Department of Veterans Affairs August 7, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document proposes to amend Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regulations to implement certain provisions of the Combat Veterans Debt Elimination Act of 2008 and of the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008. The proposed rule would implement the first statute's provisions granting limited authority to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Secretary) to terminate collection action on certain debts arising from a VA benefit program when the indebted individual is a member of the Armed Forces or a veteran who dies as a result of injury incurred or aggravated in the line of duty while serving in a theater of combat operations in a war or in combat against a hostile force during a period of hostilities after September 11, 2001, and to refund amounts collected after the individual's death. The proposed rule would also implement the second statute's provisions that similarly grants the Secretary discretionary authority to suspend or terminate collection of debts owed to VA by individuals who died while serving on active duty as a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard during a period when the Coast Guard is operating as a service in the Navy, and to refund amounts collected after the individual's death.