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[Federal Register: November 20, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 225)]
[Rules and Regulations]               
[Page 70278]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20no08-16]                         

[[Page 70278]]

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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

28 CFR Part 14

 
Administrative Claims Under the Federal Tort Claims Act; 
Delegation of Authority

AGENCY: Department of Justice.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This Directive delegates authority to the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to settle administrative tort claims presented 
pursuant to the Federal Tort Claims Act where the amount of the 
settlement does not exceed $300,000. This Directive implements the 
Administrative Dispute Resolution Act. This Directive will alert the 
general public to the new authority and is being published in the Code 
of Federal Regulations to provide a permanent record of this 
delegation.

DATES: Effective Date: November 20, 2008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Phyllis J. Pyles, Director, Torts 
Branch, Civil Division, U.S. Department of Justice, P.O. Box 888, 
Washington, DC 20044, (202) 616-4400.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Directive has been issued to delegate 
settlement authority and is a matter solely related to the division of 
responsibility between the Department of Justice and the Department of 
Veterans Affairs. As such, this rule is a rule of agency organization, 
procedure, and practice that is limited to matters of agency management 
and personnel. Accordingly: (1) This rule is exempt from the notice 
requirement of 5 U.S.C. 553(b) and is made effective upon issuance; (2) 
the Department certifies under 5 U.S.C. 605(b) that this rule will not 
have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities and further that no Regulatory Flexibility Analysis was 
required to be prepared for this final rule since the Department was 
not required to publish a general notice of proposed rulemaking; (3) 
this action is not a ``regulation'' or ``rule'' as defined by Executive 
Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review,'' Sec.  3(d)(3) and, 
therefore, this action has not been reviewed by the Office of 
Management and Budget.
    This rule will not have substantial direct effects on the States, 
on the relationship between the national government and the States, or 
on distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels 
of government. Therefore, in accordance with Executive Order 13132, 
``Federalism,'' it is determined that this rule does not have 
sufficient federalism implications to warrant the preparation of a 
Federalism Assessment. This regulation meets the applicable standards 
set forth in sections 3(a) and 3(b)(2) of Executive Order 12988, 
``Civil Justice Reform.'' This rule will not result in the expenditure 
by state, local, and tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the 
private sector, of $100,000,000 or more in any one year, and it will 
not significantly or uniquely affect small governments. Therefore, no 
actions were deemed necessary under the provisions of the Unfunded 
Mandates Reform Act of 1995.
    Finally, this action pertains to agency management, personnel, and 
organization and does not substantially affect the rights or 
obligations of non-agency parties and, accordingly, is not a ``rule'' 
as that term is used by the Congressional Review Act (Subtitle E of the 
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996). Therefore, 
the reporting requirement of 5 U.S.C. 801 does not apply.

List of Subjects in 28 CFR Part 14

    Authority delegations (government agencies), Claims.

0
By virtue of the authority vested in me by part 0 of title 28 of the 
Code of Federal Regulations, including Sec. Sec.  0.45, 0.160, 0.162, 
0.164, and 0.168, 28 CFR part 14 is amended as follows:

PART 14--ADMINISTRATIVE CLAIMS UNDER FEDERAL TORT CLAIMS ACT

0
1. The authority citation for part 14 is revised to read as follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301; 28 U.S.C. 509, 510, and 2672.

0
2. The appendix to part 14 is amended by revising the heading and text 
for the ``Delegation of Authority to the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs'' to read as follows:

Appendix to Part 14--Delegations of Settlement Authority

Delegation of Authority to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Section 1. Authority to Compromise Tort Claims.

    (a) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall have the authority 
to adjust, determine, compromise, and settle a claim involving the 
Department of Veterans Affairs under section 2672 of title 28, 
United States Code, relating to the administrative settlement of 
federal tort claims, if the amount of the proposed adjustment, 
compromise, or award does not exceed $300,000. When the Secretary 
believes a claim pending before him presents a novel question of law 
or of policy, he shall obtain the advice of the Assistant Attorney 
General in charge of the Civil Division.
    (b) The Secretary may redelegate, in writing, the settlement 
authority delegated to him under this section.

Section 2. Memorandum.

    Whenever the Secretary of Veterans Affairs settles any 
administrative claim pursuant to the authority granted by section 1 
for an amount in excess of $100,000 and within the amount delegated 
to him under section 1, a memorandum fully explaining the basis for 
the action taken shall be executed. A copy of this memorandum shall 
be sent contemporaneously to the Director, FTCA Staff, Torts Branch 
of the Civil Division.
* * * * *

Gregory G. Katsas,
Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division.
 [FR Doc. E8-27514 Filed 11-19-08; 8:45 am]

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