[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 40 (Friday, February 28, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 11513]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-04476]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force Report

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) established the Gulf 
War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force (GWVI-TF) in August 2009 to focus on 
full spectrum health care and benefits issues faced by Veterans of the 
1990-1991 Gulf War (Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm). The 
GWVI-TF published its first annual report in September 2010.
    The GWVI-TF posted a draft of its 2012-13 report for public comment 
on May 14, 2013. VA published the report in the Federal Register (78 FR 
28292) and posted it on a social media Web site created specifically to 
elicit responses on the report. VA collected comments through both 
venues. During the thirty day comment period, VA received 41 comments 
submitted through the Federal Register venue and over 180 comments 
through the social media Web site. VA sincerely thanks all those who 
took the time to submit comments.
    VA has completed its 2012-13 Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task 
Force Report. The GWVI-TF reviewed all the comments submitted, and 
addressed in this report those comments that were directly responsive 
to the draft report. Comments specifically addressed in this report are 
annotated accordingly. The comments that were not directly responsive 
to the draft report will serve as guidance for the VA to consider as it 
moves forward.
    Finally, there were a number of individual requests for assistance. 
Those that contained sufficient specific information were referred to 
appropriate VA offices for action. Those that were not specific enough 
or were anonymously submitted will serve as background for 
consideration on areas for the VA to study in the future.

ADDRESSES: The 2012-13 Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force Report 
is available on the VA Web site at: http://www.va.gov/opa/publications/
.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Col. Patrick Picardo, GWVI-TF 
Secretary, OSVA, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue 
NW., Washington, DC 20420, at [email protected].

Signing Authority

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or designee, approved this 
document and authorized the undersigned to sign and submit the document 
to the Office of the Federal Register for publication electronically as 
an official document of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Jose D. 
Riojas, Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs approved this 
document on January 27, 2014, for publication.

    Dated: February 25, 2014.
William F. Russo,
Deputy Director, Office of Regulation Policy and Management, Office of 
the General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2014-04476 Filed 2-27-14; 8:45 am]
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