Federal Regulations Significant to Veterans [November 2006]

• Medical: Informed Consent--Extension of Time Period and Modification of Witness Requirement for Signature Consent - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a final rule in the Federal Register, November 28, 2006, to amend VA medical regulations on informed consent, by (1) extending the period of time during which a signed consent form remains valid from 30 to 60 days; and by (2) eliminating the requirement that a third party witness the patient or surrogate and practitioner signing the consent form; except in those circumstances where the patient or surrogate signs with an ``X'' due to a debilitating illness or disability, or because the patient is unable to read or write.
  Effective Date: December 28, 2006.
  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.

• Loan Guaranty: Loan Servicing and Claims Procedures Modifications - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a supplemental notice in the Federal Register on November 27, 2006, regarding a proposal to amend its lLoan Guaranty regulations related to several aspects of the servicing and liquidating of guaranteed housing loans in default, and submission of guaranty claims by loan holders. The supplemental notice provides specific information regarding the computer-based system that VA proposes to implement as part of the loan servicing and claims procedure modifications in this rulemaking. VA is reopening the comment period for the limited purpose of accepting public comments concerning the supplemental information provided in this notice.
  Note: Comments previously received regarding the notice of proposed rulemaking for RIN 2900-AL65, published February 18, 2005 (70 FR 8472), will still be considered in the rulemaking process and do not need to be resubmitted.
  Comments deadline: December 11, 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 through http://www.regulations.gov. Comments should indicate that they are submitted in response to ``RIN 2900- AL65.''
  Contact: Mike Frueh, Assistant Director for Loan Management (261), Loan Guaranty Service, Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-7325.
• Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans, Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on November 24, 2006, that the Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans will meet on December 13 and 14, 2006, at the VA Regional Office in Atlanta, Georgia. The Committee will review the responses to the Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans 2006 report and receive information and reports from the Department of Veterans Affairs and other Federal departments. Also, the Committee will continue to receive reports and begin preparation of its upcoming annual report and recommendations to the Secretary.
  Contact: Pete Dougherty, Designated Federal Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-5764.

• 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 November 20, 2006, that the Joint Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development and Clinical Science Research and Development Services Scientific Merit Review Board will conduct a telephone conference call meeting on December 4, 2006, in Washington, DC. This meeting will focus on the clinical research program and will be open to the public for approximately one hour at the start of the meeting to discuss the general status of the program. The remaining portion of the meeting will be closed to the public for the review, discussion, and evaluation of initial and renewal projects.
  Contact: LeRoy Frey, PhD, Chief, Program Review (121F), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 254-0288.

• Phase-In of Full Concurrent Receipt of Military Retired Pay and Veterans Disability Compensation for Certain Military Retirees - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a final rule in the Federal Register on November 20, 2006, to amend its regulations concurrent receipt of military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation. This final rule implements section 641 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (Public Law 108-136). This law permits certain veterans who are entitled to military retired pay and are receiving disability compensation for a service-connected disability (or a combination of service-connected disabilities) rated at 50 percent or higher to receive disability compensation as well as their military retired pay. The intended effect of the regulation is to clearly state who is eligible for concurrent receipt of disability compensation and military retired pay, who must waive military retired pay to receive disability compensation, and how to file such a waiver.
  Effective Date: November 20, 2006.
  Contact: Maya Ferrandino, Consultant, Regulations Staff (211D), Compensation and Pension Service, Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-7211.

• Veterans' Advisory Committee on Rehabilitation; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a notice in the Federal Register on November 16, 2006, that the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Rehabilitation will meet on December 7 and 8, 2006, in Washington, DC. The Committee agenda will include updates on the Spinal Cord Injury Vocational Support Program, Disabled Transition Assistance Program, Seamless Transition, implementation of the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Task Force recommendations, employment initiatives, and other rehabilitation program initiatives.
  Contact: Jennifer Smith, Designated Federal Officer, Veterans Benefits Administration (28), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-7308

• 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 November 14, 2006, that the Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board will meet on December 11 through 12, 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 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.

• Board of Contract Appeals; The Establishment of The Civilian Board of Contract Appeals and the Termination of The Boards of Contract Appeals of the General Services Administration and the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs - The General Services Administration (GSA) published a notice in the Federal Register on November 9, 2006 regarding consolidation of Federal boards of contract appeals. In section 847 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, Public Law 109-163, Congress established the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (CBCA) within GSA to hear and decide contract disputes involving executive agencies (other than the Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, the Department of the Air Force, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the United States Postal Service, the Postal Rate Commission, and the Tennessee Valley Authority) under the provisions of the Contract Disputes Act of 1978 and regulations and rules issued thereunder. Boards of contract appeals currently exist at the General Services Administration and the departments of Agriculture, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs. Effective January 6, 2007, all of those boards in existence on that date will terminate, and their cases, Board judges, and other personnel will transfer to the new Civilian Board.
  Effective Date: January 6, 2007.
  GSA Contact: Margaret S. Pfunder, Chief Counsel, GSA Board of Contract Appeals; telephone: (202) 501-0272; e-mail: margaret.pfunder@gsa.gov.

• Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on November 1, 2006, that the Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission will meet in Washington, DC, on November 16, 2006. The agenda for the meeting will include updates on the progress of the studies being conducted by the Center for Naval Analyses and the Institute of Medicine. The Commission will receive initial presentations on several draft Issue Papers. The Commission will also review and approve an Issue Paper outlining the Commission's position to recommend lump sum payments be removed from consideration as an option for compensating veterans with disabilities.
  Website: http://www.vetscommission.org/
  Contact: Ray Wilburn, Executive Director, Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission, 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 20004; e-mail: veterans@vetscommission.com.

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