Department of Veterans Affairs February 23, 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is requesting information to assist in implementing the statutory requirements of the Veterans Comprehensive Prevention, Access to Care, and Treatment (COMPACT) Act of 2020. The COMPACT Act mandates VA to establish an interagency task force to be known as the Task Force on Outdoor Recreation for Veterans (Task Force). The Task Force will carry out its duties in consultation with appropriate veterans outdoor recreation groups, and through this request for information, VA seeks comments on various topics from these groups to help inform the work and ultimately the recommendations of the Task Force. This effort aligns with the Administration's America the Beautiful initiative, which seeks to improve opportunities for outdoor recreation and address inequitable access to nature and its benefits. Feedback from the public will also help inform the work ahead.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is proposing to amend and update its VA Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) in phased increments to revise or remove any policy superseded by changes in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), to remove procedural guidance internal to VA into the VA Acquisition Manual (VAAM), and to incorporate any new agency specific regulations or policies. These changes seek to streamline and align the VAAR with the FAR and remove outdated and duplicative requirements and reduce burden on contractors. The VAAM incorporates portions of the removed VAAR as well as other internal agency acquisition policy. VA will rewrite certain parts of the VAAR and VAAM, and as VAAR parts are rewritten, will publish them in the Federal Register. VA will combine related topics, as appropriate. This rulemaking revises VAAR coverage concerning Department of Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation System and Research and Development. It also revises affected parts concerning Definitions of Words and Terms, Required Sources of Supplies and Services, Types of Contracts and Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses.