Department of Veterans Affairs March 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Veterans Affairs, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public to take this opportunity to comment on the ``Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery '' for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et. seq.). This collection was developed as part of a Federal Government-wide effort to streamline the process for seeking feedback from the public on service delivery. This notice announces our intent to submit this collection to OMB for approval and solicits comments on specific aspects for the proposed information collection.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published in the Federal Register on November 14, 2013 (78 FR 68364), a notification delaying the effective date of a final rule that amends the payment methodology for providers of home health services and hospice care. That notification changed the effective date from November 15, 2013, to April 1, 2014. We are now delaying until June 1, 2014, the effective date of the final rule at 78 FR 26250.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending its regulation to reflect a change made by the Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012. If a veteran has been displaced as the result of a natural or other disaster while being paid an allowance, referred to as an employment adjustment allowance, this Act allows the extension of the allowance. This amendment is necessary to conform the regulation to the statutory provision.

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 collection, and allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on information needed to obtain an accurate and comprehensive assessment of satisfaction of patients who receive mental health care services and on outcomes for Veterans who seek mental health treatment from VHA. Data will allow the program office to ensure that the target audience is being reached, effective treatments are being offered, and tangible, quantitative results are being measured and tracked for continual program improvement.

The Department of Veterans Affairs published in the Federal Register on December 3, 2013, a document amending its regulation concerning the manner in which VA determines that a veteran is catastrophically disabled for purposes of enrollment in priority group 4 for VA health care. The Regulation Identifier Number, 2900-AO21, in the heading was typed incorrectly. This document corrects the Regulation Identifier Number.

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 the information needed to accurately reimburse State Approving Agencies (SAAs) for expenses incurred in the approval and supervision of education and training programs.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), 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; it includes the actual data collection instrument.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a direct final rule in the Federal Register on October 22, 2013, amending its regulations related to the VA Dental Insurance Program (VADIP), a pilot program to offer premium-based dental insurance to enrolled veterans and certain survivors and dependents of veterans. Specifically, this rule adds language to clarify the limited preemptive effect of certain criteria in the VADIP regulations. VA received no comments concerning this rule or its companion substantially identical proposed rule published in the Federal Register on October 23, 2013. This document confirms that the direct final rule became effective on December 23, 2013. In a companion document in this issue of the Federal Register, we are withdrawing as unnecessary the proposed rule.

This document adopts as final, without change, an interim final rule published in the Federal Register that amended the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) regulations concerning the sharing of certain patient information in order to implement VA's authority to participate in State Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMP).

Section 203 of the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel Act of 1991 (Pub. L. 102-40), dated May 7, 1991, revised the disciplinary grievance and appeal procedures for employees appointed under 38 U.S.C. 7401(1). It also required the periodic designation of employees of the Department who are qualified to serve on Disciplinary Appeals Boards. These employees constitute the Disciplinary Appeals Board Panel from which Board members in a case are appointed. This notice announces that the roster of employees on the Panel is available for review and comment. Employees, employee organizations, and other interested parties shall be provided, without charge, a list of the names of employees on the Panel upon request and may submit comments concerning the suitability for service on the Panel of any employee whose name is on the list.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), this notice announces that the Office of Public Affairs (OPA), 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 of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a collection of information notice in the Federal Register on January 17, 2014, at 79 FR 3276, announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. The notice solicited comments on information required for National Non-VA Medical Care Program Office to pay eligible caregivers for time spent providing eligible Veterans with specifically defined services such as: bowel and bladder care, showering, shaving, brushing teeth, dressing, transferring to wheelchair, catheterization, undressing, transferring to bed, putting away clothes, etc. With respect to the collection of information in that notice, we are withdrawing our request for comments because of implementation constraints in the use of the form limiting the ability to operationalize at this time. This document withdraws the Notices at 78 FR 52824 (August 26, 2013) and 79 FR 3276 (January 17, 2014).

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a Notice in the Federal Register on October 25, 2013 (78 FR 64065), announcing that we intended to change financial reporting practices requiring annual financial assessments from certain veterans enrolled in the VA health care system. On December 30, 2013 (78 FR 79564), VA announced that it was postponing implementation of this change until a date to be determined, due to delays in modifying computer software. The purpose of this Notice is to notify interested parties that the first phase of this change will be implemented no later than March 31, 2014.