Department of Veterans Affairs January 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of a currently approved collection, and allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments for information needed to approve a claimant's request to be released from personal liability on a Government home loan.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-21), this notice announces that the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Department of Veterans Affairs, has submitted the collection of information abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden; it includes the actual data collection instrument.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-21), this notice announces that the Veterans Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), Department of Veterans Affairs, has submitted the collection of information abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden; it includes the actual data collection instrument.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-21), this notice announces that the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs, has submitted the collection of information abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden and includes the actual data collection instrument.

The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of a currently approved collection, and allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments for information needed to determine whether lenders computed the loan amount on interest rate reduction refinancing loans properly.

The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed revision of a currently approved collection and allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments for information needed to determine a claimant's eligibility for work-study benefits.

Section 302 of the Veterans Health Care, Capital Asset and Business Improvement Act of 2003 (Pub. L. 108-170), dated December 6, 2003, authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to appoint chiropractors as permanent full-time title 38 employees under 38 U.S.C. 7401(1). Also appointed under this authority are physicians, dentists, podiatrists, optometrists, nurses, nurse anesthetists, physician assistants and expanded-function dental auxiliaries. Upon successful completion of probationary status as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(b), these title 38 employees may file an appeal to a Disciplinary Appeals Board if they are subjected to major adverse action that is based in whole or in part on a question of professional conduct and competence. As part of its implementation of Public Law 108-170, the Department of Veterans Affairs proposes to revise its Directive and Handbook 5021, Employee/Management Relations, to clarify that chiropractors now have the same right to appeal major adverse actions to Disciplinary Appeal Boards and grieve certain actions as other title 38 employees. The revisions that are the subject of this notice will amend portions of the following regulations: VA Directive 5021, Appendix A, sections A.3, B.1.b.(1), B.2.b, B.2.c., B.4.a-d., and B.4.f. The revisions also would amend the following portions of VA Handbook 5021: Part 1, Chapter 3, section 3.a.; Part III, Chapter 1, section 1, third note to section 2., and sections 3.a., and 3.h.(5); and Part IV, Chapter 3 (title), sections 1.b.(1), 2.b. and 2.c. In some of these sections, the word ``chiropractors'' has been added to a listing of occupations appointed under 38 U.S.C. 7401(1). In the other sections, Public Law 108-170 has been added to an existing list of statutory references. In all cases, the words or phrases that are proposed to be added to the regulations are shown in brackets. Only those sections of the existing regulations that contain proposed changes are included in this notice.

We propose to revise the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Acquisition Regulation (VAAR). We have rewritten much of the VAAR to conform to plain language principles. We are changing many delegations of authority for the purpose of becoming more efficient. We are removing non-regulatory material. We are making changes in format, arrangement, and numbering to make the VAAR parallel to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) as required by the FAR. We are removing provisions that simply restate FAR provisions that are already applicable. This document also proposes to set forth or revise procedures for providing notice and hearing to resolve issues regarding possible violations of the Gratuities clause, establishing qualified products lists, suspending or debarring a contractor, for expediting payments to small businesses, and for reducing or suspending payments upon a finding of contract fraud. We propose to expand the coverage of the VAAR clause on Organizational Conflicts of Interest to cover a broader range of services that may be subject to organizational conflicts of interest. We propose to clarify the scope of certain regulations and to allow use of additional VAAR clauses in commercial item solicitations and contracts, to remove requirements for setting aside construction and architect-engineer solicitations for small businesses that are in conflict with current statute, to remove a requirement to conduct an audit of section 8(a) price proposals that is contrary to current FAR requirements, and to remove a VAAR provision that requested data from offerors on veteran-owned small businesses that has been replaced by a FAR provision. The rule would provide guidance to contracting officers on the types of data that should be requested from a contractor when evaluating the contractor's financial condition. The rule would require the use of the clause on Assignment of Claims in purchase orders, would provide guidance to contracting officers on the criteria for revising the payment due dates for invoices, and would require the use of Alternate I to the clause on Disputes.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), this notice announces that the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Department of Veterans Affairs, has submitted the collection of information abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden and includes the actual data collection instrument.

The invention listed below is owned by the U.S. Government as represented by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and is available for licensing in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 207 and 37 CFR part 404 and/or Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA) Collaboration under 15 U.S.C. 3710a to achieve expeditious commercialization of results of federally funded research and development. Foreign patents are filed on selected inventions to extend market coverage for U.S. companies and may also be available for licensing.

Section 17.101 of Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations sets forth the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical regulations concerning ``reasonable charges'' for medical care or services provided or furnished by VA to a veteran:

The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed revision of a currently approved collection and allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on information needed to determine a veteran's spouse, surviving spouse, or child eligibility for Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits.