Federal Regulations Significant to Veterans [April 2006]

• Joint Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development and Clinical Science Research and Development Services Scientific Merit Review Board; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on April 18, 2006, that the subcommittees of the Joint Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development and Clinical Sciences Research and Development Services Scientific Merit Review Board will meet during May and June 2006, in Washington, DC and the surrounding area. The subcommittees will review investigator-initiated research proposals submitted for merit review consideration and provide advice on research program priorities and policies.
  Contact: LeRoy G. Frey, PhD, Chief, Program Review (121F), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 254-0288.

• Voluntary Services National Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on April 18, 2006, that the Voluntary Services National Advisory Committee will meet on May 3 and 6, 2006, in Sparks, Nevada. The agenda will include a variety of activities and presentations relative to the coordination and promotion of volunteer activities within VA health care facilities.
  Contact: Laura Balun, Designated Federal Officer, Voluntary Service Office (10C2), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-8952.

• Notice of Funds Availability: Inviting Applications for Section 601 Loan Guarantees for Multifamily Transitional Housing - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on April 12, 2006, to announce the availability, submission requirements, and deadlines to submit applications for the VA Multifamily Transitional Housing Loan Guarantee Program. This is a pilot program, which authorizes VA to guarantee up to 15 loans with an aggregate value of $100 million to develop or implement housing and supportive services for homeless veterans. This Notice describes the commitment of program dollars, application process, eligibility requirements, minimum underwriting criteria, and evaluation criteria that VA will employ to select applications to receive a guarantee under the program. The program is authorized under Title 38 U.S.C. 2051, et. seq.
  The Application Package, a detailed manual outlining the standard operating procedures for the program and other program information can be found on the VA Web site: http://www1.va.gov/homeless/page.cfm?pg=8
  Contact: VA Program; telephone: (202) 273-7462; e-mail: Multifamily.Loan@va.gov.

• Advisory Committee on Cemeteries and Memorials, Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on April 10, 2006, that the Advisory Committee on Cemeteries and Memorials scheduled a meeting on April 27 and 28, 2006, in Riverside, California. The Committee will receive updates on various National Cemetery Administration (NCA) issues, to include the impact of veteran demographics on NCA planning and the status of cemetery construction projects; and, the Committee will tour Riverside National Cemetery.
  Contact: Michael Nacincik, Designated Federal Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-5221; e-mail: mike.nacincik @mail.va.gov.

• Board of Veterans' Appeals: Rules of Practice: Public Availability of Board Decisions - Department of Veterans Affairs published a final rule in the Federal Register on April 10, 2006, amending the Rules of Practice of the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) relating to public availability of Board decisions, to set forth the current methods for archiving and retrieving Board decisions for public use. Due to advances in technology, Board decisions issued on or after January 1, 1992, are currently available in redacted form for public inspection and copying on Web sites that are accessible through the Internet. This is an improvement from the past practice of archiving Board decisions in microfiche form with an accompanying index to facilitate public access to the decisions.
  Web Site: http://www.index.va.gov/search/va/bva.html Effective Date: April 10, 2006.
  Contact: Steven L. Keller, Senior Deputy Vice Chairman, Board of Veterans' Appeals (01C), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 565-5978.

• Clinical Science Research and Development Service Cooperative Studies Scientific Merit Review Board; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on April 6, 2006, that the Clinical Science Research and Development Service Cooperative Studies Scientific Merit Review Board scheduled a meeting in Rockville, Maryland, for May 2, 2006. The meeting will feature discussion of qualifications of personnel conducting the studies, staff and consultant critiques of research proposals and similar documents, and the medical records of patients who are study subjects, the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.
  Contact: Dr. Grant Huang, Deputy Director, Cooperative Studies Program (125), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-8539.

• Advisory Committee on Former Prisoners of War; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on April 6, 2006, that the Advisory Committee on Former Prisoners of War scheduled a meeting on April 10 through 12, 2006, in Washington, DC. The agenda includes receiving reports from the Veterans Health Administration and the Veterans Benefits Administration; also, the Committee will receive an update from the Robert E. Mitchell Center for Prisoner of War Studies.
  Contact: Renee L. Szybala, Director, Compensation and Pension Service (21), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420.

• Decorations, Medals, Ribbons, & Similar Devices - The Department of the Army published a final rule in the Federal Register on April 5 2006, that the Army is revising their rule concerning the regulation that prescribes policy, criteria, and administrative instructions concerning individual military awards.
  Effective Date: May 5, 2006.
  Department of the Army Contact: Ms. Denise Harris, U.S. Army Human Resources Command, Military Awards Branch; telephone: (703) 325-9171.

• Veterans' Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Defense published a notice in the Federal Register on April 3, 2006, that the Veterans' Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction will meet on June 8 and 9, 2006, in Austin, Texas. The agenda will include briefings on ``BEIR VII: Epidemiology and Models for Estimating Cancer Risks'' by Dr. Ethel Gilbert: ``Summary of Findings on Beta Dosimetry and Uncertainty From the Academy's Report on Dose Reconstructions for Atomic Veterans'' by Dr. Thomas Gesell; ``NTPR Dose Reconstruction and Veterans Communication Activities'' by Dr. Paul Blake; and ``VA Radiation Claims Compensation Program for Veterans'' by Mr. Thomas Pamperin.
  Advisory Board Contact: The Veterans' Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction hotline: 1-866-657-8237.
  Website: http://vbdr.org/

The numbers listed in this document are not toll-free.

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