[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 4, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14553-14555]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-06766]
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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Disruption of Mail Service
AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.
ACTION: Notice of exception to date of receipt.
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SUMMARY: In late August 2017, Hurricane Harvey interrupted operations
at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regional office in Houston,
Texas, as well as postal service in multiple Texas communities. In late
September 2017, Hurricane Maria interrupted operations at the VA
regional office in Puerto Rico, and postal service throughout the
Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands area. Correspondence containing
claims, information, or evidence sent to VA during these periods was
likely delayed due to interrupted operations of the regional office or
postal service. VA aims to protect the interest of claimants who sent
correspondence to the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) through
the normal channels of communication during these periods and prevent
them from possibly being deprived of benefits solely because those
channels of communication were disrupted due to events outside of the
claimants' control. Therefore, VA is instituting procedures to consider
alternative dates as the date of receipt of correspondence.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jonathan Hughes, Acting Assistant
Director, Policy and Procedures, 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: A VA regulation, 38 CFR 3.1(r), allows the
Under Secretary for Benefits to establish exceptions to VA's rule about
date of receipt of claims, information, or evidence. Ordinarily, ``date
of receipt'' means the date on which a claim, information or evidence
was received in a VA office. The regulation states that exceptions may
be established when a natural or man-made interference with the normal
channels through which VA ordinarily receives correspondence has
resulted in one or more VA regional offices experiencing extended
delays in receipt of claims, information or evidence to an extent that,
if not addressed, the delay would adversely affect such claimants,
through no fault of their own.
In late August 2017, Hurricane Harvey interrupted operations at the
VA regional office in Houston, Texas, as well as postal service in
multiple surrounding Texas communities. In late September 2017,
Hurricane Maria interrupted operations at the VA regional office in
Puerto Rico, as well as postal service in the Puerto Rico and U.S.
Virgin Islands areas. Correspondence containing claims, information or
evidence sent to VA during these periods was likely delayed due to
interrupted operations of the regional office or postal service.
Because regional offices and the mail system were impacted, VA
established the following exceptions to the standard rule, on date of
receipt.
Exceptions to Date of Receipt for Claimants Affected By Hurricane
Harvey
VA hereby gives notice that, for purposes of determining the date
of entitlement, any correspondence received by VA during the period
September 1 through September 7, 2017, from individuals in zip codes
designated to have been impacted by Hurricane Harvey that contained
claims, information or evidence will be considered received no later
than August 31, 2017. Alternatively, if the correspondence was received
during the period September 1 through September 7, 2017, but the
postmark date is prior to August 31, 2017, the correspondence will be
considered received on the date of postmark.
This guidance applies to correspondence received during the
designated period from the zip codes designated below.
Zip Codes Impacted by Hurricane Harvey
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75928 77062 77252 77364 77467 77573 77950 78393
75930 77063 77253 77365 77468 77574 77951 78401
75931 77064 77254 77367 77469 77575 77954 78402
75932 77065 77255 77368 77470 77577 77957 78403
75933 77066 77256 77369 77471 77578 77960 78404
75934 77067 77257 77371 77473 77580 77961 78405
75936 77068 77258 77372 77474 77581 77962 78406
75938 77069 77259 77373 77475 77582 77963 78407
75939 77070 77261 77374 77476 77583 77964 78408
75942 77071 77262 77375 77477 77584 77967 78409
[[Page 14554]]
75948 77072 77263 77376 77478 77585 77968 78410
75951 77073 77265 77377 77479 77586 77969 78411
75956 77074 77266 77378 77480 77587 77970 78412
75959 77075 77267 77379 77481 77588 77971 78413
75960 77076 77268 77380 77482 77590 77973 78414
75966 77077 77269 77381 77483 77591 77974 78415
75968 77078 77270 77382 77484 77592 77975 78416
75977 77079 77271 77383 77485 77597 77976 78417
75979 77080 77272 77384 77486 77598 77977 78418
75990 77081 77273 77385 77487 77611 77978 78419
77001 77082 77274 77386 77488 77612 77979 78426
77002 77083 77275 77387 77489 77613 77982 78427
77003 77084 77277 77388 77491 77614 77983 78460
77004 77085 77279 77389 77492 77615 77984 78463
77005 77086 77280 77391 77493 77616 77986 78465
77006 77087 77282 77393 77494 77617 77987 78466
77007 77088 77284 77396 77496 77619 77988 78467
77008 77089 77287 77399 77497 77622 77989 78468
77009 77090 77288 77401 77498 77623 77990 78469
77010 77091 77289 77402 77501 77624 77991 78472
77011 77092 77290 77404 77502 77625 77993 78480
77012 77093 77291 77406 77503 77626 77994 78602
77013 77094 77292 77407 77504 77627 77995 78604
77014 77095 77293 77410 77505 77629 78102 78612
77015 77096 77297 77411 77506 77630 78104 78614
77016 77098 77299 77412 77507 77631 78107 78616
77017 77099 77301 77413 77508 77632 78111 78621
77018 77201 77302 77414 77510 77639 78113 78622
77019 77202 77303 77415 77511 77640 78116 78629
77020 77203 77304 77417 77512 77641 78117 78632
77021 77204 77305 77418 77514 77642 78118 78644
77022 77205 77306 77419 77515 77643 78119 78648
77023 77206 77315 77420 77516 77650 78122 78650
77024 77207 77316 77422 77517 77651 78125 78655
77025 77208 77318 77423 77518 77655 78140 78656
77026 77209 77320 77428 77519 77656 78141 78658
77027 77210 77325 77429 77520 77657 78142 78659
77028 77212 77326 77430 77521 77659 78144 78661
77029 77213 77327 77431 77522 77660 78145 78662
77030 77215 77328 77432 77523 77661 78146 78677
77031 77216 77331 77433 77530 77662 78151 78931
77032 77217 77332 77434 77531 77663 78159 78932
77033 77218 77333 77435 77532 77664 78162 78933
77034 77219 77334 77436 77533 77665 78164 78934
77035 77220 77335 77437 77534 77670 78330 78935
77036 77221 77336 77440 77535 77701 78335 78938
77037 77222 77337 77441 77536 77702 78336 78940
77038 77223 77338 77442 77538 77703 78339 78941
77039 77224 77339 77443 77539 77704 78340 78942
77040 77225 77340 77444 77541 77705 78343 78943
77041 77226 77341 77445 77542 77706 78347 78944
77042 77227 77342 77446 77545 77707 78351 78945
77043 77228 77343 77447 77546 77708 78352 78946
77044 77229 77344 77448 77547 77710 78358 78947
77045 77230 77345 77449 77549 77713 78359 78948
77046 77231 77346 77450 77550 77720 78362 78949
77047 77233 77347 77451 77551 77725 78363 78950
77048 77234 77348 77452 77552 77726 78364 78951
77049 77235 77349 77453 77553 77830 78368 78952
77050 77236 77350 77454 77554 77831 78370 78953
77051 77237 77351 77455 77555 77853 78373 78954
77052 77238 77353 77456 77560 77861 78374 78956
77053 77240 77354 77457 77561 77868 78377 78957
77054 77241 77355 77458 77562 77873 78379 78959
77055 77242 77356 77459 77563 77875 78380 78960
77056 77243 77357 77460 77564 77876 78381 78961
77057 77244 77358 77461 77565 77901 78382 78962
77058 77245 77359 77463 77566 77902 78387 78963
77059 77248 77360 77464 77568 77903 78389 ............
77060 77249 77362 77465 77571 77904 78390 ............
77061 77251 77363 77466 77572 77905 78391 ............
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[[Page 14555]]
Exceptions to Date of Receipt for Claimants Affected By Hurricane Maria
VA hereby gives notice that, for purposes of determining the date
of entitlement, any correspondence received by VA during the period
October 1 through October 31, 2017, from claimants under the
jurisdiction of the Puerto Rico Regional Office that contained claims,
information or evidence will be considered received no later than
September 30, 2017. Claimants under the jurisdiction of the Puerto Rico
Regional Office include residents of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands, as well as those claimants receiving pension or survivor
benefits who are in the geographic region covered by the Puerto Rico
Regional Office, but serviced by the Philadelphia Pension Management
Center. Alternatively, if the correspondence was received between
October 1 and 31, 2017, and the postmark date is prior to September 30,
2017, the correspondence will be considered received on the date of
postmark.
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. Jacquelyn
Hayes-Byrd, Deputy Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs,
approved this document on March 13, 2018, for publication.
Dated: March 29, 2018.
Jeffrey Martin,
Impact Analyst, Office of Regulation Policy & Management, Office of the
Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2018-06766 Filed 4-3-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P