[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 199 (Monday, October 15, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62621-62622]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-25218]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Advisory Committee Charter Renewals

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice of Advisory Committee Charter Renewals.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. App. 2, and after consultation with the 
General Services Administration, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has 
determined that the following Federal advisory committees are vital to 
the mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and renewing 
their charters would be in the public interest. Consequently, the 
charters for the following Federal advisory committees are renewed for 
a two-year period, beginning on the dates listed below:

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              Committee name                     Committee description                Charter renewed on
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Genomic Medicine Program Advisory          Provides advice on the scientific  March 13, 2012.
 Committee.                                 and ethical issues related to
                                            the establishment, development,
                                            and operation of a genomic
                                            medicine program within VA.
Veterans' Rural Health Advisory Committee  Provides advice on health care     June 21, 2012.
                                            issues affecting enrolled
                                            veterans residing in rural areas.
Clinical Science Research and Development  Provides advice on VA cooperative  July 12, 2012.
 Service Cooperative Studies Scientific     studies, multi-site clinical
 Evaluation Committee.                      research activities, and
                                            policies related to conducting
                                            and managing these efforts while
                                            ensuring that new and ongoing
                                            projects maintain high quality,
                                            are based upon scientific merit,
                                            and are efficiently and
                                            economically conducted.
Health Services Research and Development   Provides advice on the fair and    July 12, 2012.
 Service Scientific Merit Review Board.     equitable selection of the most
                                            meritorious research projects
                                            for support by VA research funds
                                            and ensuring the high quality
                                            and mission relevance of VA's
                                            legislatively mandated research
                                            and development program. Also
                                            advises on the adequacy of
                                            protection of human and animal
                                            subjects.
Joint Biomedical Laboratory Research and   Provides advice on the scientific  July 12, 2012.
 Development and Clinical Science           quality, budget, safety, and
 Research and Development Services          mission relevance of
 Scientific Merit Review Board.             investigator-initiated research
                                            proposals submitted for VA merit
                                            review consideration. The
                                            proposals may address research
                                            questions within the general
                                            areas of biomedical and
                                            behavioral research or clinical
                                            science research.
Rehabilitation Research and Development    Provides advice on the             July 12, 2012.
 Service Scientific Merit Review Board.     rehabilitation needs of disabled
                                            veterans and the administration
                                            of VA's rehabilitation programs.
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    The Secretary has also renewed the charters for the following 
statutorily authorized Federal advisory committees for a two-year 
period, beginning on the dates listed below:

[[Page 62622]]



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              Committee name                     Committee description                Charter renewed on
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Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans..  Authorized by 38 U.S.C. 544.       March 13, 2012.
                                            Provides advice on the
                                            administration of VA benefits
                                            for veterans who are minority
                                            group members in the areas of
                                            compensation, health care,
                                            rehabilitation, outreach, and
                                            other services.
Advisory Committee on Prosthetics and      Authorized by 38 U.S.C. 543.       March 13, 2012.
 Special Disabilities-Programs.             Provides advice on VA
                                            prosthetics programs and
                                            rehabilitation research,
                                            development, and evaluation of
                                            prosthetics technology. Assesses
                                            VA programs that serve veterans
                                            with spinal cord injury,
                                            blindness, or vision impairment,
                                            loss of or loss of use of
                                            extremities, deafness or hearing
                                            impairment, or other serious
                                            incapacities.
Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans..  Authorized by 38 U.S.C. 2066.      March 15, 2012.
                                            Provides advice on benefits and
                                            services provided to homeless
                                            veterans by VA.
Advisory Committee on Former Prisoners of  Authorized by 38 U.S.C. 541.       March 20, 2012.
 War.                                       Provides advice on the
                                            administration of benefits for
                                            veterans who are former
                                            prisoners of war, and assesses
                                            the needs of such veterans in
                                            the areas of service-connected
                                            compensation, health care, and
                                            rehabilitation.
Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education  Authorized by 38 U.S.C. 3692.      March 21, 2012.
                                            Provides advice on the
                                            administration of education and
                                            training programs for veterans
                                            and servicepersons, reservists,
                                            and dependents of veterans under
                                            chapters 30, 32, 33, 35, and 36
                                            of title 38, and chapters 1606
                                            and 1607 of title 10, United
                                            States Code.
Special Medical Advisory Group...........  Authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7312.      April 4, 2012.
                                            Provides advice on matters
                                            relating to the care and
                                            treatment of veterans and
                                            matters pertinent to the
                                            operations of the Veterans
                                            Health Administration (i.e.
                                            research, education, training of
                                            health care professionals, and
                                            VA's role in support of the
                                            missions of the Departments of
                                            Defense and Homeland Security).
Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory        Authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7315.      July 5, 2012.
 Committee.                                 Provides advice on all matters
                                            pertaining to geriatrics and
                                            gerontology by assessing the
                                            capability of VA health care
                                            facilities to meet the medical,
                                            psychological, and social needs
                                            of older veterans, and
                                            evaluating VA facilities
                                            designated as Geriatric
                                            Research, Education, and
                                            Clinical Centers.
Advisory Committee on Structural Safety    Authorized by 38 U.S.C. 8105.      September 27, 2012.
 of Department of Veterans Affairs          Provides advice on structural
 Facilities.                                safety in the construction and
                                            remodeling of VA facilities, and
                                            recommends standards for use by
                                            VA in the construction and
                                            alteration of facilities.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Vivian Drake, Committee Management 
Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs, Advisory Committee Management 
Office (00AC), 810 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20420; telephone 
(202) 461-7028; or email at [email protected]. To view a copy of a VA 
Federal advisory committee charter, visit http://www.va.gov/advisory.

    Dated: October 9, 2012.

    By direction of the Secretary.
Vivian Drake,
Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-25218 Filed 10-12-12; 8:45 am]
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