Notice2023-23395
Announcement of Public Listening Session To Inform VA's Plan To Assess the Current Scientific Literature and Historical Detailed Claims Data Regarding Certain Adverse Health Conditions Associated With Military Environmental Exposures and To Solicit Public Comment
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 24, 2023
Issuing agencies
Veterans Affairs Department
Abstract
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is announcing a virtual listening session for the public to provide feedback on VA's plan to assess the scientific literature and historical claims data regarding certain adverse health conditions associated with military environmental exposures. VA's assessment will consider the possibility of a relationship between acute leukemias, chronic leukemias and multiple myeloma and exposure to fine particulate matter (PM<INF>2.5</INF>) from airborne hazards and open burn pits for Veterans who were deployed in the Southwest Asia theater of operations or are covered Veterans, as defined by law. VA previously announced its plan in the Federal Register on July 26, 2023. During the listening session, Veterans Health Administration (VHA) subject matter experts will listen to public feedback and may ask questions but will not share proposals for specific conditions nor address the merits of any comments provided.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 204 (Tuesday, October 24, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 204 (Tuesday, October 24, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73094-73095]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-23395]
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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Announcement of Public Listening Session To Inform VA's Plan To
Assess the Current Scientific Literature and Historical Detailed Claims
Data Regarding Certain Adverse Health Conditions Associated With
Military Environmental Exposures and To Solicit Public Comment
AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.
ACTION: Notice of public listening session.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is announcing a
virtual listening session for the public to provide feedback on VA's
plan to assess the scientific literature and historical claims data
regarding certain adverse health conditions associated with military
environmental exposures. VA's assessment will consider the possibility
of a relationship between acute leukemias, chronic leukemias and
multiple myeloma and exposure to fine particulate matter
(PM<INF>2.5</INF>) from airborne hazards and open burn pits for
Veterans who were deployed in the Southwest Asia theater of operations
or are covered Veterans, as defined by law. VA previously announced its
plan in the Federal Register on July 26, 2023. During the listening
session, Veterans Health Administration (VHA) subject matter experts
will listen to public feedback and may ask questions but will not share
proposals for specific conditions nor address the merits of any
comments provided.
DATES: VA will hold the listening session on November 7, 2023. The
session will start at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) and end at
3 p.m. EST and focus on VA's plan posted within the Federal Register
notice on July 26, 2023. Individuals/organizations can sign up using
the link below:
<bullet> November 7, 2023--Notice of Plans for the Department of
Veterans Affairs to Assess the Current Scientific Literature and
Historical Detailed Claims Data Regarding Acute Leukemias, Chronic
Leukemias, and Multiple Myeloma and the Association with Military
Environmental Exposures. Registration link: <a href="https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/weblink/register/r11a011e8ad468c564c6a613e929a67c7">https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/weblink/register/r11a011e8ad468c564c6a613e929a67c7</a>.
Note: The listening session will have closed captioning
available. The webinar will be recorded and transcribed.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Peter D. Rumm, MD, MPH, Director
of Policy, Health Outcomes Military Exposures, Veterans Health
Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20420, at 202-461-7297. This is not a toll-free number.
ADDRESSES: The session will be held virtually using Webex. Registration
is required. Individuals may listen in or comment verbally or in
writing. (See additional information below).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 26, 2023, VA published a notice in
the Federal Register about its planned scientific assessment of the
possibility of a relationship between acute leukemias, chronic
leukemias, and multiple myeloma outside of the head and neck and
exposure to PM<INF>2.5</INF> from airborne hazards and open burn pits
experienced by Veterans who served in the Southwest Asia theater of
operations or who are covered Veterans, as defined by law (meaning
generally those who served in Somalia, Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt,
Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Uzbekistan) (88 FR 48291). The Notice
was published in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 1172(a)(1), as created by
section 202 of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our
Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act.
VA continues to review and assess information about military
environmental exposure incidents, emerging scientific evidence
regarding toxic substances and adverse health outcomes in deployed and
non-deployed Veterans. Additionally, active epidemiological
surveillance and ongoing monitoring of military exposures in
collaboration with the Department of Defense are underway. If the
scientific review concludes a possible association between military
environmental exposure and an adverse health outcome is present, this
may lead to additional research or be subject to a Federal Register
notice and comment process, as required by section 1172. VA will
publish other notices of this type as it reviews adverse health
conditions and their possible association with military environmental
exposures to provide health care, services and benefits to Veterans.
This listening session aims to allow individuals to share their
research, input and comments on certain adverse health conditions
associated with military environmental exposure. Participants can also
share their recommendations on other conditions that would benefit from
review.
Registration: Individuals interested in attending must register
with Webex for the listening session. We will ask attendees if they
want to provide verbal or written feedback during registration so we
can coordinate enough time for verbal comments. However, verbal
participation is not required to complete registration. If you wish to
provide verbal or written feedback during the listening session, please
register by November 3, 2023. Individuals who indicate interest in
commenting will receive a confirmation message 2 business days before
the session. Individuals who wish to submit materials to VA must do so
by November 3, 2023, the Friday before the session.
[[Page 73095]]
VA will work to accommodate all individuals who wish to comment
verbally. However, VA will prioritize those who registered in advance.
The time allotted for individuals to comment verbally will depend on
the number of registrations. We will turn off cameras and mute
microphones until the presenter's scheduled time to accommodate as many
comments as possible. VA will request written submissions if there is
not enough time to hear all comments.
Note: During the listening session, VA will not share proposals
or address feedback. VA will use suggestions made during this
listening session and public comments on VA's plan to improve future
evaluations. VA will continue to comply with the requirements of
section 1172(a) and ensure appropriate public notice and opportunity
for participation.
Special Accommodations: Attendees requiring special accommodations
should make their requests to VA no later than October 31, 2023 (2
weeks before the listening session on November 7, 2023) by contacting
the point of contact identified in this Notice.
Signing Authority
Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, approved and signed
this document on October 18, 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.
Jeffrey M. Martin,
Assistant Director, Office of Regulation Policy & Management, Office of
General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2023-23395 Filed 10-23-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P
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