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    <RIN_INFO>
        <RIN>2900-AP67</RIN>
        <PUBLICATION>
            <PUBLICATION_ID>201610</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>Apportionments</RULE_TITLE>
        <ABSTRACT><![CDATA[<!DOCTYPE html>
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<p>The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposes to amend its regulations to remove most of the apportionment provisions and to stop apportioning most benefits. Currently, in limited situations, VA may pay a portion of a VA beneficiary&rsquo;s monetary benefits directly to the beneficiary&rsquo;s dependents. This is referred to as apportionment of benefits. Most apportionments result in the veteran or primary beneficiary receiving less benefits than Congress intended while providing little benefit to the apportionee. Moreover, many claims for apportionment involve complex issues of family law, issues that VA claims adjudicators have limited ability to deal with and are more suited to state courts. In addition, due to the complex and fact-intensive nature of these claims, when VA does award apportionments it frequently disturbs state court support awards. Finally, due to their intricacy, a significant amount of information is needed to properly adjudicate apportionment claims. While this information is typically already available to state courts, VA must attempt to gather this information from the VA beneficiary and beneficiary&rsquo;s dependent. The additional time and effort needed to gather this information increases VA workloads and results in delays of apportionment awards. Therefore, based on the limited value to the VA beneficiary or apportionee, and the fact that VA apportionment awards often conflict with the better-situated state family court awards, VA is proposing to amend its regulations to remove most of the apportionment provisions and stop apportioning most benefits.</p>
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        <PRIORITY_CATEGORY>Substantive, Nonsignificant</PRIORITY_CATEGORY>
        <RIN_STATUS>Previously Published in The Unified Agenda</RIN_STATUS>
        <RULE_STAGE>Proposed Rule Stage</RULE_STAGE>
        <MAJOR>No</MAJOR>
        <UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
            <UNFUNDED_MANDATE>No</UNFUNDED_MANDATE>
        </UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
        <CFR_LIST>
            <CFR>38 CFR 3.31</CFR>
            <CFR>38 CFR 3.210</CFR>
            <CFR>38 CFR 3.252</CFR>
            <CFR>38 CFR 3.400</CFR>
            <CFR>38 CFR 3.450 to 3.461</CFR>
            <CFR>38 CFR 3.556</CFR>
            <CFR>38 CFR 3.665</CFR>
            <CFR>38 CFR 3.852</CFR>
            <CFR>38 CFR 21.330</CFR>
        </CFR_LIST>
        <LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>38 U.S.C. 501(a)</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>38 U.S.C. 5307</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>38 U.S.C. 5313</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>38 U.S.C. 5502</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>38 U.S.C. 5503</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>Pub. L. 95-588, sec 306, 92 stat 2497</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>...</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
        </LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
        <LEGAL_DLINE_LIST/>
        <RPLAN_ENTRY>No</RPLAN_ENTRY>
        <TIMETABLE_LIST>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>NPRM</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>02/00/2017</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>
        <PRINT_PAPER>No</PRINT_PAPER>
        <INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>No</INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>
        <AGENCY_CONTACT_LIST>
            <CONTACT>
                <FIRST_NAME>Stephanie</FIRST_NAME>
                <LAST_NAME>Li</LAST_NAME>
                <TITLE>Assistant Director for Regulations, Legislation, Engagement, and Training</TITLE>
                <AGENCY>
                    <CODE>2900</CODE>
                    <NAME>Department of Veterans Affairs</NAME>
                    <ACRONYM>VA</ACRONYM>
                </AGENCY>
                <PHONE>202 461-9700</PHONE>
                <EMAIL>stephanie.li@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>
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