Quiero saber acerca de...

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 172 / Thursday, September 9, 2021 / Proposed Rules and non-routine repairs for surface mobile equipment;
3 identify currently available and newly emerging feasible technologies that can enhance safety at the mine and evaluate whether to adopt them; and 4 train miners and other persons at the mine necessary to perform work to identify and address or avoid hazards related to surface mobile equipment.
b The responsible person shall evaluate and update the written safety program annually or as mining conditions or practices change, as accidents or injuries occur, or as equipment changes or modifications are made.
77.2104

Record and inspection.

The mine operator shall make the written safety program available for inspection by authorized representatives of the Secretary, miners, and representatives of miners, and provide a copy, upon request.
FR Doc. 202118791 Filed 9821; 8:45 am BILLING CODE 452043P

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS
38 CFR Part 3
RIN 2900AQ95

Update and Clarify Regulatory Bars to Benefits Based on Character of Discharge Department of Veterans Affairs.
Request for information;
notification of listening sessions.

AGENCY:
ACTION:

The Department of Veterans Affairs VA is requesting information to assist in the modification of the regulatory framework for discharges considered dishonorable for VA
benefit eligibility purposes. On July 10, 2020, VA published a proposed rule for public notice and comment. The proposed rule would modify VA
regulations governing VA character of discharge determinations based on willful and persistent misconduct, moral turpitude, and homosexual acts involving aggravating circumstances or other factors affecting the performance of duty. In addition, the proposed rule would create a compelling circumstances exception to certain regulatory bars to benefits in order to ensure fair character of discharge determinations in light of all pertinent factors. Following publication, VA received numerous public comments. Due to the various and differing comments received, VA is seeking additional information to help
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with PROPOSALS1

SUMMARY:

VerDate Sep<11>2014

17:23 Sep 08, 2021

Jkt 253001

inform VAs development of updated character of discharge regulations.
Additionally, VA is announcing a virtual listening session to further seek verbal feedback from a variety of entities as VA implements this regulation.
Regardless of attendance at the virtual listening session, interested parties are invited to submit comments, including data and research.
DATES: Comments on this request for information must be received by VA on or before October 12, 2021. VA will also hold the first public virtual listening session on October 5, 2021, and the second public virtual listening session on October 6, 2021. Each meeting will start at 8:50 a.m. and conclude at or before 4:15 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
Virtual check-in will begin at 8 a.m.
ADDRESSES: Comments must be submitted through www.Regulations.gov and will be available for public viewing, inspection, or copies.
The virtual listening sessions will be held virtually as WebEx events and will be open to the public to listen on a first come, first served basis. Information about the meeting and registration to speak or listen can be obtained by emailing: CODRegistration.VBACO@
va.gov. Virtual attendance will be limited to the maximum allowed by WebEx.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Robert Parks, Chief, Part 3 Forms and Regulations 211D, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420, 202461
9540 This is not a toll-free telephone number.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background On July 10, 2020 85 FR 41471, VA
published a proposed rule in the Federal Register to amend 38 CFR 3.12
by updating and clarifying the regulatory bars to benefits. Specifically, VA proposed to modify the regulatory framework for discharges considered dishonorable for VA benefit eligibility purposes, such as discharges due to willful and persistent misconduct, an offense involving moral turpitude, and homosexual acts involving aggravating circumstances or other factors affecting the performance of duty. VA also proposed to extend a compelling circumstances exception to certain regulatory bars to benefits in order to ensure fair character of discharge determinations in light of all pertinent factors.
VA invited interested persons to submit written comments on or before September 8, 2020. VA received over 70
comments in response to the proposed
PO 00000

Frm 00030

Fmt 4702

Sfmt 4702

50513

rule. Over 20 of those comments were from organizations and the rest were from individual members of the public.
Those organizations included: 1
American Psychological Association, 2
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, 3
Homeless Advocacy Project, 4
Homeless Persons Representation Project, Inc., 5 Inner City Law Center, 6 Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, 7 Lewis B. Puller Veterans Benefits Clinic of William & Mary Law School, 8 Modern Military Association of America, 9 National Law School Veterans Clinic Consortium, 10
National Organization of Veterans Advocates, Inc., 11 National Veterans Legal Services Program, 12 New York State Division of Veterans Services, 13
NY Legal Assistance Group, 14 Ohio Veterans Law Task Force, 15 Public Counsel Center for Veterans Advancement, 16 Swords to Plowshares, 17 The Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization, 18 The Minority Veterans of America MVA, 19 The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, 20 The National Veterans Council for Legal Redress, 21
University of Florida Levin College of Law Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic, 22 Veterans Advocacy Project, 23 Veterans Clinic at the University of Missouri School of Law, 24 Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute, 25 Veterans Legal Services, and 26 Vietnam Veterans of America.
Individual comments were also received from U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal, Jon Tester, and Sherrod Brown.
This additional request for information, described in more detail below, will assist VA in gathering and taking into account diverse viewpoints on this issue. Responses to this request for information will be used to help inform VAs development of updated character of discharge regulations. This request for information has a written comment period of 30 days, during which VA invites individuals, groups, and entities to reply to the questions presented below. VA believes that 30
days is sufficient to provide comments, as the individuals, groups, and entities interested in this program likely have information and opinions readily available or can quickly compile and submit such information. Commenters are encouraged to provide complete but concise responses to the questions outlined below.
VA will also be holding virtual public listening sessions on October 5, 2021, and October 6, 2021, to provide groups and entities an opportunity to share additional information. Oral comments, testimonies, and technical remarks are encouraged to be concise and directed
E:FRFM09SEP1.SGM

09SEP1