Department of Veterans Affairs April 2011 – 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 new collection and allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments for information needed to obtain medical evidence to adjudicate a claim for disability benefits.

As required by law, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hereby gives notice that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, under the authority granted by the Persian Gulf War Veterans Act of 1998, has determined that there is no basis to establish any new presumptions of service connection at this time for any of the diseases, illnesses, or health effects discussed in the September 12, 2006, and April 9, 2010, reports of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), respectively titled Gulf War and Health, Volume 4: Health Effects of Serving in the Gulf War (Volume 4) and Gulf War and Health, Volume 8: Update of Health Effects of Serving in the Gulf War (Volume 8).

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, will submit 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 it includes the actual data collection instrument.

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) 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 on information needed to process a claimant's civil rights discrimination complaint.

The Secretary of VA intends to enter into an amendment to extend the term of the existing EUL with Amelang Partners, LLC (lessee) at the Michael E. DeBakey VAMC in Houston, Texas. VA proposes to extend the term of the existing lease from 35 years to 75 years. The lessee will continue to lease approximately 8.18 acres of land at the VAMC, and finance, design, develop, construct, operate, manage, and maintain a mixed-use facility on the VAMC campus. In return for VA granting the EUL extension, the lessee will (a) convey to VA an approximately 7.64 acre parking lot currently serving VA, and (b) at commencement of the 40-year extension, pay VA fair market value of the aforementioned 8.18 acres of land, based on an appraisal of the underlying land and improvements. The lessee shall bear full financial and legal responsibility to redevelop and maintain the property as a mixed-use property at no cost to VA. VA plans to use the additional lease consideration from the anticipated 40-year lease extension to serve Veterans at the Michael E. DeBakey VAMC.