[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 8 (Monday, January 13, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 2099-2100]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-00390]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

38 CFR Parts 3, 4, and 60

RIN 2900-AO64


VA Compensation Service and Pension and Fiduciary Service 
Nomenclature Changes

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This document amends the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 
regulations by making nonsubstantive changes to reflect new titles of 
certain VA offices.

DATES: These amendments are effective January 13, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marie Gregory, Pension and Fiduciary 
Service (21P1), Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of 
Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20420, (202) 
632-8863. (This is not a toll-free number.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In April 2011, VA divided its Compensation 
and Pension Service (an office within VA's Veterans Benefits 
Administration) into two separate Services, the ``Compensation 
Service'' and the ``Pension and Fiduciary Service.'' This final rule 
amends VA regulations to reflect this change. No substantive changes 
are intended by these amendments.

Administrative Procedure Act

    This final rule concerns only agency organization, procedure, or 
practice and therefore is not subject to the notice and comment 
provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(b). This final rule consists of only 
nonsubstantive changes that will make the regulations more accurate and 
less confusing to readers. Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), the 
Secretary finds that there is good cause to make these amendments 
effective on the date of their publication in the Federal Register.

Unfunded Mandates

    The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act requires, at 2 U.S.C. 1532, that 
agencies prepare an assessment of anticipated costs and benefits before 
issuing any rule that may result in an expenditure by State, local, or 
tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector of $100 
million or more in any given year. This final rule will have no such 
effect on State, local, or tribal governments, or on the private 
sector.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This final rule contains no provisions constituting a collection of 
information under the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521).

Executive Orders 12866 and 13563

    Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 direct agencies to assess the 
costs and benefits of available regulatory alternatives and, when 
regulation is necessary, to select regulatory approaches that maximize 
net benefits (including potential economic, environmental, public 
health and safety effects, and other advantages; distributive impacts; 
and equity). Executive Order 13563 (Improving Regulation and Regulatory 
Review) emphasizes the importance of quantifying both costs and 
benefits, reducing costs, harmonizing rules, and promoting flexibility. 
Executive Order 12866 (Regulatory Planning and Review) defines a 
``significant regulatory action,'' which requires review by the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB), as ``any regulatory action that is 
likely to result in a rule that may: (1) Have an annual effect on the 
economy of $100 million or more or adversely affect in a material way 
the economy, a sector of the economy, productivity, competition, jobs, 
the environment, public health or safety, or State, local, or tribal 
governments or communities; (2) Create a serious inconsistency or 
otherwise interfere with an action taken or planned by another agency; 
(3) Materially alter the budgetary impact of entitlements, grants, user 
fees, or loan programs or the rights and obligations of recipients 
thereof; or (4) Raise novel legal or policy issues arising out of legal 
mandates, the President's priorities, or the principles set forth in 
this Executive Order.''
    VA has examined the economic, interagency, budgetary, legal, and 
policy implications of this regulatory action, and it has been 
determined not to be a significant regulatory action under Executive 
Order 12866. VA's impact analysis can be found as a supporting document 
at http://www.regulations.gov, usually within 48 hours after the 
rulemaking document is published. Additionally, a copy of the 
rulemaking and its impact analysis are available on VA's Web site at 
http://www1.va.gov/orpm/, by following the link for ``VA Regulations 
Published.''

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Secretary hereby certifies that this final rule will not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities 
as they are defined in the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601-
612. This final rule consists of only nonsubstantive changes. 
Therefore, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 605(b), this amendment is exempt from 
the final regulatory flexibility analysis requirements of section 604.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

    The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance program numbers and 
titles are 64.100, Automobiles and Adaptive Equipment for Certain 
Disabled Veterans and Members of the Armed Forces; 64.101, Burial 
Expenses Allowance for Veterans; 64.104, Pension for Non-Service-
Connected Disability for Veterans; 64.105, Pension to Veterans 
Surviving Spouses, and Children; 64.106, Specially Adapted Housing for 
Disabled Veterans; 64.109, Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected 
Disability; and 64.110, Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation 
for Service-Connected Death.

Signing Authority

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or designee, approved this 
document and authorized the undersigned to sign and submit the document 
to the Office of the Federal Register for publication electronically as 
an official document of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Jose D. 
Riojas, Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs, approved this 
document on January 2, 2014, for publication.

List of Subjects

38 CFR Parts 3 and 4

    Administrative practice and procedure, Claims, Disability benefits, 
Health care, Pensions, Radioactive materials, Veterans, Vietnam.

[[Page 2100]]

38 CFR Part 60

    Health care, Housing, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, 
Travel, Veterans.

Robert C. McFetridge,
Director, Office of Regulation Policy and Management, Office of the 
General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs.

    For the reasons stated in the preamble, VA amends 38 CFR parts 3, 
4, and 60 as follows:

PART 3--ADJUDICATION

Subpart A--Pension, Compensation, and Dependency and Indemnity 
Compensation

0
1. The authority citation for part 3, subpart A continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority:  38 U.S.C. 501(a), unless otherwise noted.


Sec.  3.1  [Amended]

0
2. Amend Sec.  3.1(y)(3) by removing ``Compensation and Pension 
Service'' and adding, in its place, ``Compensation Service''.


Sec.  3.100  [Amended]

0
3. Amend Sec.  3.100:
0
a. In paragraph (a) by removing ``Compensation and Pension Service'' 
and adding, in its place, ``the Compensation Service or the Pension and 
Fiduciary Service''.
0
b. In paragraph (b) by removing ``Compensation and Pension Service'' 
and adding, in its place, ``Compensation Service, and the Director, 
Pension and Fiduciary Service'' and removing ``that service designated 
by him'' and adding, in its place, ``each service designated by its 
Director''.


Sec.  3.321  [Amended]

0
4. Amend Sec.  3.321(b) by removing ``Compensation and Pension 
Service'' and adding, in its place, ``Compensation Service''.


Sec.  3.328  [Amended]

0
5. Amend Sec.  3.328 by:
0
a. Removing ``Compensation and Pension Service'' each place it appears 
and adding, in its place, ``Compensation Service or the Pension and 
Fiduciary Service''.
0
b. In paragraph (b), removing ``Veterans Service Center Manager'' each 
place it appears and adding, in its place, ``Veterans Service Center 
Manager or Pension Management Center Manager''.


Sec.  3.814  [Amended]

0
6. Amend Sec.  3.814(d)(2) by removing ``Compensation and Pension 
Service'' and adding, in its place, ``Compensation Service''.


Sec.  3.815  [Amended]

0
7. Amend Sec.  3.815(h) by removing ``Compensation and Pension 
Service'' and adding, in its place, ``Compensation Service''.


Sec.  3.905  [Amended]

0
8. Amend Sec.  3.905(a) by removing ``Director, Compensation and 
Pension Service'' and adding, in its place, ``Director, Compensation 
Service, and the Director, Pension and Fiduciary Service''.

PART 4--SCHEDULE FOR RATING DISABILITIES

Subpart A--General Policy in Rating

0
9. The authority citation for part 4 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  38 U.S.C. 1155, unless otherwise noted.


Sec.  4.16  [Amended]

0
10. Amend Sec.  4.16(b) by removing ``Compensation and Pension 
Service'' and adding, in its place, ``Compensation Service''.


Sec.  4.24  [Amended]

0
11. Amend Sec.  4.24 by removing ``Compensation and Pension Service'' 
and adding, in its place, ``Compensation Service''.


Sec.  4.29  [Amended]

0
12. Amend Sec.  4.29(g) by removing ``Compensation and Pension 
Service'' and adding, in its place, ``Compensation Service''.

Subpart B--Disability Ratings


Sec.  4.104  [Amended]

0
13. Amend Sec.  4.104, at the diagnostic code 7015 Note, by removing 
``Compensation and Pension Service'' and adding, in its place, 
``Compensation Service''.


Sec.  4.117  [Amended]

0
14. Amend Sec.  4.117, at the diagnostic code 7714 Note, by removing 
``Compensation and Pension Service'' and adding, in its place, 
``Compensation Service''.


Sec.  4.124a  [Amended]

0
15. Amend Sec.  4.124a, under the heading Epilepsy and Unemployability, 
paragraph (4) by removing ``Compensation and Pension Service'' and 
adding, in its place, ``Compensation Service or the Director, Pension 
and Fiduciary Service''.

PART 60--FISHER HOUSES AND OTHER TEMPORARY LODGING

0
16. The authority citation for part 60 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  38 U.S.C. 501, 1708.


Sec.  60.2  [Amended]

0
17. Amend Sec.  60.2 by removing ``VA's Compensation and Pension 
Service'' and adding, in its place, ``the Compensation Service or the 
Pension and Fiduciary Service''.

[FR Doc. 2014-00390 Filed 1-10-14; 8:45 am]
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