DOJ is authorized to make only minor changes to the host IC to make it usable for DOJ claimants. This includes changing agency seals, updating addresses, etc. Any substantive change that modifies the information being collected in any way falls outside of the common form approval and is prohibited.
On October 8, 2021, President Biden signed the “Helping American Victims Affected by Neurological Attacks” (HAVANA) Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-46). In this statute, Congress authorized federal agencies to make payments to affected current employees, former employees, and their dependents (hereinafter, “claimants” or “patients”) for qualifying injuries to the brain. This law requires the Department (and other agencies) to “prescribe regulations” implementing the HAVANA Act. The Department intends to publish an interim final rule (IFR), which will fulfill the mandate of the HAVANA Act. As described below, the Eligibility Questionnaire for Havana Act Payment form will provide the required medical substantiation for claims filed pursuant to the HAVANA Act and the Department’s rule.