Federal Regulations Significant to Veterans [July 2007]

• Blue Ribbon Panel On VA-Medical School Affiliations; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a notice in the Federal Register on July 31, 2007, that the Blue Ribbon Panel On VA-Medical School Affiliations scheduled a meeting for September 21, 2007, in Washington, DC. Panelists will review the Department's current affiliations with medical schools and will receive background presentations and issue papers on various topics that are relevant to the Panel's deliberations.
  Contact: Gloria Holland, PhD Special Assistant for Policy and Planning to the Chief Academic Affiliations Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; e-mail: Gloria.Holland@va.gov.

• Veterans' Preference - The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published an interim rule with request for comments in the Federal Register on July 27, 2007, to implement a change to the definition of ``active duty'' contained in Sec. 211.102(f) of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations.
  Effective date: Interim rule effective July 27, 2007; comments must be received on or before September 25, 2007.
  OPM Address: Mark Doboga, Deputy Associate Director for Talent and Capacity Policy, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Room 6551, 1900 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20415-9700; facsimile: (202) 606-2329; e-mail at: employ@opm.gov.
  OPM Contact: Scott Wilander; telephone: (202) 606-0960; facsimile: (202) 606-0390; TTY: (202) 606-3134; e-mail at: scott.wilander@opm.gov.

• Beneficiary Travel Under 38 U.S.C. 111 Within the United States - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a proposed rule in the Federal Register on July 23, 2007, to amend VAbeneficiary travel regulations that provide a mechanism for payment of travel expenses within the United States under 38 U.S.C. 111 to help veterans and other persons obtain care and services from VA's Veterans Health Administration. We propose to revise the regulations to more fully implement the statutory provisions governing such payments.
  Comments Deadline: September 21, 2007.
  Address: Written comments may be submitted through http://www.regulations.gov; , Regulations Management (00REG), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Room 1068, Washington, DC 20420; or fax comments to (202) 273-9026. Comments should indicate that they are submitted in response to ``RIN 2900-AM02--Beneficiary Travel Under 38 U.S.C. 111 Within the United States.''
  Contact: Tony Guagliardo, Chief Business Office, Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 254-0406.

• Reservists' Education: Revision of Eligibility Requirements for the Montgomery GI Bill--Selected Reserve - The Departments of Defense, Homeland Security (Coast Guard), and Veterans Affairs published a final rule in the Federal Register on July 19, 2007, to increase the monthly rates of basic educational assistance payable under the Montgomery G.I. Bill--Selected Reserve program for fiscal years 2005 and 2006 in accordance with statutory requirements, increase the percentage of basic educational assistance payable to reservists pursuing apprenticeship or other on-the-job training in accordance with the Veterans Benefits Act of 2004, and remove obsolete education break-pay provisions.
  Effective Date: July 19, 2007.
  Contact: Brandye Kidd, Management and Program Analyst, Education Service (225C), Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs (225C), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-7420.
  

• Health Services Research and Development Service Merit Review Board; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on July 13, 2007, that the Health Services Research and Development Service Merit Review Board will meet on August 21 through 23, 2007, in Chicago, Illinois. The following subcommittees will convene:
  • Chronic Disease Management
  • Equity/Women's Health
  • General Health Services Research
  • Implementation and Management Research Science
  • Long Term Care and Aging
  • Mental Health and Deployment Health
  • Nursing Research Initiative
  The purpose of Board is to review research and development applications concerned with the measurement and evaluation of health care services, the testing of new methods of health care delivery and management, and nursing research. Applications are reviewed for scientific and technical merit.
  Contact: Scientific Merit Review Program Manager (124R), Health Services Research and Development Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, 1722 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 254-0207.

• Provision of Hospital Care and Medical Services During Certain Disasters or Emergencies - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a proposed rule in the Federal Register on July 12, 2007, to establish regulations regarding the provision of hospital care and medical services under the VA Emergency Preparedness Act of 2002 to individuals responding to, involved in, or otherwise affected by certain disasters or emergencies (including individuals who otherwise do not have eligibility for such care and services).
  Comments Deadline: September 10, 2007.
  Address: Written comments may be submitted through http://www.regulations.gov; , Regulations Management (00REG), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Room 1068, Washington, DC 20420; or fax comments to (202) 273-9026. Comments should indicate that they are submitted in response to ``RIN 2900-AM40--Provision of Hospital Care and Medical Services During Certain Disasters or Emergencies.''
  Contact: Tony Guagliardo, Director, Business Policy, Chief Business Office (163), Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 254-0384.

• Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a notice in the Federal Register on July 11, 2007, that the Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee will meet in Washington, DC on September 19 and 20, 2007. The agenda will include presentations and discussion on VA's aging research activities, update on VA's geriatric workforce (to include training, recruitment and retention approaches), VHA Primary Care and Geriatric Primary Care, recent VHA efforts regarding dementia and delirium, and performance oversight of the VA Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Centers.
  Contact: Marcia Holt-Delaney, Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care (114), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-8540.

• Veterans' Advisory Committee on Environmental Hazards; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on July 11, 2007, that the Veteran's Advisory Committee on Environmental Hazards will meet on July 30 and 31, 2007 in Washington, DC. The agenda will include discussions of medical and scientific papers concerning the health effects of exposure to ionizing radiation. On the basis of the discussions, the Committee may make recommendations to the Secretary concerning the relationship of certain diseases to exposure to ionizing radiation. On July 30, 2007 there will be a presentation by VA's Public Health and Environmental Hazards Office. The July 31, 2007 session will include planning for future Committee activities and assignment of tasks among the members.
  Contact: Bernice Green, Compensation and Pension Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 461-9723; fax: (202) 275-1728.

• Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a notice in the Federal Register on July 10, 2007, that the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses will meet on July 18 and 19, 2007 in Dallas, Texas. The Committee will review VA program activities related to Gulf War veterans' illnesses and updates on relevant scientific research published since the last Committee meeting. Additionally, there will be presentations and discussion of the Gulf War Illnesses Research Program at the University of Texas Southwestern School of Medicine, chronic multisymptom illnesses, mechanisms potentially underlying chronic symptoms affecting Gulf War veterans, and discussion of Committee business and activities.
  Contact: Dr. William Goldberg, Designated Federal Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 254-0294, or Dr. Steele, Scientific Director, at (785) 350-3111, extexsion 54617.

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

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