1. An apparatus for encoding video information, the apparatus comprising: a memory configured to store one or more layers of video information, each layer comprising at least one picture; and a processor operationally coupled to the memory and configured to: determine a number of active reference layer pictures associated with at least one picture of the one or more layers; determine a number of direct reference layers associated with the at least one of the one or more layers; determine whether the number of direct reference layers equals the number of active reference layer pictures; and based on the number of direct reference layers equaling the number of active reference layer pictures, refrain from further signaling inter-layer reference picture information in any video slice associated with at least one of a video parameter set (VPS), a sequence parameter set (SPS), or a picture parameter set (PPS).