[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 155 (Monday, August 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55124-55125]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-17309]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Announcement of Public Listening Sessions To Inform VA's 
Standards of Practice

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice of public listening sessions.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is announcing a series 
of five virtual listening sessions for stakeholders to provide input on 
known state variances for health care occupations. National standards 
of practice are a standardized set of services that all health care 
professionals in a given occupation can perform in VA facilities with 
the proper education, training and skill. To learn more about VA's 
national standards of practice visit https://www.va.gov/standardsofpractice/.

DATES: VA will hold the listening sessions from August through 
September 2023. Each session will start at 2:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight 
Time (EDT) and adjourn at 4:30 p.m. EDT and focus on a preset list of 
occupations grouped by service type. Occupations not listed below have 
already had proposed VA national standards of practice shared for 
feedback on the Federal Register. Veterans Health Administration (VHA) 
subject matter experts will be present during each listening session 
and may ask clarifying questions but will not share proposals for 
specific occupation's standards of practice nor address the merits of 
any comments provided. Individuals can sign up for each session 
separately using the links below:
     Session 1: August 24, 2023--Audiologist, Chiropractor, 
Occupational Therapist, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Physical 
Therapist, Physical Therapist Assistant, Speech Language Pathologist. 
Registration link: https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/weblink/register/rb6f2e33ef859c128990b27f448e5a535.
     Session 2: August 31, 2023--Acupuncturist, Genetic 
Counselor, Massage Therapist, Optometrist, Perfusionist, Podiatrist, 
Respiratory

[[Page 55125]]

Therapist, Therapeutic Radiologic Technologist. Registration link: 
https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/weblink/register/rcc375270e5194da10e13e33c828e80d6.
     Session 3: September 7, 2023--Clinical Pharmacist 
Practitioner, Dental Assistant, Dental Hygienist, Dentist, Diagnostic 
Radiologic Technologist, Medical Technologist, Nuclear Medicine 
Technologist, Pharmacist, Pharmacy Technician, Radiologist Assistant, 
Social Worker. Registration link: https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/weblink/register/r8dfdce045aaddcf539d03ff7abea89e6.
     Session 4: September 14, 2023--Emergency Medical 
Technician/Paramedic, Physician, Physician Assistant. Registration 
link: https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/weblink/register/r3229db69aeba55eeca6bffb24c73ca9f.
     Session 5: September 21, 2023--Addiction Therapist, 
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Licensed Practical/Vocational 
Nurse, Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, Marriage and 
Family Therapist, Peer Specialist, Psychologist, Registered Nurse, 
Rehabilitation Counselor. Registration link: https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/weblink/register/r192362734f6545e574fdb3b428d2fdcf.

    Note:  Sessions will be hosted as five individual webinars with 
closed captioning available. All sessions will be recorded and 
transcribed.


ADDRESSES: All sessions will be held virtually using Webex. Individuals 
interested in attending listening sessions, whether to verbally present 
a comment or listen in, must register for each session in advance. (See 
additional registration information below).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ethan Kalett, Office of Regulations, 
Appeals and Policy (10BRAP), Veterans Health Administration, Department 
of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420, at 
202-461-0500. This is not a toll-free number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 12, 2020, VA published an 
interim final rule confirming that VA health care professionals may 
practice their health care profession consistent with the scope and 
requirements of their VA employment, notwithstanding any State license, 
registration, certification or other State requirements that unduly 
interfere with their practice. 38 CFR 17.419; 85 FR 71838. 
Specifically, this rulemaking confirmed VA's current practice of 
allowing VA health care professionals to deliver health care services 
in a state other than the health care professional's State of 
licensure, registration, certification or other State requirement, 
thereby enhancing beneficiaries' access to critical VA health care 
services. The rulemaking also confirmed VA's authority to establish 
national standards of practice for its health care professionals which 
would standardize a health care professional's practice in all VA 
medical facilities.
    The purpose of these listening sessions is to offer individuals an 
opportunity to share their research, input and comments on variance 
between State licenses and scopes of practices for health care 
occupations, and their recommendations on what should be included in 
VA's national standard of practice. Listening sessions exclude 
occupations where VA has already requested a formal feedback period for 
their proposed VA national standard of practice on the Federal 
Register. https://www.va.gov/STANDARDSOFPRACTICE/federalregister.asp.
    Registration: Individuals interested in attending must register 
with Webex for each listening session. Any individual who wishes to 
verbally participate should indicate their intention upon registration 
to ensure time is allotted accordingly, however, it is not required to 
complete registration. Individuals that indicate interest in presenting 
a comment will receive a confirmation message 2 business days prior to 
each respective session. If an individual wishes to display materials 
during their presentation, they may be submitted to VA the Monday prior 
to the session.
    Efforts will be made to accommodate all individuals who wish to 
offer a verbal comment. However, VA will give priority to those who 
registered in advance of each session. The length of time allotted for 
individuals to provide verbal comments during the session will be 
subject to the number of registrants to ensure ample time is allotted. 
To accommodate a large number of attendees, video will be disabled 
during the listening session and mics will be muted until a presenter's 
allotted time. In the event there is not enough time during the 
session, VA will request written submissions.

    Note:  VA will not share proposals or address feedback received 
during listening sessions. Suggestions made through these listening 
sessions will be used to improve and inform the content included in 
VA's proposed national standards of practice. All VA proposals for 
each VA national standard of practice will occur through the Federal 
Register, as noted above, to ensure appropriate public notification 
and full opportunity for participation. No VA national standard of 
practice will be issued in VA policy before VA has provided a 
proposal through the Federal Register.

    Special Accommodations: Request for any accommodation should be 
received by VA no later than 2 weeks before the scheduled listening 
session at the address indicated in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
section of this notice.

Signing Authority

    Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, approved and signed 
this document on August 7, 2023, 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 General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2023-17309 Filed 8-11-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P