[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 39 (Tuesday, February 27, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 7215-7217]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-4304]



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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

38 CFR Parts 0, 1, 2, 3, 13, 14, 17, and 36

RIN 2900-AH81


Delegation of Authority to Regional Counsels

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Office of General Counsel has changed its field structure 
from 52 District Counsel offices to 23 Regional Counsel offices. 
Previously, each District Counsel office was headed by a District 
Counsel who was authorized to take various actions on behalf of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The new Regional Counsel offices 
are each headed by a Regional Counsel. In accordance with the 
provisions of 38 U.S.C. 512, this document delegates to the Regional 
Counsels the same authority and responsibility to act for VA as was 
previously granted to District Counsels. This document also sets forth 
the jurisdiction and address of each Regional Counsel.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Howard Lem, Assistant General Counsel 
(026), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20420, (202) 565-4885.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under 5 U.S.C. 553, there is a basis for 
dispensing with prior notice and comment and for dispensing with a 30-
day delay of the effective date since this final rule constitutes a 
rule of agency organization, a non-substantive rule.
    The Secretary certifies that this final rule will 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 amendment, which constitutes a rule of agency organization, 
is a non-substantive rule. Therefore, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 605(b), this 
final rule is exempt from the initial and final regulatory flexibility 
analyses requirements of sections 603 and 604.

List of Subjects

38 CFR Part 0

    Conflict of interests.

38 CFR Part 1

    Administrative practice and procedure, Archives and records, 
Cemeteries, Claims, Courts, Flags, Freedom of information, Government 
employees, Government property, Infants and children, Inventions and 
patents, Investigations, Parking, Penalties, Postal Service, Privacy, 
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Seals and insignia, Security 
measures, Wages.

38 CFR Part 2

    Authority delegations (Government agencies).

38 CFR Part 3

    Administrative practice and procedure, Claims, Disability benefits, 
Health care, Pensions, Radioactive materials, Veterans, Vietnam.

38 CFR Parts 13 and 14

    Administrative practice and procedure, Claims, Courts, Foreign 
relations, Government employees, Lawyers, Legal services, Organization 
and functions (Government agencies), Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Surety bonds, Trusts and trustees, Veterans.

38 CFR Part 17

    Administrative practice and procedure, Alcohol abuse, Alcoholism, 
Claims, Day care, Dental health, Drug abuse, Foreign relations, 
Government contracts, Grants programs-health, Health care, Homeless, 
Medical and dental schools, Medical devices, Nursing homes, 
Philippines, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Scholarships and 
fellowships, Travel and transportation expenses, Veterans. 

[[Page 7216]]


38 CFR Part 36

    Condominiums, Housing, Indians, Individuals with disabilities, Loan 
program-housing and community development, Manufactured homes, Mortgage 
insurance, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Veterans.

    Approved: February 14, 1996.
Jesse Brown,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, 38 CFR parts 0, 1, 2, 3, 
13, 14, 17, and 36 are amended as set forth below:
    1. The authority citation for parts 0, 1, 2, 3, 13, 14, 17, and 36 
continue to read as follows:

    Authority: 38 U.S.C. 512.

PART 0--STANDARDS OF ETHICAL CONDUCT AND RELATED RESPONSIBILITIES

    2. Remove the words ``District Counsel'' and add in their place 
``Regional Counsel'' wherever they appear.

PART 1--GENERAL PROVISIONS

    3. Remove the words ``District Counsel'' and add in their place 
``Regional Counsel'' wherever they appear.
    4. Remove the words ``District Counsels'' and add in their place 
``Regional Counsels'' wherever they appear.

PART 2--DELEGATIONS OF AUTHORITY

    5. Remove the words ``District Counsel'' and add in their place 
``Regional Counsel'' wherever they appear.
    6. Remove the words ``District Counsels'' and add in their place 
``Regional Counsels'' wherever they appear.

PART 3--PENSIONS, BONUSES, AND VETERANS' RELIEF

    7. Remove the words ``District Counsel'' and add in their place 
``Regional Counsel'' wherever they appear.

PART 13--VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION, FIDUCIARY ACTIVITIES

    8. Remove the words ``District Counsel'' and add in their place 
``Regional Counsel'' wherever they appear.

PART 14--LEGAL SERVICES, GENERAL COUNSEL

    9. Remove the words ``District Counsel'' or ``District Council'' 
and add in their place ``Regional Counsel'' wherever they appear.
    10. Remove the words ``District Counsels'' and add in their place 
``Regional Counsels'' wherever they appear.
    11. In Sec. 14.501, add a new paragraph (f) to read as follows:


Sec. 14.501  Functions and responsibilities of Regional Counsels.

* * * * *
    (f) The jurisdictions and addresses of Regional Counsels are as 
follows:
    (1) Region 1: (JURISDICTION) Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New 
Hampshire, Rhode Island; (ADDRESS) JFK Federal Bldg., Room E213, 
Boston, MA 02203.
    (2) Region 2: (JURISDICTION) New Jersey, Metropolitan New York 
City; (ADDRESS) 800 Poly Place, Building 14, Brooklyn, NY 11209.
    (3) Region 3: (JURISDICTION) District of Columbia; Fairfax, 
Virginia; Arlington, Virginia; Alexandria, Virginia; Martinsburg, West 
Virginia; and Maryland; (ADDRESS) 849 International Drive, Suite 200, 
Linthicum, MD 21090.
    (4) Region 4: (JURISDICTION) Pennsylvania, Delaware; (ADDRESS) 1000 
Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222.
    (5) Region 5: (JURISDICTION) Georgia, South Carolina; (ADDRESS) 730 
Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, GA 30365.
    (6) Region 6: (JURISDICTION) Florida, Puerto Rico; (ADDRESS) P.O. 
Box 5002, Building 22, Room 333, Bay Pines, FL 33504.
    (7) Region 7: (JURISDICTION) Ohio, West Virginia (excluding 
Martinsburg, West Virginia); (ADDRESS) 1240 East Ninth Street, Room 
1225, Cleveland, OH 44199.
    (8) Region 8: (JURISDICTION) Arkansas, Tennessee; (ADDRESS) Federal 
Courthouse Annex, 110 9th Ave., S., Nashville, TN 37203.
    (9) Region 9: (JURISDICTION) Alabama, Mississippi; (ADDRESS) 1500 
E. Woodrow Wilson Dr., Jackson, MS 39216.
    (10) Region 10: (JURISDICTION) Illinois, Iowa; (ADDRESS) VA Medical 
Center, Bldg. 50, P. O. Box 127, Hines, IL 60141.
    (11) Region 11: (JURISDICTION) Michigan, Wisconsin; (ADDRESS) 
Patrick V. McNamara Federal Bldg., Suite 1460, 477 Michigan Ave., 
Detroit, MI 48226.
    (12) Region 12: (JURISDICTION) Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska; 
(ADDRESS) 1 Jefferson Barracks Drive, St. Louis, MO 63125-4185.
    (13) Region 13: (JURISDICTION) Oklahoma, Northern Texas; (ADDRESS) 
1400 N. Valley Mills Dr., Waco, TX 76799.
    (14) Region 14: (JURISDICTION) Louisiana, Southern Texas; (ADDRESS) 
6900 Almeda Road, Houston, TX 77030.
    (15) Region 15: (JURISDICTION) Minnesota, North Dakota, South 
Dakota; (ADDRESS) VA Medical Center, One Veterans Drive, Bldg. 73, 
Minneapolis, MN 55417.
    (16) Region 16: (JURISDICTION) Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Montana; 
(ADDRESS) Box 25126, 155 Van Gordon Street, Denver, CO 80225.
    (17) Region 17: (JURISDICTION) Lower California; (ADDRESS) 11000 
Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90024.
    (18) Region 18: (JURISDICTION) Upper California, Hawaii, Central 
and Northern Nevada, and Philippine Islands; (ADDRESS) VA Medical 
Center, 4150 Clement Street, Bldg. 210, San Francisco, CA 94121.
    (19) Region 19: (JURISDICTION) Arizona, Southern Nevada, and New 
Mexico; (ADDRESS) 3225 N. Central Ave., Rm. 305, Phoenix, AZ 85012.
    (20) Region 20: (JURISDICTION) Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Alaska; 
(ADDRESS) 1220 SW Third Ave., Portland, OR 97204.
    (21) Region 21: (JURISDICTION) New York (except Metropolitan New 
York City), Vermont; (ADDRESS) 120 LeBrun, Buffalo, NY 14215.
    (22) Region 22: (JURISDICTION) Indiana, Kentucky; (ADDRESS) 575 N. 
Pennsylvania Street, Room 309, Indianapolis, IN 46204.
    (23) Region 23: (JURISDICTION) North Carolina, Virginia (excluding 
Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria); (ADDRESS) 251 N. Main Street, 
Winston-Salem, NC 27155.
    12. In Sec. 14.518, paragraph (a), remove the word ``district'' and 
add in its place ``region''.

PART 17--MEDICAL CHARGES, WAIVERS, AND COLLECTIONS

    13. Remove the words ``District Counsel'' and add in their place
    
[[Page 7217]]

``Regional Counsel'' wherever they appear.

PART 36--LOAN GUARANTY

    14. Remove the words ``District Counsel'' and add in their place 
``Regional Counsel'' wherever they appear.

[FR Doc. 96-4304 Filed 2-26-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P