Federal Regulations Significant to Veterans [February 2006]

• Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans, Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on February 28, 2006, that the Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans will meet on March 30 and 31, 2006, in Baltimore, MD. The Committee will receive reports from program experts, assess the availability of health care and benefit services, receive reports from other federal departments and advocacy groups and review other initiatives designed to assist veterans who are homeless.
  Contact: Pete Dougherty, Designated Federal Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-5764.

• Administration of VA Educational Benefits--Centralized Certification - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a withdrawal of a proposed rule (published in the Federal Register on June 30, 2003) and promulgation of a new proposed rule in the Federal Register on February 22, 2006, on the same subject. The new proposed rule would amend Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rules governing certification of enrollment in approved courses for the training of veterans and other eligible persons under education benefit programs VA administers. Under this new proposed rule, VA would permit educational institutions with multi-state campuses to submit certifications to VA from a centralized location.
  Comments Deadline: April 24, 2006.
  Address: Director, Office of Regulations Management (02D), Room 1068, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; or fax comments to (202) 273-9026; or e-mail comments through: http://www.Regulations.gov. Comments should indicate that they are submitted in response to ``RIN 2900-AL43.''
  Contact: Lynn M. Nelson, Education Advisor, Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs (225C), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-7294.

• Veterans and Dependents Education: Topping-Up Tuition Assistance; Licensing and Certification Tests; Duty To Assist Education Claimants - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a proposed rule in the Federal Register on February 22, 2006, to amend the regulations governing various aspects of the education programs the Department of Veterans Affairs administers, in order to implement some provisions of the Veterans Benefits and Health Care Improvement Act of 2000, the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001, and the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 that affect those programs. Specifically, these statutory provisions include provisions for payment, under Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance, the Post-Vietnam Era Veterans' Educational Assistance Program, and the Montgomery GI Bill--Active Duty, for the cost of taking tests for licensure or certification. They also include provisions for payment under the Montgomery GI Bill--Active Duty of the difference between the portion of tuition and expenses covered by tuition assistance programs administered by the various military departments and the actual charges made by educational institutions.
  Comments Deadline: April 24, 2006.
  Address: Director, Office of Regulations Management (02D), Room 1068, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; or fax comments to (202) 273-9026; or e-mail comments through: http://www.Regulations.gov. Comments should indicate that they are submitted in response to ``RIN 2900- AK80.''
  Contact: Lynn Nelson, Education Advisor (225C), Education Service, Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-7187.

• Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a notice in the Federal Register on February 17, 2006, that the Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission scheduled a meeting for March 16 and 17, 2006, in Washington, DC. The agenda will include updates on the progress of the studies being conducted by the Center for Naval Analyses and the Institute of Medicine, a report of the Commission's first site visit to Florida, an overview of the Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training program, VA's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program, the Veterans Health Administration's Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers, and the Military Seriously Injured Center as well as the Serious Injured Programs of the service branches.
  Contact: Ray Wilburn, Executive Director, Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission, 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 20004; e-mail: veterans@vetscommission.intranets.com.

• Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a notice in the Federal Register on February 17, 2006, that the Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission has scheduled a town hall meeting for March 6, 2006, in San Antonio, Texas.
  The Commission is conducting the second of eight fact-finding, data-gathering site visits throughout the United States. The San Antonio area was selected based on criteria that included the concentration of veterans, active-duty service members and National Guard and Reserves, and the location of Veterans Benefits Administration, Veterans Health Administration, and Department of Defense facilities, with particular interest in transition activities. The goal of this visit is to allow the commissioners the opportunity to tour local Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense facilities; examine the processes in place which assist disabled veterans and service members, and survivors in their efforts to obtain benefits and to present these individuals and the general public with an opportunity to learn about the work of the Commission and to offer comments in face-to-face forums.
  Contact: Ray Wilburn, Executive Director, Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission, 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 20004; e-mail: veterans@vetscommission.intranets.com.

• Active Duty Service Determinations for Civilian or Contractual Groups - The Department of the Air Force (USAF) published a notice in the Federal Register on February 15, 2006, that the service of the group known as ``North Korean Civilian Partisans Recruited, Trained, and Commanded for Military Operations by the U.S. Eighth Army, 8240th Army Unit Far East Liaison Detachment, on the Korean Peninsula and Accompanying Islands from January 15, 1951, Through July 27, 1953'' shall not be considered ``active duty'' for purposes of all laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
  USAF Contact: Mr. James D. Johnston at the Secretary of the Air Force Personnel Council (SAFPC), 1535 Command Drive, EE Wing, 3rd Floor, Andrews AFB, MD 20762-7002.

• Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a notice in the Federal Register February 14, 2006, that the Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board will meet on February 27 through March 2, 2006, in Washington, DC. The meeting will be open to the public for the discussion of administrative matters, the general status of the program and the administrative details of the review process. The meeting will be closed on February 27 and March 1 from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and on February 28 and March 2 from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for the Board's review of research and development applications.
  Contact: Dr. Denise Burton, Federal Designated Officer, Portfolio Manager, Rehabilitation Research and Development Service (122P), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20480; telephone: (202) 254-0268.

• Advisory Committee on Women Veterans; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on February 14, 2006, that the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans will meet on March 20 through 23, 2006, in Washington, DC. The agenda will include briefings on initiatives of the Veterans Health Administration, updates from the Veterans Benefits Administration, a roundtable discussion of VA's Women Veterans Health Program, an update on activities of the Center for Women Veterans, briefings and updates on issues related to the National Cemetery Administration, the Center for Veterans Enterprise, and initiatives of VA's homeless programs.
  Contact: Rebecca Schiller at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Center for Women Veterans (OOW), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-6193; fax: (202) 273-7092, or e-mail: OOW@mail.va.gov.

• Filipino Veterans' Benefits Improvements - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a final rule in the Federal Register on February 16, 2006, to amend adjudication regulations to reflect changes made by three Public Laws.
  
  • Public Law 106-377, the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001, changed the rate of compensation payments to certain veterans of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and recognized guerrilla forces, who reside in the United States. Public Law 106-419, the Veterans Benefits and Health Care Improvement Act of 2000, changed the amount of monetary burial benefits that VA will pay to survivors of certain veterans of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and recognized guerrilla forces who lawfully reside in the United States at death. This document additionally implements Public Law 108-183, the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003, and solicits comments on this regulatory amendment only:
  • Public Law 108-183, the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003 added service in the Philippine Scouts as qualifying service for payment of compensation, dependency and indemnity compensation and monetary burial benefits at the full-dollar rate, and provided for payment of dependency and indemnity compensation at the full-dollar rate to survivors of certain veterans of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and recognized guerrilla forces who lawfully reside in the United States.
  Comments Deadline: February 16, 2006.
  Address: Director, Regulations Management (00REG1), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Room 1068, Washington, DC 20420; or fax comments to (202) 273-9026; or e-mail through: http://www.Regulations.gov. Comments should indicate that they are submitted in response to ``RIN 2900- AK65.''
  Contact: Bill Russo, Chief, Regulations Staff, Compensation and Pension Service (211D), Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-7211.

• Eligibility for Health Care Benefits for Certain Filipino Veterans in the United States - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a final rule in the Federal Register on February 9, 2006, to amend VA medical regulations to provide eligibility for VA hospital care, nursing home care, and outpatient services for any Filipino Commonwealth Army veteran, including those recognized by authority of the U.S. Army as belonging to organized Filipino guerilla forces, and for any veteran of the new Philippine Scouts, provided that any such veteran resides in the U.S. and is either a citizen of the U.S. or is lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence. Under this regulatory provision, these certain veterans are eligible for VA hospital care, nursing home care, and outpatient medical services in the United States in the same manner and subject to the same terms and conditions as apply to U.S. veterans.
  Effective Date: March 13, 2006
  Contact: Roscoe Butler, Chief Business Office (163), Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 254-0329.

• Advisory Committee on Special Studies Relating to the Possible Long-Term Health Effects of Phenoxy Herbicides and Contaminants (Ranch Hand Advisory Committee); Notice of Meeting - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a notice in the Federal Register on February 9, 2006, that the Advisory Committee on Special Studies Relating to the Possible Long-Term Health Effects of Phenoxy Herbicides and Contaminants (Ranch Hand Advisory Committee) will meet on February 27, 2006, in Rockville, Maryland. The committee will discuss the following items: (1) Update on the Institute of Medicine's Air Force Health Study Disposition Study and related closure activities; (2) updates from the Air Force on the Viability Study, Compliance Study, Comprehensive Study, Mortality Update, Technical Reports, and External Collaborations.
  FDA Contact: Leonard Schechtman, National Center for Toxicological Research (HFT-10), Food and Drug Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, 301-827-6696, or FDA Advisory Committee Information Line, 1-800-741-8138; code 3014512560.

• President's National Hire Veterans Committee; Notice of Open Meeting - The Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) of the Department of Labor published a notice in the Federal Register on February 7, 2006, that the President's National Hire Veterans Committee will meet on February 23, 2006, in Jacksonville, Florida. The committee will discuss raising corporate awareness as to the advantages of hiring veterans.
  Effective date: January 18, 2006.
  Department of Labor Contact: Bill Offutt; telephone: (202) 693-4717.

• Informed Consent for Patient Care - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a proposed rule in the Federal Register, February 1, 2006, to amend VA medical regulations on informed consent. The proposed rule authorizes VA to designate additional categories of health care professionals to obtain informed consent and sign the consent form.
  Comments Deadline: April 3, 2006.
  Address: Director, Regulations Management (00REG1), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Room 1068, Washington, DC 20420; or fax comments to (202) 273-9026; or e-mail through: http://www.Regulations.gov. Comments should indicate that they are submitted in response to ``RIN 2900- AM21.''
  Contact: Ruth Cecire, PhD, Policy Analyst, Ethics Policy Service, National Center for Ethics in Health Care (10E), Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 501-2012.

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