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    <RIN_INFO>
        <RIN>2900-AN91</RIN>
        <PUBLICATION>
            <PUBLICATION_ID>201410</PUBLICATION_ID>
            <PUBLICATION_TITLE>The Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions</PUBLICATION_TITLE>
        </PUBLICATION>
        <AGENCY>
            <CODE>2900</CODE>
            <NAME>Department of Veterans Affairs</NAME>
            <ACRONYM>VA</ACRONYM>
        </AGENCY>
        <RULE_TITLE>Substitution In Case of Death of Claimant</RULE_TITLE>
        <ABSTRACT><![CDATA[The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending its regulations concerning adjudication of claims, representation of claimants, and Board of Veterans' Appeals rules of practice.  These amendments would implement section 212 of the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008, which allows an eligible survivor to substitute for a deceased claimant in order to complete the processing of the deceased claimant's claim.  The intended effect of these amendments is to clarify the rules and procedures for those situations in which substitution is authorized.  Under section 212, if a claimant dies while his or her claim or appeal is pending before VA, a survivor who would be eligible for accrued benefits under existing statutory authority may, not later than 1-year after the death of the claimant, request to be substituted for the claimant for the purposes of processing the claim or appeal to completion.  Accordingly, after substitution, VA will continue to process the claim or appeal as if the claimant had not died.  These amendments clarify the following matters:  eligibility for substitution, how an eligible survivor makes a request to substitute, how VA responds to requests to substitute, a substitute's rights in adjudication, limitations related to substitution, order of preference among eligible survivors, representation of substitutes, and procedures for substitution when a claim is before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.]]></ABSTRACT>
        <PRIORITY_CATEGORY>Substantive, Nonsignificant</PRIORITY_CATEGORY>
        <RIN_STATUS>Previously Published in The Unified Agenda</RIN_STATUS>
        <RULE_STAGE>Completed Actions</RULE_STAGE>
        <MAJOR>No</MAJOR>
        <UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
            <UNFUNDED_MANDATE>No</UNFUNDED_MANDATE>
        </UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
        <CFR_LIST>
            <CFR>38 CFR 3.1010</CFR>
            <CFR>38 CFR 14.630(e)</CFR>
            <CFR>38 CFR 14.631</CFR>
            <CFR>38 CFR 20.900(a)</CFR>
            <CFR>...</CFR>
        </CFR_LIST>
        <LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>38 USC 5121A</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
        </LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
        <LEGAL_DLINE_LIST/>
        <RPLAN_ENTRY>No</RPLAN_ENTRY>
        <TIMETABLE_LIST>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>NPRM</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>02/15/2011</TTBL_DATE>
                <FR_CITATION>76 FR 8666</FR_CITATION>
            </TIMETABLE>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>NPRM Comment Period End</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>04/18/2011</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>NPRM Comment Period Reopened</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>07/05/2011</TTBL_DATE>
                <FR_CITATION>76 FR 39062</FR_CITATION>
            </TIMETABLE>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>Second NPRM Comment Period End</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>08/04/2011</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>Final Rule</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>09/05/2014</TTBL_DATE>
                <FR_CITATION>79 FR 52977</FR_CITATION>
            </TIMETABLE>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>Final Rule Effective</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>10/06/2014</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
        </TIMETABLE_LIST>
        <RFA_REQUIRED>No</RFA_REQUIRED>
        <SMALL_ENTITY_LIST>
            <SMALL_ENTITY>No</SMALL_ENTITY>
        </SMALL_ENTITY_LIST>
        <GOVT_LEVEL_LIST>
            <GOVT_LEVEL>None</GOVT_LEVEL>
        </GOVT_LEVEL_LIST>
        <FEDERALISM>No</FEDERALISM>
        <ENERGY_AFFECTED>No</ENERGY_AFFECTED>
        <PUBLIC_COMMENT_URL>www.regulations.gov</PUBLIC_COMMENT_URL>
        <PRINT_PAPER>No</PRINT_PAPER>
        <INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>No</INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>
        <AGENCY_CONTACT_LIST>
            <CONTACT>
                <FIRST_NAME>Damali</FIRST_NAME>
                <LAST_NAME>Mason</LAST_NAME>
                <TITLE>Pension and Fiduciary Service</TITLE>
                <AGENCY>
                    <CODE>2900</CODE>
                    <NAME>Department of Veterans Affairs</NAME>
                    <ACRONYM>VA</ACRONYM>
                </AGENCY>
                <PHONE>202 632-8852</PHONE>
                <EMAIL>damali.mason@va.gov</EMAIL>
                <MAILING_ADDRESS>
                    <STREET_ADDRESS>Veterans Benefits Administration, 810 Vermont Avenue NW.,</STREET_ADDRESS>
                    <CITY>Washington</CITY>
                    <STATE>DC</STATE>
                    <ZIP>20420</ZIP>
                </MAILING_ADDRESS>
            </CONTACT>
        </AGENCY_CONTACT_LIST>
    </RIN_INFO>
</REGINFO_RIN_DATA>
