[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 170 (Tuesday, September 2, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51348-51349]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-20219]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice of amendment of system of records ``VA Compensation, 
Pension, Education and Rehabilitation Records--VA.

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SUMMARY: 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) 
proposes to add one routine use to the system of records ``VA 
Compensation, Pension, Education and Rehabilitation Records--VA 
(58VA21/22/28).''

DATES: Comments on routine uses must be received no later than October 
2, 2008, on or before October 2, 2008. If no public comment is received 
during the period allowed for comments, the routine use will become 
effective October 2, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted through http://www.Regulations.gov; by mail or hand-delivery to the Director, 
Regulations Management (02REG), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 
Vermont Ave., NW., Room 1068, Washington, DC 20420; or by fax to (202) 
273-9026. Copies of comments received will be available for public 
inspection in the Office of Regulation Policy and Management, Room 
1063B, between the

[[Page 51349]]

hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except Federal 
holidays). Please call (202) 461-4902 for an appointment. (This is not 
a toll-free number.) In addition, during the comment period, comments 
may be viewed online through the Federal Docket Management System 
(FDMS) at http://www.Regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas E. Whitworth, Procedures 
Analyst, Compensation and Pension Service, Department of Veterans 
Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20420, (202) 461-9652.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Based upon recommendations made by The 
President's Commission on care for America's Returning Wounded 
Warriors; The Wounded, Ill, and Injured Senior Oversight Committee 
(WII-SOC); and a joint DoD/VA committee, approved ``Modernizing and 
Improving the Disability and Compensation Systems.'' This requires 
implementation of Disability Evaluation/Transition Medical Examinations 
in the Disability Evaluation System (DES) and VA Disability 
Compensation & Pension Determinations. VA proposes to add a new routine 
use to 58VA21/22 under which to disclose identifying information 
determined necessary to support a mutually beneficial relationship 
between the DoD and VA in the implementation of a streamlined 
disability evaluation and compensation process. This initiative 
includes an interagency single Disability Evaluation/Transition 
examination in the DES process and applies to the examination, and 
subsequent VA rating decision, of active duty personnel and reserve 
component members (with duty related medical impairments) that are 
referred to the DoD DES. VA has determined that the release of 
information for this purpose is necessary for the proper use of the 
information in this system of records, and that the new specific 
routine use for release of this information is appropriate.
    VA proposes to add this routine use to the following system of 
records which is contained in the Federal Register: VA Compensation, 
Pension, Education and Rehabilitation Records--VA (58VA21/22/28), first 
published at 41 FR 924 (March 3, 1976), and last amended at 73 FR 29181 
(May 20, 2008), with other amendments as cited therein.
    A ``Report of Altered System'' and an advance copy of the revised 
system have been sent to the chairmen and ranking minority members of 
the Committee on Government Reform of the U.S. House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Governmental Affairs of the U.S. Senate, and to 
the Office of Management and Budget, as required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(o) 
and guidelines issued by the Office of Management and Budget.
    Interested persons are invited to submit written comments, 
suggestions, or objections regarding the proposed amended routine use 
statement to the Director, Office of Regulations Management (02D), 
Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave., NW., Washington, DC 
20420. All relevant material received within October 2, 2008, will be 
considered. All written comments received will be available for public 
inspection at the above address in the Office of Regulations 
Management, Room 1158, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    If no public comment is received during the 30-day review period 
allowed for public comment, or otherwise published in the Federal 
Register by VA, the new routine use is effective October 2, 2008.

    Approved: August 18, 2008.
Gordon H. Mansfield,
Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
58VA21/22/28

SYSTEM NAME:
    Compensation, Pension, Education and Rehabilitation Records--VA.
    1. In the system identified as 58VA21/22/28 ``Compensation, 
Pension, Education, and Rehabilitation Records,'' first published at 41 
FR 924 (March 3, 1976), and last amended at 73 FR 29181 (May 20, 2008), 
with other amendments as cited therein, the following routine use is 
added:

SYSTEM NAME:
    Compensation, Pension, Education and Rehabilitation Records.
* * * * *

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES 
OF USERS AND PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
* * * * *
    (70) Any information contained in this system may be disclosed by 
VA as deemed necessary to DoD for use by the Medical Evaluation Board 
(MEB) or Physical Evaluation Board (PEB) for determinations required by 
DoD. VA will routinely use the information to conduct medical 
evaluations needed to produce VA disability ratings and to promulgate 
subsequent claims for benefits under Title 38 U.S.C.
* * * * *

[FR Doc. E8-20219 Filed 8-29-08; 8:45 am]
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