[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 2, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22074-22075]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-11029]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (VA)


Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Claims Processing Task Force, 
Notice of Establishment

    As required by Section 9(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee 
Act, U.S.C. (App. 1) 9(c), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 
hereby gives notice of the establishment of the VA Claims Processing 
Task Force. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs has determined that 
establishing this Task Force is in the public interest.
    The Task Force will critique the Veterans Benefits Administration's 
(VBA) organization and management with a primary focus on the 
compensation and pension processes. The Task Force will evaluate the 
procedures and processes for deciding veterans' appeals of VBA rating 
decisions. The Task Force will also assess various issues and develop 
findings that are aimed at improving VA's ability to process veterans' 
claims for disability compensation and pension.
    The Task Force will report to the Secretary recommendations that VA 
can take to increase productivity, reduce claims processing times, and 
shrink the disability claims backlog without compromising either the 
accuracy of decisions or service to the Nation's veterans.
    The Task Force will consist of ten (10) to eleven (11) members and 
a Chairperson. Selection criteria for Task Force membership will be 
based on expertise in areas such as organizational assessment, 
functional analysis, evaluation of existing practices, and improving 
operational processes. VA will give attention to equitable geographic 
distribution and to ethnic and gender representation when appointing 
Task Force members.

[[Page 22075]]

    The Designated Federal Officer for the Task Force is John R. 
O'Hara. His phone number is (202) 273-5130.

    Dated: April 27, 2001.

    By Direction of the Secretary.
Robert W. Schultz,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration.
[FR Doc. 01-11029 Filed 5-1-01; 8:45 am]
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