign up for the Direct Express card, and there is no credit check or minimum balance requirement.
Executive Order 14247 (“Modernizing Payments To and From America's Bank Account”), signed on March 25, 2025, requires the transition to electronic payments for all Federal disbursements and collections by digitizing payments to the extent permissible under the law. To comply with Executive Order 14247, PBGC is transitioning its recipients receiving paper checks to receive their benefits electronically. These recipients can do so by providing their bank or credit union information or through using a Direct Express card.
For PBGC to enroll its payees currently receiving paper checks with the Direct Express card, PBGC must collect identifying information needed to set up the account. Those wishing to enroll also must certify that the information provided can be used to establish the Direct Express card account to receive benefit payments. PBGC will use the information it receives and coordinate with Treasury to set up the accounts. Treasury will issue the card authorized to receive PBGC payments to the benefit recipient, and then PBGC will use that account number to pay benefits electronically.
On March 18, 2026, PBGC published in the Federal Register (at 91 FR 13081) a notice informing the public of its intent to request approval of this new collection of information. No comments were received in response to this notice. PBGC intends to request that OMB approve PBGC's use of this form for 3 years. 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.
PBGC estimates that it will receive enrollment forms from approximately 10,000 benefit recipients in the first year, and approximately 2,000 per year in the following years, leading to an average of 4,667 forms per year over the next 3 years. PBGC estimates that it will take 10 minutes and $0 for interested enrollees to complete this form. Therefore, the total annual burden associated with this collection of information is estimated to be 778 hours and $0 each year for the next 3 years.
Joseph Krettek,
Assistant General Counsel, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
[FR Doc. 2026-12648 Filed 6-23-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7709-02-P