[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 54 (Thursday, March 20, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 15541-15542]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-05911]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

38 CFR Part 17

RIN 2900-AO85


VA Dental Insurance Program--Federalism

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Direct final rule; confirmation of effective date.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published a direct 
final rule in the Federal Register on October 22, 2013, amending its 
regulations related to the VA Dental Insurance Program (VADIP), a pilot 
program to offer premium-based dental insurance to enrolled veterans 
and certain survivors and dependents of veterans. Specifically, this 
rule adds language to clarify the limited preemptive effect of certain 
criteria in the VADIP regulations. VA received no comments concerning 
this rule or its companion substantially identical proposed rule 
published in the Federal Register on October 23, 2013. This document 
confirms that the direct final rule became effective on December 23, 
2013. In a companion document in this issue

[[Page 15542]]

of the Federal Register, we are withdrawing as unnecessary the proposed 
rule.

DATES: Effective Date: The effective date of December 23, 2013, for the 
final rule published October 22, 2013, 78 FR 62441, is confirmed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristin J. Cunningham, Director, 
Business Policy, Chief Business Office (10NB), Veterans Health 
Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave. NW., 
Washington, DC 20420; (202) 461-1599. (This is not a toll-free number.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In a direct final rule published in the 
Federal Register on October 22, 2013, 78 FR 62441, VA amended 38 CFR 
17.169 to add language to clarify the limited preemptive effect of 
certain criteria in the VA Dental Insurance Program (VADIP), a pilot 
program to offer premium-based dental insurance to enrolled veterans 
and certain survivors and dependents of veterans. VA published a 
companion substantially identical proposed rule at 78 FR 63143 on 
October 23, 2013, to serve as a proposal for the provisions in the 
direct final rule in case adverse comments were received. The direct 
final rule and proposed rule each provided a 30-day comment period that 
ended on November 21 and November 22, 2013, respectively. No comments 
were received.
    Under the direct final rule procedures that were described in 78 FR 
62441 and 78 FR 63143, the direct final rule became effective on 
December 23, 2013, because no comments were received within the comment 
periods. In a companion document in this issue of the Federal Register, 
VA is withdrawing the proposed rulemaking, RIN 2900-AO86, published at 
78 FR 63143, as unnecessary.

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. Jose D. 
Riojas, Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs, approved this 
document on March 11, 2014, for publication.

    Dated: March 13, 2014.
William F. Russo,
Deputy Director, Office of Regulation Policy and Management, Office of 
the General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2014-05911 Filed 3-19-14; 8:45 am]
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