Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 72 / Thursday, April 14, 2011 / Notices 21107 

update committee also found that there 

was inadequate or insufficient evidence 

to determine whether an association 

exists between Gulf War deployment 

and structural gastrointestinal diseases, 

such as peptic ulcer and inflammatory 

bowel disease (which includes 

ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease). 

Although some of the reviewed studies 

found increased incidence of self 

reports of certain structural 

gastrointestinal diseases, the NAS 

update committee noted that the lack of 

diagnostic testing to validate those 

results was a significant confounding 

factor, because physicians not 

infrequently place an organic disease 

label (such as gastritis or peptic ulcer) 

on a patient’s symptoms without 

performing diagnostic studies. The NAS 

update committee also noted that 

studies did not find an increased 

incidence of hospitalization or death 

due to gastrointestinal disease in 

Veterans of Gulf War deployments. 

Based on these findings, the Secretary 

has determined that no new 

presumption relating to structural 

gastrointestinal diseases is warranted at 

this time. 

VI. Conclusion 

After careful review of the findings of 

Volume 4 and Volume 8, the Secretary 

has determined that the scientific 

evidence presented in these reports 

indicates that no new presumption of 

service connection is warranted at this 

time for any of the illnesses described 

in the NAS 2006 and NAS update 

committee’s 2010 reports. It is important 

to note that VA’s determination that 

presumptions of service connection are 

not warranted at this time for the health 

effects in question is not intended to 

suggest that they are irrelevant to further 

investigations of Gulf War Veterans’ 

health or that they may not in any 

circumstances form the basis for 

presumptions of service connection 

under Public Law 105–277. In the event 

future evidence links any illnesses to 

exposures associated with Gulf War 

service, VA may establish presumptions 

of service connection for such illnesses 

pursuant to Public Law 105–277. It is 

equally important to note that VA’s 

determinations not to establish 

presumptions do not in any way 

preclude claimants from seeking and 

establishing service connection for these 

diseases and illnesses or any other 

diseases or illnesses that may be shown 

by evidence in an individual case to be 

associated with service in the Gulf War. 

Signing Authority 

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or 

designee, approved this document 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. John 

R. Gingrich, Chief of Staff, Department 

of Veterans Affairs, approved this 

document on March 31, 2011, for 

publication. 

Dated: April 8, 2011. 

William F. Russo, 

Deputy Director, Regulations Policy and 

Management, Department of Veterans Affairs. 

[FR Doc. 2011–8937 Filed 4–13–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 

AFFAIRS 

Veterans’ Rural Health Advisory 

Committee; Notice of Meeting 

The Department of Veterans Affairs 

(VA) gives notice under Public Law 92– 

463 (Federal Advisory Committee Act) 

that the Veterans’ Rural Health Advisory 

Committee will conduct a 

teleconference meeting on Thursday, 

April 21, 2011, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., 

in Room GL20, 1722 I Street, NW., 

Washington, DC. The toll-free number 

for the meeting is 1–800–767–1750, and 

the access code is 57165#. The meeting 

is open to the public. 

The purpose of the Committee is to 

advise the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

on health care issues affecting enrolled 

Veterans residing in rural areas. The 

Committee examines programs and 

policies that impact the provision of VA 

health care to enrolled Veterans residing 

in rural areas and discusses ways to 

improve and enhance VA services for 

these Veterans. 

The Committee will discuss the 

Committee’s Annual Report to the VA 

Secretary, VA Veteran Centers services, 

rural women Veteran health care, and 

the meeting agenda and planning for the 

Committee’s upcoming June 2011 

meeting in Helena, Montana. 

A 15-minute period will be reserved 

at 3:40 p.m. for public comments. 

Individuals who wish to address the 

Committee are invited to submit a 1–2 

page summary of their comments for 

inclusion in the official meeting record. 

Members of the public may also submit 

written statements for the Committee’s 

review to Christina White, Designated 

Federal Officer, Department of Veterans 

Affairs (10A5A), 810 Vermont Avenue, 

NW., Washington, DC 20420 or e-mail at 

rural.health.inquiry@va.gov. Any 

member of the public wishing to attend 

or seeking additional information 

should contact Ms. White at (202) 461– 

7100. 

Dated: April 11, 2011. 

By direction of the Secretary. 

William F. Russo, 

Director of Regulations Management, Office 

of General Counsel. 

[FR Doc. 2011–9087 Filed 4–13–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 

AFFAIRS 

Advisory Committee on Prosthetics 

and Special-Disabilities Programs; 

Notice of Meeting 

The Department of Veterans Affairs 

(VA) gives notice under Public Law 92– 

463 (Federal Advisory Committee Act) 

that a meeting of the Advisory 

Committee on Prosthetics and SpecialDisabilities Programs will be held on 

May 3–4, 2011, in room 230, at VA 

Central Office, 810 Vermont Avenue, 

NW., Washington, DC. The sessions will 

convene at 8:30 a.m. on both days, and 

will adjourn at 4:30 p.m. on May 3 and 

at 12 noon on May 4. The meeting is 

open to the public. 

The purpose of the Committee is to 

advise the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

on VA’s prosthetics programs designed 

to provide state-of-the art prosthetics 

and the associated rehabilitation 

research, development, and evaluation 

of such technology. The Committee also 

provides advice to the Secretary on 

special disabilities programs which are 

defined as any program administered by 

the Secretary to serve Veterans with 

spinal cord injuries, blindness or visual 

impairments, loss of extremities or loss 

of function, deafness or hearing 

impairment, and other serious 

incapacities in terms of daily life 

functions. 

On May 3, the Committee will be 

briefed by the Acting Assistant Deputy 

Under Secretary for Clinical Operations 

and Management; Chief Consultant for 

Social Work Service; Director of Blind 

Rehabilitation Service; and Chief 

Consultant for Spinal Cord Injury & 

Disorders Strategic Healthcare Group. 

On May 4, the Committee will be 

briefed by the Chief Consultant for Care 

Coordination, and Chief Consultant for 

Rehabilitation Services. 

No time will be allocated for receiving 

oral presentations from the public. 

However, members of the public may 

submit written statements for review by 

the Committee to Mr. Larry N. Long, 

Designated Federal Officer, Veterans 

Health Administration, Patient Care 

Services, Rehabilitation Services (117D), 

Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 

Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 

20420, or by e-mail at lonlar@va.gov. 

mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES