New regs for Wednesday: Greenhouse gas disclosures and nurses

Wednesday’s edition of the Federal Register contains a new joint rule from the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration requiring gas suppliers to report whether they publicly disclosure greenhouse gas emissions, as well as a rule from the Department of Veterans Affairs to give advanced practice registered nurses at VA facilities full practice authority.

Here’s what to look for:

Greenhouse gas disclosures: The Department of Defense, the General Services Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is moving forward with a rule that will require gas suppliers to report whether they publicly disclose greenhouse gas emissions and greenhouse gas reduction goals or targets.

The agencies said the information will help the government assess supplier greenhouse gas management practices and assist agencies in developing strategies to engage with contractors to reduce supply chain emissions.

In 2015, the Obama administration announced a new target to reduce federal government emissions by 40 percent below 2008 levels by 2025. 

“In order to identify opportunities to reduce supply chain emissions, develop and implement procurements that incorporate consideration of those emissions, and develop an accurate annual inventory that includes contractor greenhouse gas management practices, greater insight into the scope of greenhouse gas management by companies seeking to do business with the Federal Government is needed,” the agencies said in their rulemaking.

The public will have 60 days to comment on the proposed rule.

Nurses: The Department of Veterans Affairs is moving forward with a rule that would give advanced practice registered nurses at VA facilities to practice to the full extent of their education and training.

In its rulemaking, the VA said the rule would increase the veterans’ access to VA health care by expanding the pool of qualified health care professionals who are authorized to provide primary health care and other related health care services without the clinical supervision of physicians.

Under the proposed rule, APRN’s would be subdivide into four separate categories — certified nurse practitioner, certified registered nurse anesthetist, clinical nurse specialist, and certified nurse-midwife

The public will have 60 days to comment on the rule.