Federal Regulations Significant to Veterans [August 2006]

• 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 August 31, 2006, that the Clinical Science Research and Development Service Cooperative Studies Scientific Merit Review Board scheduled a meeting in Rockville, Maryland, for August 31, 2006. The meeting will feature discussion of qualifications of the personnel conducting the studies (the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy), as well as research information (the premature disclosure of which would be likely to compromise significantly the implementation of proposed agency action regarding such research projects).
  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.

• Voluntary Service National Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on August 30, 2006, that the Voluntary Service National Advisory Committee will meet on October 12 through 13, 2006, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Committee agenda will include NAC goals and objectives, minutes of the May 2006 meeting, Veterans Health Administration update, VAVS update of the Voluntary Service program's progress, concerns since the May 2006 NAC annual meeting, Parke Board update, evaluations of the May 2006 annual meeting, plans for 2007 NAC annual meeting, to include workshops and plenary sessions, 2008 NAC annual meeting planning, recommendations from May 2006 NAC annual meeting, subcommittee reports, standard operating procedure revisions, new business and Executive Committee appointments.
  Contact: Laura Balun, Designated Federal Officer, Voluntary Service Office (10C2), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-8952.

• Advisory Committee on Special Studies Relating to the Possible Long-Term Health Effects of Phenoxy Herbicides and Contaminants (Ranch Hand Advisory Committee); Notice of Meeting - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a notice in the Federal Register on August 30, 2006, that the Advisory Committee on Special Studies Relating to the Possible Long-Term Health Effects of Phenoxy Herbicides and Contaminants (Ranch Hand Advisory Committee) will meet on September 7, 2006, in Rockville, Maryland. The committee will discuss the following items: (1) Summary of Dioxin 2006 presentations; (2) summary of Technical Reports and manuscripts; (3) summary of transition activities.
  FDA Contact: Leonard Schechtman, National Center for Toxicological Research (HFT-10), Food and Drug Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, 301-827-6696, or FDA Advisory Committee Information Line, 1-800-741-8138; code 3014512560.

• Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program--Initial Evaluations - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a proposed rule in the Federal Register on August 28, 2006, to amend regulations concerning initial evaluations of individuals who apply for vocational rehabilitation and employment benefits. These proposed regulations are intended to reflect changes in law, VA's interpretation of applicable law and its determinations of procedures appropriate for use in the initial evaluation, to improve readability, and to make other nonsubstantive changes.
  Comments Deadline: October 27, 2006.
  Address: Director, Regulations Management (00REG1), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Room 1068, Washington, DC 20420; or fax comments to (202) 273-9289; or e-mail through: http://www.Regulations.gov. Comments should indicate that they are submitted in response to ``RIN 2900-AM25.''
  
  Contact: Catherine Kruger, Senior Policy Analyst, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service (28), Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-7344; or Mark Hawkins, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-6923.

• Reasonable Charges for Medical Care or Services; 2006 Mid Year Update - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published an interim final rule in the Federal Register on August 25, 2006, relative to the Department's medical regulations concerning ''reasonable charges'' for a nonservice-connected disability:
  • for a nonservice-connected disability for which the veteran is entitled to care (or the payment of expenses of care) under a health plan contract;
  • for a nonservice-connected disability incurred incident to the veteran's employment and covered under a worker's compensation law or plan that provides reimbursement or indemnification for such care and services; or
  • for a nonservice-connected disability incurred as a result of a motor vehicle accident in a State that requires automobile accident reparations insurance.
  Data for calculating actual charge amounts at individual VA facilities based on these methodologies will either be published in a notice in the Federal Register or will be posted on the Internet site of the Veterans Health Administration Chief Business Office, currently at http://www1.va.gov/cbo, under ``Charge Data (Rates).''
  Effective date: August 25, 2006.
  Contact: Romona Greene, Chief Business Office (168), Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 254-0361.

• Medicare-Equivalent Remittance Advice; Use by the Department of Veterans Affairs - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is making a change in its procedures for seeking reimbursement from third-party insurers for certain medical care and services provided to Medicare-eligible veterans for nonservice-connected disabilities, to add a Medicare-equivalent remittance advice (MRA) as an attachment to each bill for such care and services provided by VA, with the exception of services noted in the complete regulation.
  Effective Date: August 22, 2006.
  Contact: Barbara C. Mayerick, VHA Chief Business Office (161), Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 254-0337.

• Advisory Committee on CARES Business Plan Studies, Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a notice in the Federal Register on August 22, 2006, that the Advisory Committee on CARES Business Plan Studies will meet on September 8, 2006, at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, in Livermore, California. The meeting is open to the public.
  The objectives of the Local Advisory Panel meeting are to communicate the Secretary's decision on the specific options to be evaluated and the timeframe for the completion of the study. Additional presentations will focus on the VA-selected contractor's methodology and tools to evaluate the remaining options. The agenda will also accommodate public commentary on implementation issues associated with each option.
  Contact: Jay Halpern, Designated Federal Officer, (00CARES), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-5994; e-mail: jay.halpern@mail.va.gov.

• Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on August 18, 2006, that the Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission scheduled a meeting for September 5, 2006, in Atlanta, GA. The Commission is conducting the final of eight fact-finding, data-gathering site visits throughout the United States. The Atlanta area was selected based on criteria that included the concentration of veterans, active-duty service members and National Guard and Reserves, and the location of Veterans Benefits Administration, Veterans Health Administration, and Department of Defense (DoD) facilities, with particular interest in transition activities. The goal of this visit is to allow the commissioners the opportunity to tour local VA and DoD facilities; examine the processes in place which assist disabled veterans and service members, and survivors in their efforts to obtain benefits and to present these individuals and the general public with an opportunity to learn about the work of the Commission and to offer comments in face-to-face forums.
  Website: http://www.vetscommission.org/
  Contact: Ray Wilburn, Executive Director, Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission, 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Fifth Floor, Washington, DC 20004; e-mail: veterans@vetscommission.intranets.com.

• Advisory Committee on the Readjustment of Veterans; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on August 18, 2006, that the Advisory Committee on the Readjustment of Veterans will meet on September 7 and 8, 2006 in Washington, DC. The agenda will focus on coordination of services between VA and the Department of Defense as this relates to ensuring a seamless transition for returning war veterans; deployment-related problems faced by service members and their families; Battlemind Training as developed by the Walter Reed Army Institute for Research; current activities of the Readjustment Counseling Service Vet Center program to serve the veterans from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom; partnership between VA and DOD in implementing the Post-Deployment Health Reassessment Program; strategic planning activities, and drafting recommendations for the Committee's next report to Congress.
  Contact: Charlie M. Flora, M.S.W., Designated Federal Officer, Readjustment Counseling Service, Department of Veterans Affairs (15), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; e-mail at bob.potts@mail.va.gov; telephone: (202) 275-8969.

• Veterans' Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Defense published a notice in the Federal Register on August 17, 2006, that the Veterans' Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction will meet on November 8 and 9, 2006, at the Hampton VA Medical Center, Hampton, Virginia. The agenda will include The agenda will include briefings on:
  • ``Recent Activities and Actions of the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health'' by Dr. Paul Ziemer;
  • ``Activities and Actions of the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Environmental Hazards'' by Dr. Henry Royal;
  • ``Radiation Exposure Compensation Act: Adjudication of Onsite Participant Claims'' by Mrs. Dianne Spellberg;
  • ``How Fears Affect Our Standing of Radiation and Risks'' by Mr. Raymond Johnson;
  • ``An Update on NTPR Dose Reconstruction Program'' by Dr. Paul Blake; and
  • ``An Update on VA Radiation Claims Compensation Program for Veterans'' by Mr. Thomas Pamperin.
  Advisory Board Contact: The Veterans' Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction hotline: 1-866-657-8237.
  Website: http://vbdr.org/

• Priority for Partial Grants to States for Construction or Acquisition of State Home Facilities - The Department of Veterans Affairs published an interim final rule in the Federal Register on August 11, 2006, to amend regulations regarding grants to States for construction or acquisition of State homes. This amendment is necessary to ensure that projects designed to remedy conditions at an existing State home that have been cited as threatening to the lives or safety of the residents receive priority for receiving VA grants in the future (including in fiscal year 2007).
  Effective Date: August 11, 2006.
  Comments Deadline: October 10, 2006.
  Address: Director, Regulations Management (00REG1), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Room 1068, Washington, DC 20420; or fax comments to (202) 273-9026; or e-mail comments through: http://www.Regulations.gov. Comments should indicate that they are submitted in response to ``RIN 2900-AM42.''
  Contact: Frank Salvas, Chief, State Home Construction Grant Program (114), Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone number (202) 273-8534.

• Advisory Committee on Veterans Business Affairs; Public Meeting - The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) published a notice in the Federal Register on August 9, 2006, that the Advisory Committee on Veterans Business Affairs has scheduled a public meeting on September 12 and 13, 2006. The meeting will be held in Washington, DC.
  SBA Contact:: Cheryl Clark, Program Liaison, in the Office of Veterans Business Development, Small Business Administration, 409 3rd Street SW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 205-6773; e-mail: cheryl.clark@sba.gov; fax: (202) 254-0473.

• Veterans Benefits Act of 2003 and Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2004 - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a final rule in the Federal Register on August 8, 2006, amend its adjudication regulations to incorporate certain provisions from the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003 and the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2004. Specifically, this document amends the VA's adjudication regulations regarding:
  • plot or interment allowance eligibility,
  • forfeiture of benefits,
  • dependency and indemnity compensation payments,
  • the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act of 1990, as amended,
  • exclusions from income for pension purposes,
  • benefits for persons disabled by treatment or vocational rehabilitation provided by VA,
  • effective date of death pension, and
  • diseases subject to presumptive service connection.
  This document also amends VA's adjudication regulations to reflect the establishment of the Social Security Administration as an independent agency and that the Coast Guard is now under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Homeland Security. These amendments are necessary to conform the regulations to the statutory amendments.
  Effective Date: August 8, 2006.
  Contact: Maya Ferrandino, Consultant, Compensation and Pension Service, Policy and Regulations Staff, Veterans Benefits Administration, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-7210.

• Computer Matching Program Between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a notice in the Federal Register on August 1, 2006, that VA will conduct a recurring computer matching program with the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB). VA will match pension and parents' dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) records with RRB recipient records. The goal of this match is to compare income status as reported to VA with benefit records maintained by RRB.
  VA will file a report of the subject matching agreement with the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight of the House of Representatives, and the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OBM).
  Address: Director, Regulations Management (00REG1), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Room 1068, Washington, DC 20420; or fax comments to (202) 273-9026; or e-mail comments through: http://www.Regulations.gov.
  Contact: Pamela Liverman (212A), Compensation and Pension Service, Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (757) 858-6148, extension 107.

• Poverty Threshold - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on August 1, 2006, that VA will not publish the annual weighted average poverty threshold figures in the Federal Register, as previously announced. Instead, interested parties may obtain that information directly from the U.S. Census Bureau's Web site.
  U.S. Census Bureau's Web site: http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/threshld.html.
  Contact: Bill Russo, Chief, Regulations Staff, Compensation and Pension Service, Regulations Staff, Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-7210.

• Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting - The Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice in the Federal Register on August 28, 2006, that the meetings of the Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee scheduled for September 19 and 20, 2006 have been cancelled.
  Contact: Marcia Holt-Delaney, Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care (114), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; telephone: (202) 273-8540.

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

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