Federal Regulations Significant to Veterans [October 2007]

• Joint Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development and Clinical Science Research and Development Services Scientific Merit Review Board; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on October 24, 2007, that the subcommittees of the Joint Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development and Clinical Sciences Research and Development Services Scientific Merit Review Board will meet during November and December 2007, in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The purpose of the Merit Review Board is to provide advice on the scientific quality, budget, safety and mission relevance of investigator-initiated research proposals submitted for VA merit review consideration. Proposals submitted for review by the Board involve a wide range of medical specialties within the general areas of biomedical, behavioral and clinic science research.
  Contact: LeRoy Frey, PhD, Chief, Program Review (121F), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 254-0288.

• Advisory Committee on OIF/ OEF Veterans and Families; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a notice in the Federal Register on October 19, 2007, that the Advisory Committee on OIF/OEF Veterans and Families will meet at the Capitol Hilton Hotel, in Washington, DC on November 6 through 8, 2007. The agenda for the meeting will include Committee deliberations as it begins to draft an interim report to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and consider its work and strategic plans for the future.
  Contact: Ronald Thomas, Esquire, Designated Federal Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-5182.

• Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on October 19, 2007, that the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans will meet on November 5 through 7, 2007, in Arlington, Virginia. The agenda will include briefings and updates on the Center for Minority Veterans, Faith-Based Initiatives, Veterans Health Administration, Mental Health Initiatives, Homeless Veterans Program, Center for Women Veterans, and Statistics of Minority VA Employees, Veterans Benefits Administration, Office of Research and Development, National Cemetery Administration, Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, and an OIF/OEF ``Soldier to Veteran'' panel.
  Contact: Juanita Mullen, Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans, Center for Minority Veterans (00M), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 461-6191; fax: (202) 273-7092; or e-mail at juanita.mullen@va.gov.

• Clinical Science Research and Development Service Cooperative Studies Scientific Merit Review Board; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on October 19, 2007, that the Clinical Science Research and Development Service Cooperative Studies Scientific Merit Review Board scheduled a meeting in Washington, DC, for December 12, 2007. The meeting will deal with qualifications of personnel conducting the studies, staff and consultant critiques of research proposals and similar documents, and the medical records of patients who are study subjects, the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.
  Contact: Dr. Grant Huang, Deputy Director, Cooperative Studies Program (125), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 254-0183.

• Advisory Committee on Prosthetics and Special Disabilities Programs; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on October 17, 2007, that the Advisory Committee on Prosthetics and Special Disabilities Programs will meet in Washington, DC on November 7 and 8, 2007. The Committee will be briefed by the Chief Consultant for Rehabilitation Strategic Healthcare Group, Chief of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service, Deputy Director of Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Services, the Chief of Prosthetics and Clinical Logistics, Director of Retinal Surgery from Walter Reed Army Medical Center, a VA panel presentation on amputee care, the Chief Consultant for Rehabilitation Strategic Healthcare Group, and the Chief Consultant for Rehabilitation Strategic Healthcare Group on Audiology and Speech Pathology Programs.
  Contact: Cynthia Wade, Designated Federal Officer, Veterans Health Administration, Patient Care Services, Rehabilitation Strategic Healthcare Group (117), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-8485.

• Advisory Committee on Women Veterans; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on October 5, 2007, that the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans will meet on October 29 through 31, in Washington, DC. The agenda will include overviews of the Veterans Health Administration, the Veterans Benefits Administration, the National Cemetery Administration, updates on activities of the Center for Women Veterans, the 2006 Advisory Committee on Women Veterans' report, an overview of the Women Veterans Health Strategic Healthcare Group, a briefing on women's mental health and military sexual trauma, an annual ethics briefing, briefings from the Center for Veterans Enterprise, VA Homeless Program, the Office of Congressional & Legislative Affairs, and VHA Research; briefings and updates on genomic medicine, the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Service, and the Veterans Disability Benefits Commission's final report.
  Contact: Desiree Long, Department of Veterans Affairs, Center for Women Veterans (OOW), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-6193; fax: (202) 461-6193, or e-mail: OOW@mail.va.gov.

• Enhanced-Use Lease of VA Property for the Development and Operation of an Assisted Living Facility in Viera, Florida - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on October 3, 2007, that the Secretary intends to enter into an enhanced-use lease of approximately 15 acres of undeveloped VA land adjacent to the existing Viera VA Outpatient Clinic in Viera, Florida. The selected lessee will finance, design, develop, construct, operate, and maintain an assisted living facility consisting of not less than 50 units on the property. The lessee will be required to provide VA with agreed-upon lease payments and in-kind consideration consisting of priority placement and a discount rental rate eligible veterans will pay to reside in the assisted living facility.
  Contact: Jim Lavery, Office of Asset Enterprise Management (004B), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-9583.

• Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on October 2, 2007, that the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education will meet on October 25 and 26, in Washington, DC. The agenda will include discussions on pending legislation, a presentation by guest speaker Mr. Allison Jones, Vice Chancellor of California State University, an overview of licensing and certification opportunities, and discussion concerning outreach efforts to veterans before their enrollment in higher education programs.
  Contact: Salminio Garner, Designated Federal Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration, Education Service (225B), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 461-9832.

• Advisory Committee on Former Prisoners of War; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on October 2, 2007, that the Advisory Committee on Former Prisoners of War scheduled a meeting on October 22 through 24, in Gainesville, Florida. The agenda will include remarks from dignitaries, review of committee reports, an update of activities since the last meeting, a period for Former Prisoners of War and/or the public to address the Committee, and a presentation from the Robert E. Mitchell Center for Prisoner of War Studies.
  Contact: Bradley G. Mayes, Director, Compensation and Pension Service (21), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420.

• Beneficiary Travel Under 38 U.S.C. 111 Within the United States - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a proposed rule in the Federal Register on October 2, 2007, to reorganize and rewrite in plain language provisions applicable to payments to beneficiaries who are eligible for more than one benefit. These revisions are proposed as part of VA's rewrite and reorganization of all of its compensation and pension rules in a logical, claimant-focused, and user-friendly format. The intended effect of the proposed revisions is to assist claimants, beneficiaries, and VA personnel in locating and understanding these rules.
  Comments Deadline: December 3, 2007.
  Address: Written comments may be submitted through http://www.regulations.gov; Regulations Management (00REG), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Room 1068, Washington, DC 20420; or fax comments to (202) 273-9026. Comments should indicate that they are submitted in response to ``RIN 2900-AL95--Payments to Beneficiaries Who Are Eligible for More than One Benefit.''
  Contact: William Russo, Director, Regulations Management (00REG), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-9515.

• Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans, Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on October 1, 2007, that the Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans will meet on October 16 and 17, 2007, in San Diego, California. The Committee will review the responses to the Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans 2007 report, receive information and reports from the Department of Veterans Affairs and other federal departments; the Committee will also continue to receive reports and begin preparation of its upcoming annual report and recommendations to the Secretary.
  Contact: Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans, Homeless Veterans Programs Office (075D), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420.

The numbers listed in this document are not toll-free.

Search the Federal Register on GPO Access