Special Monthly Compensation for Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury, 93649-93653 [2016-30509]
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93649
TABLE 1 TO PARAGRAPH (g) OF THIS AD—LIFE-LIMITED LANDING GEAR PARTS—Continued
Part number
Description
19919–000–00 ..................................
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(h) Replace Affected Parts
The initial compliance for the replacement
of affected parts is specified in paragraphs
(h)(1) and (h)(2) of this AD. Replace affected
parts with serviceable parts, in accordance
with the Accomplishment Instructions of
Embraer S.A. Alert Service Bulletin 120–32–
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(2) Within 90 days after the effective date
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(k) Other FAA AD Provisions
The following provisions also apply to this
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In accordance with 14 CFR 39.19, send your
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ATTN: Todd Thompson, Aerospace
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(2) For service information identified in
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425–227–1221.
Issued in Renton, Washington, on
December 6, 2016.
Dionne Palermo,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane
Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2016–30030 Filed 12–20–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–13–P
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS
38 CFR Part 3
RIN 2900–AP23
Special Monthly Compensation for
Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury
Department of Veterans Affairs.
Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) seeks to amend its
adjudication regulations to add an
additional benefit for veterans with
residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI).
This benefit was enacted by the
Veterans’ Benefits Act of 2010 and
provides special monthly compensation
for veterans with TBI who are in need
of aid and attendance and, in the
absence of such aid and attendance,
would require hospitalization, nursing
home care, or other residential
institutional care. Prior to the law’s
enactment, veterans with TBI were not
SUMMARY:
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90,000
eligible for this benefit unless they had
a separate service-related disability that
qualified under the law.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before February 21, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Written comments may be
submitted through
www.Regulations.gov; by mail or handdelivery to Director, Regulation Policy
and Management (00REG), Department
of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont
Avenue NW., Room 1068, Washington,
DC 20420; or by fax to (202) 273–9026.
Comments should indicate that they are
submitted in response to ‘‘RIN 2900–
AP23—Special Monthly Compensation
for Veterans with Traumatic Brain
Injury.’’ Copies of comments received
will be available for public inspection in
the Office of Regulation Policy and
Management, Room 1068, between the
hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday (except
holidays). Please call (202) 461–4902 for
an appointment. (This is not a toll-free
number.) In addition, during the
comment period, comments may be
viewed online through the Federal
Docket Management System (FDMS) at
www.Regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric
G. Mandle, Policy Analyst, Regulations
Staff (211D), Compensation Service,
Department of Veterans Affairs, 810
Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC
20420, (202) 461–9700. (This is not a
toll-free telephone number.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On
October 13, 2010, the Veterans’ Benefits
Act of 2010, Public Law 111–275 (the
Act) was signed into law. Section 601 of
the Act amends 38 U.S.C. 1114, adding
subsection (t) to include special
monthly compensation (SMC) for
veterans who as the result of serviceconnected disability, are in need of
regular aid and attendance for the
residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI),
and in the absence of such regular aid
and attendance would require
hospitalization, nursing home care, or
other residential institutional care. The
law grants an additional monetary
allowance for veterans with residuals of
TBI who require this higher level of care
but would not otherwise qualify for the
benefit under 38 U.S.C. 1114(r)(2). The
amendment became effective October 1,
2011.
VA administers SMC benefits under
38 CFR 3.350. Additionally, 38 CFR
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3.352 provides the criteria to determine
the need for aid and attendance and
whether a claimant is permanently
bedridden; 38 CFR 3.552 requires
adjustments of allowance for aid and
attendance when a beneficiary is
hospitalized. Internal guidance has been
published since April 4, 2011,
instructing VA offices engaged in claims
adjudication on how to implement the
new SMC provision, but a formal update
to VA’s adjudication regulations has not
yet been published.
I. VA Interpretation of Public Law 111–
275
Under this proposed rule, VA will
directly implement 38 U.S.C. 1114(t),
which states that an additional award of
SMC is payable to a veteran who, as the
result of service-connected disability, is
in need of regular aid and attendance for
the residuals of traumatic brain injury,
is not eligible for additional
compensation under 38 U.S.C.
1114(r)(2), and in the absence of such
regular aid and attendance would
require hospitalization, nursing home
care, or other residential institutional
care. VA would also make clear that a
veteran entitled to this benefit shall be
paid during periods he or she is not
hospitalized at United States
Government expense as if receiving the
amount equal to the compensation
authorized under 38 U.S.C. 1114(o) or
the maximum rate authorized under 38
U.S.C. 1114(p) and, in addition to such
compensation, a monthly allowance
equal to the rate described in 38 U.S.C.
1114(r)(2).
VA believes that there are two
potential readings of the Act. Under the
first, more restrictive reading, a veteran
affected by section 1114(t) would
receive only the rate noted under 38
U.S.C. 1114(r)(2), e.g., $2,983, in
addition to any other rate of special
monthly compensation the individual in
question might happen to qualify for.
Reading the Act in this way, however,
would result in benefits that are less
than the amount to which other veterans
requiring the same level of care not
related to TBI would be entitled. This is
because the predicate rates built into
section 1114(r), such as the rate
authorized by subsection (o), the
maximum rate authorized under
subsection (p), or the intermediate rate
authorized under subsections (n) and
(o), will not typically be met for
veterans suffering from TBI, rather than
the other conditions enumerated in
section 1114.
Under the second, more liberal
interpretation of section 1114(t), VA
would pay veterans who meet the
criteria of section 1114(t) the full
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amount described by section 1114(r)
(i.e., the rate authorized by subsection
(o), which is also the maximum rate
authorized under subsection (p), in
addition to the allowance authorized by
subsection (r)). The statutory language,
viewed together with its purpose and
legislative history, can be interpreted as
establishing that Congress intended that
veterans receiving the aid and
attendance allowance authorized by
subsection (r)(2) necessarily also qualify
for the predicate rates described in
subsection (r).
VA finds that Congress’ intent was to
enact a law that pays veterans of this
class an amount equal to the
compensation authorized under section
1114(o) or the maximum rate authorized
under section 1114(p), plus the
additional amount described under
section 1114(r)(2). VA chose the rates
permitted under section 1114(o) and (p)
because those are the highest rates
permitted under section 1114 and
therefore would be the most favorable
rates for this group of veterans requiring
this higher level of care.
Textually, subsection (r) generally
preconditions receipt of the heightened
aid and attendance allowance under
either subsection (r)(1) or (r)(2) on
receipt of one of the predicate rates
identified in subsection (r), which
include the rates specified in (o) and (p).
Additionally, subsection (r) makes clear
that a veteran is receiving that
heightened allowance ‘‘in addition to’’
the special monthly compensation
otherwise described in subsection (r).
VA has long interpreted subsection (r)
as reflecting the assumption that a
veteran is necessarily in receipt of one
of the predicate rates described in the
body of subsection (r) whenever a
veteran is in receipt of the heightened
aid and attendance allowance under
either subsection (r)(1) or (r)(2). This
interpretation is reflected in VA’s
current regulations. See 38 CFR
3.352(b)(1) (higher level of aid and
attendance authorized by 38 CFR
3.350(h) requires that the veteran be
‘‘entitled to the compensation
authorized under [subsection (o),] or the
maximum rate of compensation
authorized under [subsection (p)].’’).
In support of this interpretation, VA
notes that 38 U.S.C. 1114(r)(2) provides
additional compensation to those
veterans with certain service-connected
disabilities who are in need of a higher
level of care. The legislative history for
section 601 of Public Law 111–275
indicates that subsection (t) is intended
to provide additional compensation to
veterans with TBI who do not have
those qualifying service-connected
disabilities and therefore are not
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otherwise eligible for benefits under
(r)(2), but still require a higher level of
care comparable to what would
otherwise be contemplated by the
allowance provided by (r)(2). See S.
Rep. No. 111–71, at 17 (2009)
(discussing the intent to provide the ting
(r)(2) rate of compensation as evidence
of Congress’ intent to pay (t) aid and
attendance at the rate commonly
received by veterans entitled to (r)(2)
payments. If Congress intended
subsection (t) to confer a freestanding
allowance, it is counterintuitive that
Congress would link the allowance to
(r)(2) rather than simply declaring that
any veteran in need of regular aid and
attendance for the residuals of TBI
should receive a specified dollar
amount. Instead, Congress chose to
match the existing rate and aid and
attendance requirements described
under (r)(2). In so doing, Congress
emphasized that the overall impairment
and need for care are the same for those
with TBI as they are for those with
certain service-connected disabilities
who require a higher level of aid and
attendance. S. Rep. 111–71 at *18.
VA’s interpretation of section 1114(t)
would mean that the rate authorized by
section 1114(o) and (p) is the ‘‘other
compensation under this section’’
referenced in section 1114(t) for
purposes of all cases under that section.
We acknowledge that this interpretation
imports a specfic meaning to the term
‘‘other compensation’’ that is not
apparent on the face of that term. We
find that this interpretation is warranted
because interpreting the phrase ‘‘other
compensation under this section’’ to
refer only to other compensation for
which the veteran independently
qualifies would defeat the purpose of
the legislation. The legislative history
noted that 38 U.S.C. 1114(l) prescribes
the basic monthy compensation amount
for veterans in need of aid and
attendance due to their serviceconnected disabilities and that section
1114(r)(2) prescribes an ‘‘additional’’
monthly amount payable for veterans in
need of a higher level of care. S. Rep.
111–71 at *17. Congress thus recognized
that the needs of veterans who qualify
for the (r)(2) rate are met by payment of
both a basic monthly SMC rate, which
generally would be provided under
subsections (l) through (p) of section
1114 and the heightened aid and
attendance payment under (r)(2).
Congress determined that legislation
was needed to extend similar benefits to
veterans with TBI because the
provisions of section 1114 generally
focus on physical disabilities and
locomotion rather than cognitive or
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psychological impairments associated
with TBI. S. Rep. 111–71 at *17–18.
For the reasons stated in the
legislative history, cognitive disability
due to TBI generally would not qualify
for the basic monthly SMC rates
prescribed in section 1114(l)–(p). As a
result, if the term ‘‘other compensation
under this section,’’ as used in section
1114(t) were construed to mean
compensation for which the veteran
otherwise qualifies without regard to
section 1114(t), a substantial part of the
benefits contemplated by (r)(2)—i.e., the
basic monthly SMC rate—would be
unavailable in most cases covered by
section 1114(t). Such an interpretation
would defeat the statute’s clear purpose
in that it would, based on section 1114’s
focus on physical disability, provide
veterans covered by section 1114(t) with
a monthly benefit well below the
amount Congress has determined
necessary to provide for the needs of
veterans requiring a heightened level of
care under (r)(2). Accordingly, we
believe section 1114(t) is most properly
construed to permit payment of both the
‘‘additional’’ amount specified in (r)(2)
and the predicate SMC rate specified in
section 1114(o) and (p).
VA finds the language of the amended
statute to be ambiguous, but has
determined that Congress intended to
provide veterans in need of aid and
attendance due to TBI residuals the
same level of compensation as veterans
entitled to the section 1114(r)(2) rate.
See Chevron, U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Res.
Def. Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837, 842–
844 (1984) (if Congress has not
addressed ‘‘the precise question at
issue,’’ a court should defer to an
administering agency’s construction of
the statute so long as it is a
‘‘permissible’’ construction). VA
believes its interpretation is the most
logical one because it is unlikely that
Congress would wish to bestow a lesser
benefit on veterans with TBI than is
applicable to veterans with certain
service-connected disabilities that might
otherwise qualify for the (r)(2)
allowance, while simultaneously
emphasizing that veterans with TBI may
be in a functionally similar situation.
This interpretation is also the most
advantageous to veterans with TBI who
require a higher level of care.
II. Regulatory Amendment Mechanics
This rulemaking proposes to amend
§ 3.350 by adding paragraph (j),
proposes to amend § 3.352 by adding a
new paragraph (b)(2) and revising the
authority citation, and proposes to
amend § 3.552(b) by adding a reference
to 38 U.S.C. 1114(t) to paragraph (b)(2)
and revising the authority citation.
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Proposed paragraph (j) will set forth the
general criteria prescribed by 38 U.S.C.
1114(t). Paragraph (j) would reference
§ 3.352 to provide guidance on
determining the need for aid and
attendance. Paragraph (j)(1) would
provide that a veteran shall be entitled
to the amount equal to the
compensation authorized under 38
U.S.C. 1114(o) or the maximum rate
authorized under 38 U.S.C. 1114(p) and,
in addition to such compensation, a
monthly allowance equal to the rate
described in 38 U.S.C. 1114(r)(2) during
periods he or she is not hospitalized at
United States Government expense.
In addition, to ensure consistency
with current § 3.350(h), VA proposes to
reference revised § 3.552(b)(2) under
proposed § 3.350(j)(1). Section
3.552(b)(2) requires VA to discontinue
the aid and attendance benefit following
hospitalization at government expense.
Proposed § 3.350(j)(2) would note that
an allowance under proposed paragraph
(j) would be paid in lieu of any
allowance authorized by 38 U.S.C.
1114(r)(1).
Section 3.352 governs the criteria for
determining the need for aid and
attendance and what is ‘‘permanently
bedridden’’ for VA disability
compensation purposes. VA proposes to
amend § 3.352 to regulate entitlement to
a higher level of aid and attendance
allowance for residuals of TBI.
Specifically, we propose to redesignate
paragraphs (b)(2) through (b)(5) of
§ 3.352 as (b)(3) through (b)(6).
Paragraph (b)(1)(iii) and newly
redesignated paragraph (b)(4) of this
section reference (b)(2). As such, those
paragraphs would also be revised to
reflect that (b)(2) would become (b)(3).
This rulemaking also proposes to add
a new paragraph (b)(2) to § 3.352 stating
that a veteran is entitled to the higher
level of aid and attendance allowance
for residuals of TBI, as authorized by
§ 3.350(j), in lieu of the regular aid and
attendance allowance. Entitlement
would be found when the veteran meets
the requirements for entitlement to the
regular aid and attendance allowance in
paragraph (a) of the section and when
the veteran needs a higher level of care
(as defined in redesignated paragraph
(b)(3) of the section) than is required to
establish entitlement to the regular aid
and attendance allowance, and in the
absence of the provision of such higher
level of care would require
hospitalization, nursing home care, or
other residential institutional care.
As previously discussed, VA has
determined that Congress intended 38
U.S.C. 1114(t) to provide total
compensation equal to the total rate
paid after factoring total compensation
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93651
paid in (r)(2) cases, who also receive
payment under subsections (o) or (p).
VA therefore proposes to apply the same
definition of a higher level of care when
determining entitlement under
proposed § 3.350(j) as VA applies under
§ 3.350(h). Specifically, VA proposes to
require that veterans entitled to SMC
under section 1114(t) establish
entitlement to the regular aid and
attendance allowance in paragraph (a) of
§ 3.352, as well as establish a
requirement for a higher level of care,
where, in the absence of the higher level
of care, the veteran would require
hospitalization, nursing home care, or
other residential institutional care.
These requirements mirror the current
requirements for entitlement under
§ 3.350(h) and § 3.352(b). We would
clarify in § 3.352(b)(2)(i) and (ii) that the
need for this higher level of aid and
attendance must be as a result of
service-connected residuals of traumatic
brain injury. This requirement is
consistent with the statutory language
which requires that the veteran ‘‘as a
result of service-connected disability, is
in need of regular aid and attendance for
the residuals of [TBI].’’ While the
statutory language could be read to
allow entitlement to section 1114(t)
compensation to those veterans with
any service-connected disability that
also suffer from TBI residuals, VA
believes that the phrase ‘‘as a result of’’
indicates Congress intended that the
need for a higher level of aid and
attendance for TBI residuals to be due
to a service-connected disability.
Further, the legislative history is clear
that Congress intended section 1114(t)
compensation to be provided to those
veterans suffering from serviceconnected residuals of TBI. See
Chevron, supra; see S. Rep. No. 111–71,
at 17 (2009) (discussing that the
committee bill ‘‘would allow veterans
suffering from severe TBIs to receive the
highest level of aid and attendance
benefits from VA’’). We would also
amend the authority citation for
§ 3.352(b) to add section 1114(t).
Lastly, VA proposes to amend 38 CFR
3.552(b)(2). Section 3.552 regulates
adjustments of allowance for aid and
attendance. Specifically, paragraph
(b)(2) states that ‘‘[w]hen a veteran is
hospitalized at the expense of the
United States Government, the
additional aid and attendance allowance
authorized by 38 U.S.C. 1114(r)(1) or (2)
will be discontinued . . .’’. To ensure
consistency in its regulations, and to
implement the conforming amendment
of the Act, VA is amending that
paragraph to include 38 U.S.C. 1114(t).
This amendment is supported by the
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plain language of the statute, which
states ‘‘[s]ubject to section 5503(c) of
this title.’’ Section 5503(c) of title 38
United States Code governs
hospitalization of veterans and states, in
effect, the rule we propose to establish
here. We would also amend the
authority citation for § 3.552(b). The
current authority citation cites 38 U.S.C.
5503(e); however, the Veterans
Education and Benefits Expansion Act
of 2001, Public Law 107–103, 204(a),
115 Stat. 990, amended section 5503 by
redesignating section 5503(e) as section
5503(c). Therefore, we would revise the
authority citation to reflect the accurate
legal authority as 38 U.S.C. 5503(c).
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’’ requiring review by
the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB), unless OMB waives such
review, 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.’’
The economic, interagency,
budgetary, legal, and policy
implications of this regulatory action
have been examined, 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
https://www.regulations.gov, usually
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within 48 hours after the rulemaking
document is published. Additionally, a
copy of this rulemaking and its impact
analysis are available on VA’s Web site
at https://www.va.gov/orpm/, by
following the link for ‘‘VA Regulations
Published From FY 2004 Through Fiscal
Year to Date.’’
Dated: December 13, 2016.
Jeffrey Martin,
Office Program Manager, Office of Regulation
Policy & Management, Office of the Secretary,
Department of Veterans Affairs.
For the reasons stated in the
preamble, the Department of Veterans
Affairs proposes to amend 38 CFR part
3 as set forth below:
Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Secretary hereby certifies that
this proposed rule would 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
proposed rule would directly affect only
individuals and would not directly
affect small entities. Therefore, pursuant
to 5 U.S.C. 605(b), this rulemaking is
exempt from the initial and final
regulatory flexibility analysis
requirements of sections 603 and 604.
The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
of 1995, 2 U.S.C. 1532, requires that
agencies prepare an assessment of
anticipated costs and benefits before
issuing any rule that may result in the
expenditure by State, local, and tribal
governments, in the aggregate, or by the
private sector, of $100 million or more
(adjusted annually for inflation) in any
one year. This proposed rule would
have no such effect on State, local, and
tribal governments, or on the private
sector.
Paperwork Reduction Act
This proposed rule contains no
provisions constituting a collection of
information under the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501–
3521).
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
The Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance number and title for the
program affected by this document is
64.109, Veterans Compensation for
Service-Connected Disability.
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. Gina
S. Farrisee, Deputy Chief of Staff,
Department of Veterans Affairs,
approved this document on December
13, 2016, for publication.
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Subpart A—Pension, Compensation,
and Dependency and Indemnity
Compensation
1. The authority citation for part 3,
subpart A continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501(a), unless
otherwise noted.
2. Amend § 3.350 to add paragraph (j)
to read as follows:
■
§ 3.350 Special monthly compensation
ratings.
*
Unfunded Mandates
PO 00000
PART 3—ADJUDICATION
Sfmt 4702
*
*
*
*
(j) Special aid and attendance benefit
for residuals of traumatic brain injury
(38 U.S.C. 1114(t)). The special monthly
compensation provided by 38 U.S.C.
1114(t) is payable to a veteran who, as
the result of service-connected
disability, is in need of regular aid and
attendance for the residuals of traumatic
brain injury, is not eligible for
compensation under 38 U.S.C.
1114(r)(2), and in the absence of such
regular aid and attendance would
require hospitalization, nursing home
care, or other residential institutional
care. Determination of this need is
subject to the criteria of § 3.352.
(1) A veteran described in this
paragraph (j) shall be entitled to the
amount equal to the compensation
authorized under 38 U.S.C. 1114(o) or
the maximum rate authorized under 38
U.S.C. 1114(p) and, in addition to such
compensation, a monthly allowance
equal to the rate described in 38 U.S.C.
1114(r)(2) during periods he or she is
not hospitalized at United States
Government expense. (See § 3.552(b)(2)
as to continuance following admission
for hospitalization.)
(2) An allowance authorized under 38
U.S.C. 1114(t) shall be paid in lieu of
any allowance authorized by 38 U.S.C.
1114(r)(1).
(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501, 38 U.S.C. 1114(t))
3. Amend § 3.352 by:
a. Redesignating paragraphs (b)(2)
through (b)(5) as (b)(3) through (b)(6);
■ b. In paragraph (b)(1)(iii), removing
the phrase ‘‘paragraph (b)(2)’’ and in its
place adding the phrase ‘‘paragraph
(b)(3)’’;
■ c. Adding new paragraph (b)(2);
■
■
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 245 / Wednesday, December 21, 2016 / Proposed Rules
d. In redesignated paragraph (b)(4),
removing the phrase ‘‘paragraph (b)(2)’’
and in its place adding the phrase
‘‘paragraph (b)(3)’’; and
■ e. In the authority citation at the end
of paragraph (b), adding ‘‘1114(t)’’.
The addition and revision reads as
follows:
■
§ 3.352 Criteria for determining need for
aid and attendance and ‘‘permanently
bedridden.’’
*
*
*
*
(b)(1) * * *
(2) A veteran is entitled to the higher
level aid and attendance allowance
authorized by § 3.350(j) in lieu of the
regular aid and attendance allowance
when all of the following conditions are
met:
(i) As a result of service-connected
residuals of traumatic brain injury, the
veteran meets the requirements for
entitlement to the regular aid and
attendance allowance in paragraph (a) of
this section.
(ii) As a result of service-connected
residuals of traumatic brain injury, the
veteran needs a ‘‘higher level of care’’
(as defined in paragraph (b)(3) of this
section) than is required to establish
entitlement to the regular aid and
attendance allowance, and in the
absence of the provision of such higher
level of care the veteran would require
hospitalization, nursing home care, or
other residential institutional care.
* * *
(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501, 1114(r)(2), 1114(t))
*
*
*
*
■ 4. Amend § 3.552(b) by:
■ a. In paragraph (b)(2), adding the
phrase ‘‘or 38 U.S.C. 1114(t)’’ after the
phrase ‘‘authorized by 38 U.S.C.
1114(r)(1) or (2)’’; and
■ b. At the end of paragraph (b), revising
the authority citation.
The revision read as follows:
§ 3.552 Adjustment of allowance for aid
and attendance.
*
*
*
*
*
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 5503(c))
*
*
*
*
*
[FR Doc. 2016–30509 Filed 12–20–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320–01–P
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:14 Dec 20, 2016
Jkt 241001
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R09–OAR–2016–0669; FRL–9956–67–
Region 9]
Determination of Attainment of the
2008 Ozone National Ambient Air
Quality Standards; Mariposa County,
California
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
*
*
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is proposing to determine
that the Mariposa County, California
Moderate Nonattainment Area (NAA)
has attained the 2008 8-hour ozone
National Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS or ‘‘standards’’). This proposed
determination is based on complete,
quality-assured and certified data for
2013–2015. Preliminary data for 2016
are consistent with continued
attainment of the standards in the
Mariposa County NAA. If the
determination is finalized as proposed,
any unfulfilled obligations to submit
revisions to the state implementation
plan (SIP) related to attainment of the
2008 ozone standards for the Mariposa
County NAA will be suspended for as
long as the area continues to meet those
standards.
DATES: Any comments must arrive by
January 20, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments,
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R09–
OAR–2016–0669 at https://
www.regulations.gov, or via email to
levin.nancy@epa.gov. For comments
submitted at Regulations.gov, follow the
online instructions for submitting
comments. Once submitted, comments
cannot be edited or removed from
Regulations.gov. For either manner of
submission, the EPA may publish any
comment received to its public docket.
Do not submit electronically any
information you consider to be
Confidential Business Information (CBI)
or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Multimedia
submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be
accompanied by a written comment.
The written comment is considered the
official comment and should include
discussion of all points you wish to
make. The EPA will generally not
consider comments or comment
contents located outside of the primary
submission (i.e., on the Web, cloud or
other file sharing system). For
additional submission methods, please
contact the person identified in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
93653
For the full EPA public comment policy,
information about CBI or multimedia
submissions, and general guidance on
making effective comments, please visit
https://www2.epa.gov/dockets/
commenting-epa-dockets.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nancy Levin, EPA Region IX, (415) 972–
3848, levin.nancy@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Throughout this document, whenever
‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us’’ or ‘‘our’’ is used, we mean
the EPA. In the Rules and Regulations
section of this Federal Register, we are
making a determination that the
Mariposa County, California Moderate
NAA has attained the 2008 8-hour
ozone NAAQS as a direct final rule
without prior proposal because the
Agency views this action as
noncontroversial and anticipates no
adverse comments. A detailed rationale
for this determination of attainment is
set forth in the direct final rule. If we
receive adverse comments, however, we
will publish a timely withdrawal of the
direct final rule and address the
comments in subsequent action based
on this proposed rule. We do not plan
to open a second comment period, so
anyone interested in commenting
should do so at this time. If we do not
receive adverse comments, no further
activity is planned. For further
information, please see the direct final
rule, which is located in the Rules and
Regulations section of this Federal
Register.
Dated: December 2, 2016.
Deborah Jordan,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region IX.
[FR Doc. 2016–30474 Filed 12–20–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION
45 CFR Parts 1600, 1630, and 1631
Definitions; Cost Standards and
Procedures; Purchasing and Property
Management
Legal Services Corporation.
Proposed rule; Extension of
comment period.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Legal Services
Corporation (‘‘LSC’’) issued a proposed
rule in the Federal Register of October
28, 2016 [FR Doc. 2016–25831],
concerning proposed amendments to its
regulations governing definitions, cost
standards and procedures, and
purchasing and property management.
This notice extends the comment period
for 30 days to January 26, 2017.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\21DEP1.SGM
21DEP1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 245 (Wednesday, December 21, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 93649-93653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-30509]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
38 CFR Part 3
RIN 2900-AP23
Special Monthly Compensation for Veterans With Traumatic Brain
Injury
AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) seeks to amend its
adjudication regulations to add an additional benefit for veterans with
residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI). This benefit was enacted by
the Veterans' Benefits Act of 2010 and provides special monthly
compensation for veterans with TBI who are in need of aid and
attendance and, in the absence of such aid and attendance, would
require hospitalization, nursing home care, or other residential
institutional care. Prior to the law's enactment, veterans with TBI
were not eligible for this benefit unless they had a separate service-
related disability that qualified under the law.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 21, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted through
www.Regulations.gov; by mail or hand-delivery to Director, Regulation
Policy and Management (00REG), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810
Vermont Avenue NW., Room 1068, Washington, DC 20420; or by fax to (202)
273-9026. Comments should indicate that they are submitted in response
to ``RIN 2900-AP23--Special Monthly Compensation for Veterans with
Traumatic Brain Injury.'' Copies of comments received will be available
for public inspection in the Office of Regulation Policy and
Management, Room 1068, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday (except holidays). Please call (202) 461-4902 for
an appointment. (This is not a toll-free number.) In addition, during
the comment period, comments may be viewed online through the Federal
Docket Management System (FDMS) at www.Regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric G. Mandle, Policy Analyst,
Regulations Staff (211D), Compensation Service, Department of Veterans
Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20420, (202) 461-9700.
(This is not a toll-free telephone number.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 13, 2010, the Veterans' Benefits
Act of 2010, Public Law 111-275 (the Act) was signed into law. Section
601 of the Act amends 38 U.S.C. 1114, adding subsection (t) to include
special monthly compensation (SMC) for veterans who as the result of
service-connected disability, are in need of regular aid and attendance
for the residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), and in the absence
of such regular aid and attendance would require hospitalization,
nursing home care, or other residential institutional care. The law
grants an additional monetary allowance for veterans with residuals of
TBI who require this higher level of care but would not otherwise
qualify for the benefit under 38 U.S.C. 1114(r)(2). The amendment
became effective October 1, 2011.
VA administers SMC benefits under 38 CFR 3.350. Additionally, 38
CFR
[[Page 93650]]
3.352 provides the criteria to determine the need for aid and
attendance and whether a claimant is permanently bedridden; 38 CFR
3.552 requires adjustments of allowance for aid and attendance when a
beneficiary is hospitalized. Internal guidance has been published since
April 4, 2011, instructing VA offices engaged in claims adjudication on
how to implement the new SMC provision, but a formal update to VA's
adjudication regulations has not yet been published.
I. VA Interpretation of Public Law 111-275
Under this proposed rule, VA will directly implement 38 U.S.C.
1114(t), which states that an additional award of SMC is payable to a
veteran who, as the result of service-connected disability, is in need
of regular aid and attendance for the residuals of traumatic brain
injury, is not eligible for additional compensation under 38 U.S.C.
1114(r)(2), and in the absence of such regular aid and attendance would
require hospitalization, nursing home care, or other residential
institutional care. VA would also make clear that a veteran entitled to
this benefit shall be paid during periods he or she is not hospitalized
at United States Government expense as if receiving the amount equal to
the compensation authorized under 38 U.S.C. 1114(o) or the maximum rate
authorized under 38 U.S.C. 1114(p) and, in addition to such
compensation, a monthly allowance equal to the rate described in 38
U.S.C. 1114(r)(2).
VA believes that there are two potential readings of the Act. Under
the first, more restrictive reading, a veteran affected by section
1114(t) would receive only the rate noted under 38 U.S.C. 1114(r)(2),
e.g., $2,983, in addition to any other rate of special monthly
compensation the individual in question might happen to qualify for.
Reading the Act in this way, however, would result in benefits that are
less than the amount to which other veterans requiring the same level
of care not related to TBI would be entitled. This is because the
predicate rates built into section 1114(r), such as the rate authorized
by subsection (o), the maximum rate authorized under subsection (p), or
the intermediate rate authorized under subsections (n) and (o), will
not typically be met for veterans suffering from TBI, rather than the
other conditions enumerated in section 1114.
Under the second, more liberal interpretation of section 1114(t),
VA would pay veterans who meet the criteria of section 1114(t) the full
amount described by section 1114(r) (i.e., the rate authorized by
subsection (o), which is also the maximum rate authorized under
subsection (p), in addition to the allowance authorized by subsection
(r)). The statutory language, viewed together with its purpose and
legislative history, can be interpreted as establishing that Congress
intended that veterans receiving the aid and attendance allowance
authorized by subsection (r)(2) necessarily also qualify for the
predicate rates described in subsection (r).
VA finds that Congress' intent was to enact a law that pays
veterans of this class an amount equal to the compensation authorized
under section 1114(o) or the maximum rate authorized under section
1114(p), plus the additional amount described under section 1114(r)(2).
VA chose the rates permitted under section 1114(o) and (p) because
those are the highest rates permitted under section 1114 and therefore
would be the most favorable rates for this group of veterans requiring
this higher level of care.
Textually, subsection (r) generally preconditions receipt of the
heightened aid and attendance allowance under either subsection (r)(1)
or (r)(2) on receipt of one of the predicate rates identified in
subsection (r), which include the rates specified in (o) and (p).
Additionally, subsection (r) makes clear that a veteran is receiving
that heightened allowance ``in addition to'' the special monthly
compensation otherwise described in subsection (r). VA has long
interpreted subsection (r) as reflecting the assumption that a veteran
is necessarily in receipt of one of the predicate rates described in
the body of subsection (r) whenever a veteran is in receipt of the
heightened aid and attendance allowance under either subsection (r)(1)
or (r)(2). This interpretation is reflected in VA's current
regulations. See 38 CFR 3.352(b)(1) (higher level of aid and attendance
authorized by 38 CFR 3.350(h) requires that the veteran be ``entitled
to the compensation authorized under [subsection (o),] or the maximum
rate of compensation authorized under [subsection (p)].'').
In support of this interpretation, VA notes that 38 U.S.C.
1114(r)(2) provides additional compensation to those veterans with
certain service-connected disabilities who are in need of a higher
level of care. The legislative history for section 601 of Public Law
111-275 indicates that subsection (t) is intended to provide additional
compensation to veterans with TBI who do not have those qualifying
service-connected disabilities and therefore are not otherwise eligible
for benefits under (r)(2), but still require a higher level of care
comparable to what would otherwise be contemplated by the allowance
provided by (r)(2). See S. Rep. No. 111-71, at 17 (2009) (discussing
the intent to provide the ting (r)(2) rate of compensation as evidence
of Congress' intent to pay (t) aid and attendance at the rate commonly
received by veterans entitled to (r)(2) payments. If Congress intended
subsection (t) to confer a freestanding allowance, it is
counterintuitive that Congress would link the allowance to (r)(2)
rather than simply declaring that any veteran in need of regular aid
and attendance for the residuals of TBI should receive a specified
dollar amount. Instead, Congress chose to match the existing rate and
aid and attendance requirements described under (r)(2). In so doing,
Congress emphasized that the overall impairment and need for care are
the same for those with TBI as they are for those with certain service-
connected disabilities who require a higher level of aid and
attendance. S. Rep. 111-71 at *18.
VA's interpretation of section 1114(t) would mean that the rate
authorized by section 1114(o) and (p) is the ``other compensation under
this section'' referenced in section 1114(t) for purposes of all cases
under that section. We acknowledge that this interpretation imports a
specfic meaning to the term ``other compensation'' that is not apparent
on the face of that term. We find that this interpretation is warranted
because interpreting the phrase ``other compensation under this
section'' to refer only to other compensation for which the veteran
independently qualifies would defeat the purpose of the legislation.
The legislative history noted that 38 U.S.C. 1114(l) prescribes the
basic monthy compensation amount for veterans in need of aid and
attendance due to their service-connected disabilities and that section
1114(r)(2) prescribes an ``additional'' monthly amount payable for
veterans in need of a higher level of care. S. Rep. 111-71 at *17.
Congress thus recognized that the needs of veterans who qualify for the
(r)(2) rate are met by payment of both a basic monthly SMC rate, which
generally would be provided under subsections (l) through (p) of
section 1114 and the heightened aid and attendance payment under
(r)(2). Congress determined that legislation was needed to extend
similar benefits to veterans with TBI because the provisions of section
1114 generally focus on physical disabilities and locomotion rather
than cognitive or
[[Page 93651]]
psychological impairments associated with TBI. S. Rep. 111-71 at *17-
18.
For the reasons stated in the legislative history, cognitive
disability due to TBI generally would not qualify for the basic monthly
SMC rates prescribed in section 1114(l)-(p). As a result, if the term
``other compensation under this section,'' as used in section 1114(t)
were construed to mean compensation for which the veteran otherwise
qualifies without regard to section 1114(t), a substantial part of the
benefits contemplated by (r)(2)--i.e., the basic monthly SMC rate--
would be unavailable in most cases covered by section 1114(t). Such an
interpretation would defeat the statute's clear purpose in that it
would, based on section 1114's focus on physical disability, provide
veterans covered by section 1114(t) with a monthly benefit well below
the amount Congress has determined necessary to provide for the needs
of veterans requiring a heightened level of care under (r)(2).
Accordingly, we believe section 1114(t) is most properly construed to
permit payment of both the ``additional'' amount specified in (r)(2)
and the predicate SMC rate specified in section 1114(o) and (p).
VA finds the language of the amended statute to be ambiguous, but
has determined that Congress intended to provide veterans in need of
aid and attendance due to TBI residuals the same level of compensation
as veterans entitled to the section 1114(r)(2) rate. See Chevron,
U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Res. Def. Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837, 842-844
(1984) (if Congress has not addressed ``the precise question at
issue,'' a court should defer to an administering agency's construction
of the statute so long as it is a ``permissible'' construction). VA
believes its interpretation is the most logical one because it is
unlikely that Congress would wish to bestow a lesser benefit on
veterans with TBI than is applicable to veterans with certain service-
connected disabilities that might otherwise qualify for the (r)(2)
allowance, while simultaneously emphasizing that veterans with TBI may
be in a functionally similar situation. This interpretation is also the
most advantageous to veterans with TBI who require a higher level of
care.
II. Regulatory Amendment Mechanics
This rulemaking proposes to amend Sec. 3.350 by adding paragraph
(j), proposes to amend Sec. 3.352 by adding a new paragraph (b)(2) and
revising the authority citation, and proposes to amend Sec. 3.552(b)
by adding a reference to 38 U.S.C. 1114(t) to paragraph (b)(2) and
revising the authority citation. Proposed paragraph (j) will set forth
the general criteria prescribed by 38 U.S.C. 1114(t). Paragraph (j)
would reference Sec. 3.352 to provide guidance on determining the need
for aid and attendance. Paragraph (j)(1) would provide that a veteran
shall be entitled to the amount equal to the compensation authorized
under 38 U.S.C. 1114(o) or the maximum rate authorized under 38 U.S.C.
1114(p) and, in addition to such compensation, a monthly allowance
equal to the rate described in 38 U.S.C. 1114(r)(2) during periods he
or she is not hospitalized at United States Government expense.
In addition, to ensure consistency with current Sec. 3.350(h), VA
proposes to reference revised Sec. 3.552(b)(2) under proposed Sec.
3.350(j)(1). Section 3.552(b)(2) requires VA to discontinue the aid and
attendance benefit following hospitalization at government expense.
Proposed Sec. 3.350(j)(2) would note that an allowance under proposed
paragraph (j) would be paid in lieu of any allowance authorized by 38
U.S.C. 1114(r)(1).
Section 3.352 governs the criteria for determining the need for aid
and attendance and what is ``permanently bedridden'' for VA disability
compensation purposes. VA proposes to amend Sec. 3.352 to regulate
entitlement to a higher level of aid and attendance allowance for
residuals of TBI. Specifically, we propose to redesignate paragraphs
(b)(2) through (b)(5) of Sec. 3.352 as (b)(3) through (b)(6).
Paragraph (b)(1)(iii) and newly redesignated paragraph (b)(4) of this
section reference (b)(2). As such, those paragraphs would also be
revised to reflect that (b)(2) would become (b)(3).
This rulemaking also proposes to add a new paragraph (b)(2) to
Sec. 3.352 stating that a veteran is entitled to the higher level of
aid and attendance allowance for residuals of TBI, as authorized by
Sec. 3.350(j), in lieu of the regular aid and attendance allowance.
Entitlement would be found when the veteran meets the requirements for
entitlement to the regular aid and attendance allowance in paragraph
(a) of the section and when the veteran needs a higher level of care
(as defined in redesignated paragraph (b)(3) of the section) than is
required to establish entitlement to the regular aid and attendance
allowance, and in the absence of the provision of such higher level of
care would require hospitalization, nursing home care, or other
residential institutional care.
As previously discussed, VA has determined that Congress intended
38 U.S.C. 1114(t) to provide total compensation equal to the total rate
paid after factoring total compensation paid in (r)(2) cases, who also
receive payment under subsections (o) or (p). VA therefore proposes to
apply the same definition of a higher level of care when determining
entitlement under proposed Sec. 3.350(j) as VA applies under Sec.
3.350(h). Specifically, VA proposes to require that veterans entitled
to SMC under section 1114(t) establish entitlement to the regular aid
and attendance allowance in paragraph (a) of Sec. 3.352, as well as
establish a requirement for a higher level of care, where, in the
absence of the higher level of care, the veteran would require
hospitalization, nursing home care, or other residential institutional
care. These requirements mirror the current requirements for
entitlement under Sec. 3.350(h) and Sec. 3.352(b). We would clarify
in Sec. 3.352(b)(2)(i) and (ii) that the need for this higher level of
aid and attendance must be as a result of service-connected residuals
of traumatic brain injury. This requirement is consistent with the
statutory language which requires that the veteran ``as a result of
service-connected disability, is in need of regular aid and attendance
for the residuals of [TBI].'' While the statutory language could be
read to allow entitlement to section 1114(t) compensation to those
veterans with any service-connected disability that also suffer from
TBI residuals, VA believes that the phrase ``as a result of'' indicates
Congress intended that the need for a higher level of aid and
attendance for TBI residuals to be due to a service-connected
disability. Further, the legislative history is clear that Congress
intended section 1114(t) compensation to be provided to those veterans
suffering from service-connected residuals of TBI. See Chevron, supra;
see S. Rep. No. 111-71, at 17 (2009) (discussing that the committee
bill ``would allow veterans suffering from severe TBIs to receive the
highest level of aid and attendance benefits from VA''). We would also
amend the authority citation for Sec. 3.352(b) to add section 1114(t).
Lastly, VA proposes to amend 38 CFR 3.552(b)(2). Section 3.552
regulates adjustments of allowance for aid and attendance.
Specifically, paragraph (b)(2) states that ``[w]hen a veteran is
hospitalized at the expense of the United States Government, the
additional aid and attendance allowance authorized by 38 U.S.C.
1114(r)(1) or (2) will be discontinued . . .''. To ensure consistency
in its regulations, and to implement the conforming amendment of the
Act, VA is amending that paragraph to include 38 U.S.C. 1114(t). This
amendment is supported by the
[[Page 93652]]
plain language of the statute, which states ``[s]ubject to section
5503(c) of this title.'' Section 5503(c) of title 38 United States Code
governs hospitalization of veterans and states, in effect, the rule we
propose to establish here. We would also amend the authority citation
for Sec. 3.552(b). The current authority citation cites 38 U.S.C.
5503(e); however, the Veterans Education and Benefits Expansion Act of
2001, Public Law 107-103, 204(a), 115 Stat. 990, amended section 5503
by redesignating section 5503(e) as section 5503(c). Therefore, we
would revise the authority citation to reflect the accurate legal
authority as 38 U.S.C. 5503(c).
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'' requiring review by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB), unless OMB waives such review, 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.''
The economic, interagency, budgetary, legal, and policy
implications of this regulatory action have been examined, 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 https://www.regulations.gov, usually within 48
hours after the rulemaking document is published. Additionally, a copy
of this rulemaking and its impact analysis are available on VA's Web
site at https://www.va.gov/orpm/, by following the link for ``VA
Regulations Published From FY 2004 Through Fiscal Year to Date.''
Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Secretary hereby certifies that this proposed rule would 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 proposed rule would directly affect only
individuals and would not directly affect small entities. Therefore,
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 605(b), this rulemaking is exempt from the initial
and final regulatory flexibility analysis requirements of sections 603
and 604.
Unfunded Mandates
The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995, 2 U.S.C. 1532, requires
that agencies prepare an assessment of anticipated costs and benefits
before issuing any rule that may result in the expenditure by State,
local, and tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private
sector, of $100 million or more (adjusted annually for inflation) in
any one year. This proposed rule would have no such effect on State,
local, and tribal governments, or on the private sector.
Paperwork Reduction Act
This proposed rule contains no provisions constituting a collection
of information under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
3501-3521).
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number and title for the
program affected by this document is 64.109, Veterans Compensation for
Service-Connected Disability.
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. Gina S.
Farrisee, Deputy Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs,
approved this document on December 13, 2016, for publication.
Dated: December 13, 2016.
Jeffrey Martin,
Office Program Manager, Office of Regulation Policy & Management,
Office of the Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs.
For the reasons stated in the preamble, the Department of Veterans
Affairs proposes to amend 38 CFR part 3 as set forth below:
PART 3--ADJUDICATION
Subpart A--Pension, Compensation, and Dependency and Indemnity
Compensation
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1. The authority citation for part 3, subpart A continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501(a), unless otherwise noted.
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2. Amend Sec. 3.350 to add paragraph (j) to read as follows:
Sec. 3.350 Special monthly compensation ratings.
* * * * *
(j) Special aid and attendance benefit for residuals of traumatic
brain injury (38 U.S.C. 1114(t)). The special monthly compensation
provided by 38 U.S.C. 1114(t) is payable to a veteran who, as the
result of service-connected disability, is in need of regular aid and
attendance for the residuals of traumatic brain injury, is not eligible
for compensation under 38 U.S.C. 1114(r)(2), and in the absence of such
regular aid and attendance would require hospitalization, nursing home
care, or other residential institutional care. Determination of this
need is subject to the criteria of Sec. 3.352.
(1) A veteran described in this paragraph (j) shall be entitled to
the amount equal to the compensation authorized under 38 U.S.C. 1114(o)
or the maximum rate authorized under 38 U.S.C. 1114(p) and, in addition
to such compensation, a monthly allowance equal to the rate described
in 38 U.S.C. 1114(r)(2) during periods he or she is not hospitalized at
United States Government expense. (See Sec. 3.552(b)(2) as to
continuance following admission for hospitalization.)
(2) An allowance authorized under 38 U.S.C. 1114(t) shall be paid
in lieu of any allowance authorized by 38 U.S.C. 1114(r)(1).
(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501, 38 U.S.C. 1114(t))
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3. Amend Sec. 3.352 by:
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a. Redesignating paragraphs (b)(2) through (b)(5) as (b)(3) through
(b)(6);
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b. In paragraph (b)(1)(iii), removing the phrase ``paragraph (b)(2)''
and in its place adding the phrase ``paragraph (b)(3)'';
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c. Adding new paragraph (b)(2);
[[Page 93653]]
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d. In redesignated paragraph (b)(4), removing the phrase ``paragraph
(b)(2)'' and in its place adding the phrase ``paragraph (b)(3)''; and
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e. In the authority citation at the end of paragraph (b), adding
``1114(t)''.
The addition and revision reads as follows:
Sec. 3.352 Criteria for determining need for aid and attendance and
``permanently bedridden.''
* * * * *
(b)(1) * * *
(2) A veteran is entitled to the higher level aid and attendance
allowance authorized by Sec. 3.350(j) in lieu of the regular aid and
attendance allowance when all of the following conditions are met:
(i) As a result of service-connected residuals of traumatic brain
injury, the veteran meets the requirements for entitlement to the
regular aid and attendance allowance in paragraph (a) of this section.
(ii) As a result of service-connected residuals of traumatic brain
injury, the veteran needs a ``higher level of care'' (as defined in
paragraph (b)(3) of this section) than is required to establish
entitlement to the regular aid and attendance allowance, and in the
absence of the provision of such higher level of care the veteran would
require hospitalization, nursing home care, or other residential
institutional care.
* * *
(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501, 1114(r)(2), 1114(t))
* * * * *
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4. Amend Sec. 3.552(b) by:
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a. In paragraph (b)(2), adding the phrase ``or 38 U.S.C. 1114(t)''
after the phrase ``authorized by 38 U.S.C. 1114(r)(1) or (2)''; and
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b. At the end of paragraph (b), revising the authority citation.
The revision read as follows:
Sec. 3.552 Adjustment of allowance for aid and attendance.
* * * * *
(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 5503(c))
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2016-30509 Filed 12-20-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P