Request for Emergency PRA Clearance Memorandum -- Veteran Toxic Exposure Screening - PACT Act Sec 603 - 09012022

Department of
Veterans Affairs

Memorandum

Date:

September 1, 2022

From:

Lisa Pape, Senior Advisor Office of the Deputy Under Secretary for Health

Subj:

Request for OMB review and consideration of emergency PRA clearance for PACT
Act Section 603 Toxic Exposure Screening

To:

Dominic J. Mancini
Deputy Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)

Cc:

VA Desk Officer, Matthew S. Eliseo
Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
The Honoring our PACT Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-168) requires VA to incorporate a screening
to help determine potential toxic exposures during active military, naval, air, or space
service as part of a health care screening. Section 603 of PACT Act imposes a
Congressionally mandated timeline to begin screening all Veterans enrolled in VHA health
care within 90 days of enactment, therefore full implementation across all VHA facilities
must be completed by November 8, 2022.
VA will use several different methods of gathering information from Veterans through the
toxic exposure screening, including VHA staff administering the screening during a health
care appointment, VHA staff administering at other Veteran touch point events (e.g.,
screening blitz event), and Veterans completing the screening independently before being
contacted by VHA staff for follow up. Veterans have the option of declining the toxic
exposure screening.
VA will test the toxic exposure screening, in the form of a clinical reminder, during a pilot at
seven (7) sites in the field from September 6-16. The pilot screening will be performed by
VHA staff in the following clinic areas:
• Primary Care and Women’s Health
• Mental Health
• Specialty Care
• Emergency Medicine
• Surgery
• Geriatrics and Extended Care (to include Home Based Primary Care program)
• Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs
• Other clinical areas of pilot sites can participate on a voluntary basis
• Medical Support Assistants will only be screening during dedicated time, outside of
normal duties

An emergency Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) clearance is requested because VA must
begin screening all enrolled Veterans no later than November 8, 2022. The use of regular
OMB clearance procedures will not allow for VA to carry out the requirements of the law by
November 8, 2022. OMB PRA approval is respectfully requested by September 6, 2022.
Questions may be addressed to Lindsay DeRossett via phone at (681) 279-5742 or via
email at [email protected].

Thank you for your consideration of this matter.

____________________________________
Lisa Pape, Senior Advisor Office of Deputy Under Secretary for Health
Veterans Health Administration