Solicitation of Nomination for Appointment to the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking nominations of qualified candidates to be considered for membership on the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans (“the Committee”) for the 2021 membership cycle.

DATES:

Nominations for membership on the Committee must be received by June 30, 2021, no later than 4:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time. Packages received after this time will not be considered for the current membership cycle.

ADDRESSES:

All nomination packages should be sent to the Advisory Committee Management Office at vaadvisorycmte@va.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In carrying out the duties set forth, the Committee provides a Congressionally-mandated report to the Secretary each even-numbered year, which includes:

(1) An assessment of the needs of women Veterans with respect to compensation, health care, rehabilitation, outreach and other benefits and programs administered by VA;

(2) A review of the programs and activities of VA designed to meet such needs; and

(3) Proposing recommendations (including recommendations for administrative and legislative action) as the Committee considers appropriate. The Committee reports to the Secretary, through the Director of the Center for Women Veterans.

Authority: The Committee is authorized by 38 U.S.C. 542, to provide advice to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Secretary) on: The administration of VA's benefits and services (health care, rehabilitation benefits, compensation, outreach and other relevant programs) for women Veterans; reports and studies pertaining to women Veterans; and the needs of women Veterans. In accordance with the statute and the Committee's current charter, the majority of the membership shall consist of non-Federal employees appointed by the Secretary from the general public, serving as special government employees.

The Secretary appoints Committee members and determines the length of terms in which Committee members serve. A term of service for any member may not exceed three (3) years. However, the Secretary can reappoint members for additional terms. Each year, there are several vacancies on the Committee, as members' terms expire.

Membership Criteria: The Committee is currently comprised of 12 members. By statute, the Committee consists of members appointed by the Secretary from the general public, including: Representatives of women Veterans; individuals who are recognized authorities in fields pertinent to the needs of women Veterans, including the gender specific health-care needs of women Veterans; representatives of both female and male Veterans with service-connected disabilities, including at least one female Veteran with a service-connected disability and at least one male Veteran with a service-connected disability; and women Veterans who are recently separated from service in the Armed Forces. Non-Veterans are also eligible for nomination.

The Committee meets at least two times annually, which may include a site visit to a VA field location. In accordance with Federal Travel Regulation, VA will cover travel expenses—to include per diem—for all members of the Committee, for any travel associated with official Committee duties. A copy of the Committee's most recent charter and a list of the current membership can be found at www.va.gov/ADVISORY/ or www.va.gov/womenvet/.

In accordance with recently revised guidance regarding the ban on lobbyists serving as members of advisory boards and commissions, Federally-registered lobbyists are prohibited from serving on Federal advisory committees in an individual capacity. Additional information regarding this issue can be found at www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/08/13/2014-19140/revised-guidance-on-appointment-of-lobbyists-to-federal-advisory-committees-boards-and-commissions.

Requirements for Nomination Submission

Nomination packages must be typed (12-point font) and include: (1) A cover letter from the nominee and (2) a current resume that is no more than four pages in length. The cover letter must summarize: The nominee's interest in serving on the committee and contributions she/he can make to the work of the committee; any relevant Veterans' service activities she/he is currently engaged in; and the military branch affiliation and timeframe of military service (if applicable). To promote inclusion and demographic balance of membership, please include as much information related to your race, national origin, disability status, minority Veteran status, or any other factors that may give you a diverse perspective on women Veterans matters. Finally, the cover letter must include the nominee's complete contact information (name, address, email address and phone number); and a statement confirming that she/he is not a Federally-registered lobbyist. The resume should show professional and/or work experience and Veterans' service involvement—especially service that involves women Veterans' issues.

Self-nominations are acceptable. Any letters of nomination from organizations or other individuals must accompany the package when it is submitted. Letters of nomination submitted without a complete nomination package will not be considered. If you are submitting a package on behalf of an individual, it must include all of the required components and complete contact information. Do not submit a package without the nominee's consent or awareness.

The Department makes every effort to ensure that the membership of its advisory committees is fairly balanced, in terms of points of view represented. In the review process, consideration is given to nominees' potential to address the Committee's demographic needs (regional representation, race/ethnicity/minority representation, professional expertise, war era service, gender, former enlisted or officer status, branch of service, for example). Other considerations to promote a balanced membership include longevity of military service, significant deployment experience, ability to handle complex issues, experience running large organizations and ability to contribute to the gender-specific health care and benefits needs of women Veterans.