[The Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda of Federal Regulations]
[Department of Veterans Affairs Regulatory Plan]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]


DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (VA)
Statement of Regulatory Priorities
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the custodian and 
administrator of important public obligations to those who served this 
Nation. The VA's regulatory responsibility is almost solely confined to 
carrying out the mandate of the laws enacted by Congress relating to 
programs for veterans. The Department's major regulatory objective is 
to implement these laws with fairness, justice, and efficiency.
Most of the regulations issued by the VA involve three VA components: 
the Veterans Benefits Administration, the Veterans Health 
Administration, and the National Cemetery System. The Veterans Benefits 
Administration has as its basic goal providing high-quality and timely 
service in delivering nonmedical benefits to eligible veterans and 
their beneficiaries. The principal goal of the Veterans Health 
Administration is to provide high-quality health care on a timely basis 
to eligible veterans through its system of medical centers, nursing 
homes, domiciliaries, and outpatient medical and dental facilities. The 
National Cemetery System's primary mission is to bury eligible 
veterans, members of the Reserve components, and their dependents in VA 
National Cemeteries and to maintain those cemeteries as national 
shrines in perpetuity as a final tribute of a grateful nation to honor 
the memory and service of those who served in the Armed Forces.
Consistent with the provisions of Executive Order 12866, the Department 
is in the process of reviewing and updating regulations. As an example, 
the Department recently began a comprehensive review of its ``Schedule 
For Rating Disabilities'' regulations (38 CFR part 4). This has 
resulted in improvement in the medical criteria used to evaluate 
veterans' service-connected disabilities.
Also, the Department has established a new Office of Regulations 
Management, which was created for the purpose of improving the VA's 
capability to promulgate regulations. The duties of this Office include 
oversight responsibilities for ensuring compliance with Executive Order 
12866.
BILLING CODE 8320-01-F