SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee ACT, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs intends to reestablish the VA National Academic Affiliations Council (NAAC or Council) for two (2) years from the filing date. The purpose of the Council is charged with developing and recommending ways to enhance the unique partnership between the VA and the nation's universities, health professions schools, and teaching hospitals.. The Council's activities include the following:

• Developing and recommending strategies for effective communication on academic affiliations between VA and relevant stakeholder organizations, including recommendations about the optimal function of affiliation partnership councils;
• Developing and recommending mechanisms to expand the number and type of mutually advantageous affiliations between VA and the academic community;
• Identifying and recommending opportunities to better align the missions and operations of VA and its academic affiliates;
• Identifying policy, regulatory, and administrative impediments to effective affiliation management; and
• Developing and recommending appropriate mechanisms to share faculty, trainees, space, equipment, and other health care resources.

Also in pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.65, the Department of Veterans Affairs provides this written notice determination stating that the Council is in the public interest and found to be in accordance with the Federal Advisory Community Act (FACA), the FACA 2025 Final Rule, and current to the U.S. General Services Administration, Committee Management Secretariat guidance. The following factors below provide an overview of the Council's operations and public interest intent.

Annual Budget—The overall operating costs for the Council is $385,000. All members receive travel expenses and a per diem allowance in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation for any travel made in connection with their duties as members of the Committee. The expected costs are broken into:

(i) Federal personnel (based on full-time equivalent (FTE) usage basis) is $340,000 and 1.5 with other Federal internal costs being $3,000.

(ii) Proposed payments to Non-Federal Members is $0. Payments to Federal Members are $5,000. The Committee is composed of approximately 12 voting members who may be Regular Government Employees or Special Government Employees.

(iii) Reimbursable costs equate to travel reimbursement for Non-Federal Members is $15,000, for Federal Members is $0 and for Federal Staff is $22,000.

Membership Selection—The Committee is composed of members having experience and specific expertise relevant to the mission/function of the Council includes experience in health professions education, clinical workforce development, and special competence to evaluate and improve VA relationships with the national academic community. This expertise will be evident by experiences such as: direct and long-standing familiarity with health professions education in a discipline or disciplines, in a leadership position; knowledge and expertise in innovation in health professions education; direct knowledge and/or participation in affiliation relationships with VA; or direct experience in health systems similar to or comparable to VA.

Existing Federal Advisory Committees—The following list of 27 VA advisory committees includes 18 that are statutory (with an asterisk *) and 9 non-statutory committees.

(1) VA National Academic Affiliations Council

(* 2) Advisory Committee on Cemeteries and Memorials

(3) Cooperative Studies Scientific Evaluation Committee

(* 4) Advisory Committee on Disability Compensation

(* 5) Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education

(* 6) Veterans' Advisory Committee on Environmental Hazards (Administratively Inactive)

(* 7) Advisory Committee on Former Prisoners of War

(* 8) Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee

(* 9) Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses

(10) Health Systems Research Service Merit Review Board

(* 11) Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans

(12) Joint Brain, Behavioral, and Mental Health and Medical Health Scientific Merit Review Board

(* 13) Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans

(14) National Research Advisory Council

(* 15) Advisory Committee on U.S. Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States

(* 16) Advisory Committee on Prosthetics and Special Disabilities Programs

(* 17) Advisory Committee on the Readjustment of Veterans

(* 18) Veterans' Advisory Committee on Rehabilitation

(19) Rehabilitation Research, Development, and Translation Scientific Merit Review Board

(20) Veterans' Rural Health Advisory Committee

(* 21) Special Medical Advisory Group

(* 22) Advisory Committee on Structural Safety of Department of Veterans Affairs Facilities

(* 23) Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs

(24) Veterans' Family, Caregiver, and Survivor Advisory Committee

(* 25) Veterans and Community Oversight and Engagement Board

(26) Department of Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service National Advisory Committee

(* 27) Advisory Committee on Women Veterans

Justification—Without the NAAC, VA would lose the structured advisory infrastructure through which critical guidance on clinical education, research, and care delivery have been delivered. The guidance and recommendations provided by the NAAC are uniquely informed by its composition of senior academic and clinical leaders and therefore cannot be replicated or obtained through any other federal committee government source or more cost effective less burdensome alternative.

Summary of Previous Committee Accomplishments—The Council's standard operations entail conducting four meetings per year; two face-to-face meetings, one of which is local in Washington, DC to receive updates from VA Senior Leaders, and one is a face-to-face meeting on site at one of the VA's across the country. Two additional virtual meetings take place annually. The NAAC members meet to provide recommendations to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Under Secretary for Health on matters affecting the unique partnership between the VA and the nation's universities, health professions schools, and teaching hospitals. The NAAC's recommendations highlight significant collaborative efforts between VA and its academic partners to advance Veteran care, workforce readiness, and innovation in health professions education (HPE). Since the Council's establishment, the NAAC has produced 96 recommendations for VA. Of these recommendations, 54% (52 recommendations) were fully ( printed page 45878) implemented by VA, 42% (41 recommendations) were partially implemented, and 4% (3 recommendations) are pending the Secretary's review.

Why Committee is Essential—For 80 years, VA has educated health professions trainees (HPTs) and is now the nation's largest health care training platform. Under the Office of Academic Affiliations oversight, VA annually provides clinical education and training programs to more than 124,000 HPTs from more than 60 health professions. In partnership with nearly 1,500 academic affiliates, VA conducts HPE programs offered at 142 VA medical facilities to advance HPTs knowledge and skills in caring for Veterans. The NAAC serves as a “strategic compass” for VA by supporting its education mission and ensuring that education policies, training infrastructure, and affiliation partnerships evolve in step with changes in U.S. health care, emerging professions, and national workforce shortages. By providing evidence-informed recommendations, the NAAC helps ensure VA maintains a robust pathway of highly qualified health professionals who support Veteran care across all Veterans Health Administration medical centers.

In conclusion, this Notice of Intent states that reestablishing this council is in the public interest, essential to the conduct of agency business, and that the information provided is not available through any other advisory committee or source within the Federal Government.

91 FR 45876