Department of Veterans Affairs 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.

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) established the Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force (GWVI-TF) in August 2009 to focus on full spectrum health care and benefits issues faced by Veterans of the 1990-1991 Gulf War (Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm). The GWVI-TF published its first annual report in September 2010. The GWVI-TF posted a draft of its 2012-13 report for public comment on May 14, 2013. VA published the report in the Federal Register (78 FR 28292) and posted it on a social media Web site created specifically to elicit responses on the report. VA collected comments through both venues. During the thirty day comment period, VA received 41 comments submitted through the Federal Register venue and over 180 comments through the social media Web site. VA sincerely thanks all those who took the time to submit comments. VA has completed its 2012-13 Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force Report. The GWVI-TF reviewed all the comments submitted, and addressed in this report those comments that were directly responsive to the draft report. Comments specifically addressed in this report are annotated accordingly. The comments that were not directly responsive to the draft report will serve as guidance for the VA to consider as it moves forward. Finally, there were a number of individual requests for assistance. Those that contained sufficient specific information were referred to appropriate VA offices for action. Those that were not specific enough or were anonymously submitted will serve as background for consideration on areas for the VA to study in the future.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-21), this notice announces that the National Cemetery Administration, 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 includes the actual data collection instrument.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), this notice announces that the Veterans Benefits Administration, 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 includes the actual data collection instrument.

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.

As required by the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4)), notice is hereby given that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending the system of records entitled ``National Patient Databases- VA'' (121VA10P2) as set forth in 77 FR 27863. VA is amending the system of records by revising the Categories of Records in the System, Purposes, Routine Uses of Records Maintained in the System, Including Categories of Users and the Purposes of Such Uses, System Manager and Address, Notification Procedure, and Record Access Procedure, Records Source Categories and Appendix 4. VA is republishing the system notice in its entirety.

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 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 revision of a current approved collection, and allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments for information needed to determine the long-term outcomes of Veterans participating in VBA's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Program.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), this notice announces that the Veterans Benefits Administration, 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.