Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 218 / Tuesday, November 14, 2023 / Notices 78097 

(3) Factors that influence access to, 

quality of, and accountability for 

services and benefits for FPOWs. 

Membership Criteria and 

Qualifications: 

VA is seeking nominations for 

Committee membership. The Committee 

is composed of up to 12 members and 

several ex-officio members. 

The members of the Committee are 

appointed by the Secretary of Veteran 

Affairs from the general public, from 

various sectors and organizations, 

including but not limited to: 

(1) Veterans who are FPOWs; 

(2) Appropriate representatives of 

Veterans who are former prisoners of 

war; 

(3) Individuals who are recognized 

authorities in fields of pertinent to 

disabilities prevalent among former 

prisoners of war, including authorities 

in epidemiology, mental health, 

nutrition, geriatrics and internal 

medicine; and 

(4) Appropriate representatives of 

disabled Veterans. 

In accordance with the Committee 

Charter, the Secretary shall determine 

the number, terms of service, and pay 

and allowances of Committee members. 

The term of service for any member may 

not exceed three years. The Secretary 

may reappoint any Committee member 

for additional terms of service. 

To the extent possible, the Secretary 

seeks members who have diverse 

professional and personal qualifications 

including but not limited to subject 

matter experts in the areas described 

above. We ask that nominations include 

any relevant experience information so 

that VA can ensure diverse Committee 

membership. 

Requirements for Nomination 

Submission: Nominations should be 

typed (one nomination per nominator). 

Nomination package should include: 

(1) A letter of nomination that clearly 

states the name and affiliation of the 

nominee, the basis for the nomination 

(i.e. specific attributes which qualify the 

nominee for service in this capacity), 

and a statement from the nominee 

indicating the willingness to serve as a 

member of the Committee; 

(2) The nominee’s contact 

information, including name, mailing 

address, telephone numbers and email 

address; 

(3) The nominee’s resume or 

curriculum vitae; and 

(4) A summary of the nominee’s 

experience and qualifications relative to 

the membership considerations 

described above. 

Individuals selected for appointment 

to the Committee shall be invited to 

serve a two-year term. Committee 

members will receive a stipend for 

attending Committee meetings, 

including per diem and reimbursement 

for eligible travel expenses incurred. 

The Department makes every effort to 

ensure that the membership of VA 

Federal advisory committees are diverse 

in terms of points of view represented 

and the committee’s capabilities. 

Appointments to this Committee shall 

be made without discrimination because 

of a person’s race, color, religion, sex, 

sexual orientation, gender identify, 

national origin, age, disability or genetic 

information. Nominations must state 

that the nominee is willing to serve as 

a member of the Committee and appears 

to have no conflict of interest that 

would preclude membership. An ethics 

review is conducted for each selected 

nominee. 

Dated: November 8, 2023. 

Jelessa M. Burney, 

Federal Advisory Committee Management 

Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2023–25020 Filed 11–13–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 

AFFAIRS 

Loan Guaranty: Assistance to Eligible 

Individuals in Acquiring Specially 

Adapted Housing; Cost-ofConstruction Index 

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans 

Affairs (VA) announces that the 

aggregate amounts of assistance 

available under the Specially Adapted 

Housing (SAH) grant program have 

increased by 6.39% for fiscal year (FY) 

2024. 

DATES: The increases in the aggregate 

amounts outlined in this notice were 

effective as of October 1, 2023. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Terry Rouch, Assistant Director for Loan 

Policy and Valuation, Loan Guaranty 

Service, Veterans Benefits 

Administration, Department of Veterans 

Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, 

Washington, DC 20420, 202–632–8862 

(This is not a toll-free number). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 

accordance with 38 U.S.C. 2102(e), 38 

U.S.C. 2102A(b)(2), 38 U.S.C. 

2102B(b)(2), and 38 CFR 36.4411, the 

Secretary of Veterans Affairs announces 

for FY 2024 the aggregate amounts of 

assistance available to Veterans and 

Service members eligible for SAH 

program grants. 

Section 2102(e)(2) authorizes the 

Secretary to increase the aggregate 

amounts of SAH assistance annually 

based on a residential home cost-of 

construction index. The Secretary uses 

the Turner Building Cost Index for this 

purpose. See 38 CFR 36.4411(a). Such 

increase will be equal to the percentage 

by which the Turner Building Cost 

Index for the most recent calendar year 

exceeds that of the next preceding 

calendar year. If, however, the Turner 

Building Cost Index for the most recent 

full calendar year is equal to or less than 

the next preceding calendar year, the 

percentage increase will be zero. See 38 

CFR 36.4411(b). 

In the most recent quarter for which 

the Turner Building Cost Index is 

available, second quarter 2023, the 

index showed an increase of 6.39% over 

the index value listed for second quarter 

2022. Turner Construction Company, 

https://www.turnerconstruction.com/ 

cost-index (last visited August 1, 2023). 

Pursuant to 38 CFR 36.4411(a), 

therefore, the aggregate amounts of 

assistance for SAH grants made 

pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 2101(a) and 

2101(b) have increased by 6.39% for FY 

2024. VA measures the calendar year 

from the end of the second quarter of 

the preceding year to the end of the 

second quarter of the current year for 

the purpose of adjusting SAH grant 

amounts. This calendar year period 

provides more up-to-date cost of 

construction information for a possible 

adjustment effective October 1 when 

compared to a January-throughDecember period, which would result in 

a 10-month delay in implementation. 

Sections 2102A(b)(2) and 2102B(b)(2) 

require the Secretary to apply the same 

percentage calculated pursuant to 

section 2102(e) to grants authorized 

pursuant to sections 2102A and 2102B. 

As such, the maximum amount of 

assistance available under these grants 

has also increased by 6.39% for FY 

2024. 

The increases were effective as of 

October 1, 2023 (38 U.S.C. 2102(e), 38 

U.S.C. 2102A(b)(2) and 38 U.S.C. 

2102B(b)(2)). 

SAH: Aggregate Amounts of Assistance 

Available During Fiscal Year 2024 

Section 2101(a) Grants and Temporary 

Residence Adaptation (TRA) Grants 

Effective October 1, 2023, the 

aggregate amount of assistance available 

for SAH grants made pursuant to 38 

U.S.C. 2101(a) is $117,014 during FY 

2024. The maximum TRA grant made to 

an individual who satisfies the 

eligibility criteria under 38 U.S.C. 

2101(a) and 2102A is $47,130 during FY 

2024. 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
78098 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 218 / Tuesday, November 14, 2023 / Notices 

Section 2101(b) Grants and TRA Grants 

Effective as of October 1, 2023, the 

aggregate amount of assistance available 

for SAH grants made pursuant to 38 

U.S.C. 2101(b) is $23,444 during FY 

2024. The maximum TRA grant made to 

an individual who satisfies the 

eligibility Criteria under 38 U.S.C. 

2101(b) and 2102A is $8,415 during FY 

2024. 

Section 2102B Grants 

Effective October 1, 2023, the amount 

of assistance available for grants made 

pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 2102B is $107,357 

during FY 2024; however, the Secretary 

may waive this limitation for a Veteran 

if the Secretary determines a waiver is 

necessary for the rehabilitation program 

of the Veteran. 

Signing Authority 

Denis McDonough, Secretary of 

Veterans Affairs, signed and approved 

this document on November 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. 2023–24984 Filed 11–13–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8320–01–P 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES