Department of State January 25, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This rule finalizes the initial implementation by the Department of State (the Department) of the HAVANA Act of 2021. The Act provides authority for the Secretary of State and other agency heads to provide payments to certain individuals who have incurred qualifying injuries to the brain. As noted in the interim final rule (IFR) published in June 2022, this rulemaking covers current and former Department of State employees, and dependents of current or former employees. This final rule responds to public comments and amends four provisions in the IFR, adding two additional certification Boards for physicians who can sign the Form DS-4316; clarifying the definition of ``qualifying injury to the brain;'' and adding approval for Social Security Insurance (SSI) benefits as one of the eligibility criteria for a Base Plus payment.