[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 23 (Friday, February 5, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8486-8487]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-02446]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


VA Market Assessment Listening Sessions

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Announcement for Public Meetings Regarding VA Health Care.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the John S. McCain III, Daniel K. Akaka, and 
Samuel R. Johnson VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening 
Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act of 2018 (the VA MISSION Act), 
the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Chief Strategy Office (CSO) 
will be holding public virtual listening sessions with Veterans, 
Veterans Service Organizations, Community Veterans Engagement Boards 
(CVEBs) and other interested stakeholders. The primary objectives of 
the sessions are to learn about Veterans' experiences with VA health 
care and how Veterans want care to be delivered in the future. Feedback 
will be used to develop recommendations regarding the modernization or 
realignment of VHA facilities. The recommendations will be submitted to 
the Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission after approval by 
the Secretary.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Valerie Mattison Brown, Chief Strategy 
Officer, Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans 
Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420, 202-461-7115. 
This is not a toll-free number.

DATES: The listening sessions will start in early calendar year 2021 
and continue for several months. The dates, times, and links to the 
listening sessions will be publicly posted. A link to the posting can 
be obtained by contacting [email protected].
    The sessions will be held virtually as a WebEx Event, and it will 
be open to the public to participate. Information about the meeting and 
registration to attend can be obtained by emailing [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The sessions are being held to meet 
requirements in the VA MISSION Act of 2018, related to developing 
recommendations for the modernization or realignment of VHA facilities 
and conducting market assessments. VA is required to conduct market 
assessments under 7330C of title 38, United States Code, as added by 
Section 106(a) of the VA MISSION Act and Section 203 of the VA MISSION 
Act. The market assessments will inform recommendations for the 
modernization or realignment of VHA facilities to be approved by the 
Secretary and submitted to the AIR Commission, established by the VA 
MISSION Act. The law requires the President to submit nominations for 
the AIR Commission to the Senate not later May 31, 2021, prior

[[Page 8487]]

to the first meeting of the AIR Commission in 2022. In 2023, the AIR 
Commission will submit its recommendations to the President for review 
and approval, prior to sending to Congress for review and approval.
    As part of the market assessment process and the development of 
recommendations, VA is required to consider input from local 
stakeholders and to consult with Veterans and VSOs served by each 
Veterans Integrated Service Network and medical facility. Feedback 
collected during the public listening sessions will be used to develop 
recommendations regarding the modernization or realignment of VHA 
facilities. Notice is being placed in the Federal Register to inform 
the public about the opportunity to participate.
    All members of the public are invited to attend the local listening 
sessions. Each session will correspond to a group of VA medical centers 
or a specific region. VA is seeking to gather the thoughts and feedback 
from local Veterans, VSOs, and public stakeholders.

Signing Authority

    Dat P. Tran, Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs approved this 
document on January 26, 2021, 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.

Luvenia Potts,
Regulation Development Coordinator, Office of Regulation Policy & 
Management, Office of the Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2021-02446 Filed 2-4-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P