Department of Veterans Affairs October 27, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Veterans Affairs is making a technical amendment to VA Handbook 5021, Employee/Management Relations, dated April 15, 2002, to correct the citation for the Secretary's authority to issue regulations. Section 7421 of Title 38 provides the authority for the Secretary to prescribe by regulation the hours and conditions of employment and leaves of absence of employees appointed under any provisions of this chapter in positions in the Veterans Health Administration listed in subsection (b). Section 7304 of Title 38 provides the authority for the Under Secretary for Health to prescribe all regulations necessary to the administration of the Veterans Health Administration. VA Directive and Handbook 5021 was issued pursuant to the Secretary's authority under Section 7421. Two technical amendments are needed in VA Handbook 5021 to properly reflect the authority of the Secretary to issue regulations under 38 U.S.C. 7421. The first revision in Part II, Chapter 1, section 2, will replace the citation to 38 U.S.C. 7304 with the citation to 38 U.S.C. 7421 as the Secretary's authority to issue these regulations. The second revision in Part II, Chapter 2, section 2, will add the citation to the Secretary's authority. The current citation to 38 U.S.C. 7304 remains appropriate and unchanged as this Chapter issues delegations of authority by the Under Secretary for Health. The words or phrases that are proposed to be added to the regulations are shown in brackets. Only those sections of the existing regulations that contain proposed changes are included in this notice.