Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection Program--genitourinary losses. Final rule

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is issuing this final rule that amends the regulations governing the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection (TSGLI) program by adding certain genitourinary (GU) system losses to the TSGLI Schedule of Losses and defining terms relevant to these new losses. This amendment is necessary to make qualifying GU losses a basis for paying TSGLI benefits to servicemembers with severe GU injuries. The intended effect is to expand the list of losses for which TSGLI payments can be made. This document adopts as a final rule, without change, the interim final rule published in the Federal Register on December 2, 2011.     

Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection program--genitourinary losses. Interim final rule

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is issuing this interim final rule that amends the regulations governing the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection (TSGLI) program by adding certain genitourinary (GU) system losses to the TSGLI Schedule of Losses and defining terms relevant to these new losses. This amendment is necessary to make qualifying GU losses a basis for paying GU-injured Servicemembers TSGLI benefits. The intended effect is to expand the list of losses for which TSGLI payments can be made.     

Respiratory protection; correction--OSHA. Final rule; correction

OSHA is correcting errors in the regulatory text of the Respiratory Protection final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on January 8, 1998 (63 FR 1152).     

Standards for protection against radiation--Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Final rule

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is revising its standards for protection against ionizing radiation. This action is necessary to incorporate updated scientific information and to reflect changes in the basic philosophy of radiation protection. The revision conforms the Commission's regulations to the Presidential Radiation Protection Guidance to Federal Agencies for Occupational Exposure and to recommendations of national and international radiation protection organizations.     

Federal policy for the protection of human subjects. Final rule

This document sets forth a common Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects (Model Policy) accepted by the Office of Science and Technology Policy and promulgated in regulation by each of the listed Departments and Agencies. A Proposed Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects published November 10, 1988 (53 FR 45661) has been revised in response to public comments. The Policy as revised is now set forth as a common final rule. For related documents, see other sections of this Federal Register part.     

Responding to disruptive patients. Final rule

This final rule amends the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regulation that authorizes appropriate action when a patient engages in disruptive behavior at a VA medical facility. This amendment updates VA's current regulation to reflect modern medical care and ethical practices. The final rule authorizes VA to modify the time, place, and/or manner in which VA provides treatment to a patient, in order to ensure the safety of others at VA medical facilities, and to prevent any interference with the provision of medical care.     

Occupational injury and illness recording and reporting requirements. Final rule

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is delaying the effective date of three provisions of the Occupational Injury and Illness Recording and Reporting Requirements rule published January 19, 2001 (66 FR 5916-6135) and is establishing interim criteria for recording cases of work-related hearing loss. The provisions being delayed are sections 1904.10 (a) and (b), which specify recording criteria for cases involving occupational hearing loss, section 1904.12, which defines "musculoskeletal disorder (MSD)" and requires employers to check the MSD column on the OSHA Log if an employee experiences a work-related musculoskeletal disorder, and section 1904.29(b)(7)(vi), which states that MSDs are not considered privacy concern cases. The effective date of these provisions is delayed from January 1, 2002 until January 1, 2003. OSHA will continue to evaluate sections 1904.10 and 1904.12 over the next year. OSHA is also adding a new paragraph(c) to section 1904.10, establishing criteria for recording cases of work-related hearing loss during calendar year 2002. Section 1904.10(c) codifies the enforcement policy in effect since 1991, under which employers must record work related shifts in hearing of an average of 25 dB or more at 2000, 3000 and 4000 hertz in either ear.     

Occupational injury and illness recording and reporting requirements. Final rule

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is revising the hearing loss recording provisions of the Occupational Injury and Illness Recording and Reporting Requirements rule published January 19, 2001 (66 FR 5916-6135), scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2003 (66 FR 52031-52034). This final rule revises the criteria for recording hearing loss cases in several ways, including requiring the recording of Standard Threshold Shifts (10 dB shifts in hearing acuity) that have resulted in a total 25 dB level of hearing above audiometric zero, averaged over the frequencies at 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz, beginning in year 2003.     

Service dogs. Final rule

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) amends its regulations concerning veterans in need of service dogs. Under this final rule, VA will provide to veterans with visual, hearing, or mobility impairments benefits to support the use of a service dog as part of the management of such impairments. The benefits include assistance with veterinary care, travel benefits associated with obtaining and training a dog, and the provision, maintenance, and replacement of hardware required for the dog to perform the tasks necessary to assist such veterans.     

Postmarket surveillance. Final rule

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is implementing the postmarket surveillance (PS) provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the act), as amended by the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997 (FDAMA). The purpose of this rule is to provide for the collection of useful data about devices that can reveal unforeseen adverse events or other information necessary to protect the public health.     

Occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium. Final rule

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is amending the existing standard which limits occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)). OSHA has determined based upon the best evidence currently available that at the current permissible exposure limit (PEL) for Cr(VI), workers face a significant risk to material impairment of their health. The evidence in the record for this rulemaking indicates that workers exposed to Cr(VI) are at an increased risk of developing lung cancer. The record also indicates that occupational exposure to Cr(VI) may result in asthma, and damage to the nasal epithelia and skin. The final rule establishes an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) exposure limit of 5 micrograms of Cr(VI) per cubic meter of air (5 [mu]g/cu m). This is a considerable reduction from the previous PEL of 1 milligram per 10 cubic meters of air (1 mg/10 cu m, or 100 [mu]g/cu m) reported as CrO3, which is equivalent to a limit of 52 [mu]g/cu m as Cr(VI). The final rule also contains ancillary provisions for worker protection such as requirements for exposure determination, preferred exposure control methods, including a compliance alternative for a small sector for which the new PEL is infeasible, respiratory protection, protective clothing and equipment, hygiene areas and practices, medical surveillance, recordkeeping, and start-up dates that include four years for the implementation of engineering controls to meet the PEL. The final standard separately regulates general industry, construction, and shipyards in order to tailor requirements to the unique circumstances found in each of these sectors. The PEL established by this rule reduces the significant risk posed to workers by occupational exposure to Cr(VI) to the maximum extent that is technologically and economically feasible.     

Diseases specific to radiation-exposed veterans. Final rule

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending its adjudication regulations concerning presumptive service connection for certain diseases for veterans who participated in radiation-risk activities during active service or while members of reserve components during active duty for training or inactive duty training. This amendment adds cancers of the bone, brain, colon, lung, and ovary to the list of diseases which may be presumptively service connected and amends the definition of the term "radiation-risk activity." The intended effect of this amendment is to ensure that veterans who may have been exposed to radiation during military service do not have a higher burden of proof than civilians exposed to ionizing radiation who may be entitled to compensation for these cancers under comparable Federal statutes.     

Patients' rights. Final rule

This final rule amends Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical regulations to update the patients' rights regulation by bringing its provisions regarding medication, restraints, and seclusion into conformity with current law and practice. The changes are primarily intended to clarify that it is permissible for VA patients to receive medication prescribed by any appropriate health care professional authorized to prescribe medication, and that it is permissible for any authorized licensed health care professional to order the use of restraints and seclusion when necessary. The rule also makes nonsubstantive changes in the patients' rights regulation for purposes of clarification.     

Infectious substances--DOT. Final rule

RSPA published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in December 1994 that proposed to revise the regulations pertaining to infectious substances, including regulated medical waste (RMW). In this final rule, RSPA is revising requirements for Division 6.2 materials (infectious substances). This rule clarifies the scope of regulation for infectious substances, provides relief for certain shipments of RMW that conform to other Federal agency regulations, allows certain quantities of RMW to be transported by aircraft, and makes other changes to clarify regulatory provisions applicable to infectious substances. This rulemaking action is necessary to ensure that the regulations for infectious substances and regulated medical waste are cost effective and provide an adequate level of safety in transportation.     

Dental conditions. Final rule

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) adopts as a final rule the proposal to amend its adjudication regulations regarding service connection of dental conditions for treatment purposes. This amendment clarifies that principles governing determinations by VA's Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) for service connection of dental conditions for the purpose of establishing eligibility for dental treatment by VA's Veterans Health Administration (VHA), apply only when VHA requests information or a rating from VBA for those purposes. This amendment also clarifies existing regulatory provisions and reflects the respective responsibilities of VHA and VBA in determinations concerning eligibility for dental treatment.     

Data breaches. Final rule

This document adopts, without change, the interim final rule that was published in the Federal Register on June 22, 2007, addressing data breaches of sensitive personal information that is processed or maintained by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This final rule implements certain provisions of the Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006. The regulations prescribe the mechanisms for taking action in response to a data breach of sensitive personal information.     

Occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens--OSHA. Final rule

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration hereby promulgates a standard under section 6(b) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the Act), 29 U.S.C. 655 to eliminate or minimize occupational exposure to Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and other bloodborne pathogens. Based on a review of the information in the rulemaking record, OSHA has made a determination that employees face a significant health risk as the result of occupational exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials because they may contain bloodborne pathogens, including hepatitis B virus which causes Hepatitis B, a serious liver disease, and human immunodeficiency virus, which causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The Agency further concludes that this exposure can be minimized or eliminated using a combination of engineering and work practice controls, personal protective clothing and equipment, training, medical surveillance, Hepatitis B vaccination, signs and labels, and other provisions.     

Miscellaneous amendments--HHS. Final rule

This final rule will remove appendixes I and J, which contain the test of Office Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars A-128 and A-133, from 45 CFR part 74. It will also update several items to conform them to the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 and correct a confusing statement which resulted from two typographical errors in that portion of OMB Circular A-110 upon which this statement is based.     

National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program: revisions to the vaccine injury table. Final rule

On September 13, 2010, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) published in the Federal Register a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposing changes to the regulations governing the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). Specifically, the Secretary proposed revisions to the Vaccine Injury Table (Table) to create distinct listings for hepatitis A, trivalent influenza, meningococcal, and human papillomavirus vaccines. The Secretary is now making this amendment to the Table by final rule; it is technical in nature. The four categories of vaccines described in this final rule are already covered vaccines under the VICP (starting in 2004) and are currently listed in a placeholder category (box XIII) in the Table. This final rule will list these vaccines as separate categories on the Table, with no associated injuries noted at this time, in order to help the public identify clearly that these vaccines are covered by the VICP. The changes implemented here are authorized by section 2114(e) of the Public Health Service Act (the Act).