Federal Regulations Significant to Veterans [August 2007]

• Advisory Committee on CARES Business Plan Studies, Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a notice in the Federal Register on August 31, 2007, that the Advisory Committee on CARES Business Plan Studies will meet on September 17, 2007 at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, Massachusetts.
  The objective of the meeting is to provide the Secretary with advice regarding the final selection of a healthcare, capital planning and reuse option for the Greater Boston area campuses of the VA New England Healthcare System.
  Contact: Jay Halpern, Designated Federal Officer, (CARES), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-5994; e-mail: jay.halpern@va.gov.

• Special Medical Advisory Group; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on August 31, 2007, that the Special Medical Advisory Group will meet at the Department of Veterans Affairs, in Washington, DC, on October 12, 2007. The agenda for the meeting will include discussion of the Veterans Health Administration's public relations campaign, an update on the budget, an update on information technology security, a briefing on relationships between VA and the Department of Defense, and an update on academic affiliations.
  Contact: Juanita Leslie, Office of Administrative Operations (10B2), Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 461-7019.

• Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a notice in the Federal Register on August 29, 2007, that the Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission will meet in Washington, DC, on September 19 through 21, 2007. The agenda will feature ongoing review, discussions and decisions regarding the Commission's final report.
  Contact: Ray Wilburn, Executive Director, Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission, 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 20004; e-mail: veterans@vetscommission.com.

• National Research Advisory Council; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on August 20, 2007, that the National Research Advisory Council will meet on September 10, 2007, in Washington, DC. The agenda will include a review of the Department of Veterans Affairs research portfolio, a summary of current budget allocations and a discussion of information security. The Council will also provide feedback on the direction and focus of the Department's research initiatives.
  Contact: Jay Freedman, PhD, Office of Research and Development (12), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; e-mail: jay.freedman@va.gov.

• Advisory Committee on the Readjustment of Veterans; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on August 29, 2007, that the Advisory Committee on the Readjustment of Veterans will meet on October 4 and 5, 2007 in Washington, DC. The Committee will be provided an update on the current activities of the Readjustment Counseling Service Vet Center program to serve the veterans from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, a review of the partnership between VA and DOD in ensuring a seamless transition for returning war veterans, strategic planning activities, and drafting recommendations for the Committee's next report to Congress.
  Contact: Charlie M. Flora, M.S.W., Designated Federal Officer, Readjustment Counseling Service, Department of Veterans Affairs (15), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; e-mail at charles.flora@va.gov; telephone: (202) 461-6531.

• Determinations Concerning Illnesses Discussed in National Academy of Sciences Report on Gulf War and Health - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on August 24, 2007,that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, under the authority granted by the Persian Gulf War Veterans Act of 1998, Public Law 105-277, title XVI, 112 Stat. 2681-742 through 2681-749 (codified at 38 U.S.C. 1118), has determined not to establish a presumption of service connection at this time, based on exposure to insecticides or solvents during service in the Persian Gulf during the Persian Gulf War, for any of the diseases, illnesses, or health effects discussed in the February 18, 2003, report of the National Academy of Sciences, titled ``Gulf War and Health, Volume 2. Insecticides and Solvents.'' This determination does not in any way preclude VA from granting service connection for any disease, including those specifically discussed in this notice, nor does it change any existing rights or procedures VA must prove not only that the condition existed prior to entrance into active service, but also that it was not aggravated by the veteran's active service. This amendment reflects a change in VA's interpretation of the statute governing the presumption of sound condition, and is based on a recent opinion of VA's General Counsel as well as a recent decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The intended effect of this amendment is to require that VA, not the claimant, prove that the disability preexisted entrance into military service and that the disability was not aggravated by such service before the presumption of soundness on entrance onto active duty is overcome.
  Contact: David Barrans, Attorney, Office of General Counsel (022), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-6332.

• Disclosure of Information to Organ Procurement Organizations -The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published an interim final rule in the Federal Register on August 23, 2007, to amend VA regulations to implement section 204 of the Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006. This regulatory change will provide authority for VA to provide individually-identifiable VA medical records of veterans or dependents of veterans who are deceased or whose death is imminent to representatives of organ procurement organizations as defined in section 371(b) of the Public Health Service Act, eye banks, and tissue banks to determine whether the patients are suitable potential donors.
  Effective Date: August 23, 2007.
  Contact: Stephania Putt, Veterans Health Administration Privacy Officer, Office of Information (19F2), Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-6332.

• Advisory Committee on OIF/ OEF Veterans and Families; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a notice in the Federal Register on August 21, 2007, that the Advisory Committee on OIF/OEF Veterans and Families will meet at the Department of Veterans Affairs' Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on September 11 through 13, 2007. The agenda for the meeting will include briefings by each of the two subcommittees on recent site visits, an update on recent legislation affecting veterans and veterans' benefits, and an update on recommendations from the President's Task Force on Returning Global War on Terror Heroes.
  Contact: Ronald Thomas, Esquire, Designated Federal Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-5182.

• Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a notice in the Federal Register on August 20, 2007, that the Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission will meet in Washington, DC, on September 5 through 7, 2007. The agenda will feature ongoing review, discussions and decisions regarding the Commission's final report.
  Contact: Ray Wilburn, Executive Director, Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission, 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 20004; e-mail: veterans@vetscommission.com.

• National Research Advisory Council; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on August 20, 2007, that the National Research Advisory Council will meet on September 10, 2007, in Washington, DC. The agenda will include a review of the Department of Veterans Affairs research portfolio, a summary of current budget allocations and a discussion of information security. The Council will also provide feedback on the direction and focus of the Department's research initiatives.
  Contact: Jay Freedman, PhD, Office of Research and Development (12), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; e-mail: jay.freedman@va.gov.

• Advisory Committee on CARES Business Plan Studies, Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a notice in the Federal Register on August 20, 2007, that the Advisory Committee on CARES Business Plan Studies will meet on September 6, 2007 at the West Los Angeles Campus of the Greater Los Angeles Health Care System, in Los Angeles, California.
  The objective of the meeting is to provide the Secretary with advice regarding the final selection of a capital planning option to modernize the West Los Angeles campus of the Greater Los Angeles Health Care System.
  Contact: Jay Halpern, Designated Federal Officer, (CARES), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-5994; e-mail: jay.halpern@va.gov.

• Enhanced-Use Lease for a Mixed-Use Development at the William Jennings Bryan Dorn Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Columbia, South Carolina - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on August 14, 2007, that the Secretary intends to enter into an enhanced-use lease of approximately 26 acres at the William Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Columbia, South Carolina. The selected lessee will finance, design and construct, manage, maintain and operate a mixed-use development, to include expansion of existing facilities at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, a new office building, and a new fire/police station for the City of Columbia. The lessee also would be required to provide the Department with ground rent payments, or at the Department's option, in lieu of a portion of the ground rent, in-kind consideration consisting of clinical/administrative space for use by the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
  Contact: Alan Hackman, Office of Asset Enterprise Management (004B), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-5875.

• Notice of Intent To Grant an Exclusive License - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a notice in the Federal Register on August 8, 2007, that the Office of Research and Development, intends to grant to Preventative Nutrient Company, Incorporated, Northridge, California, an exclusive license to practice the following patent applications: U.S. Patent 7,144,865 entitled ``Compositions and Methods for Treating Obesity''; U.S. Patent Application 5,834,032 entitled ``Compositions and Methods for Treating Diabetes''; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/892,785 entitled ``Compositions and Methods for Treating Alzheimer's Disease.''
  Comments Deadline: Comments must be received within fifteen (15) days from the date of this published Notice.
  Contact: Amy Centanni, Director of Technology Transfer, Department of Veterans Affairs; Office of Research and Development, Attn: 12TT; 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; e-mail: ami.centanni@va.gov; fax: (202) 254-0199.

• Voluntary Service National Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on 8, 2007, that the Voluntary Service National Advisory Committee will meet on October 15 through 16, 2007, in Orlando, Florida. The Committee agenda will include NAC goals and objectives, minutes of the May 2006 meeting, Veterans Health Administration update, update of the Voluntary Service program's progress, concerns since the May 2006 NAC annual meeting, Parke Board update, evaluations of the May 2006 annual meeting, plans for 2007 NAC annual meeting, to include workshops and plenary sessions, 2008 NAC annual meeting planning, recommendations from May 2006 annual meeting, subcommittee reports, standard operating procedure revisions, new business and Executive Committee appointments.
  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.

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

Search the Federal Register on GPO Access