§ 106.3 - Eligibility for payments by the Department of Justice.

§ 106.3 Eligibility for payments by the Department of Justice.

(a) The Department may, in its discretion, provide a payment to an employee, covered dependent, or former employee if that person suffered a qualifying injury to the brain that was assessed and diagnosed in person by a physician who is currently a neurologist certified by the American Board of Psychology and Neurology (ABPN) or a physician certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Neurology and Psychiatry (AOBNP), the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR), or the American Osteopathic Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AOBPMR); occurred on or after January 1, 2016; and, for an employee or former employee, occurred while the employee or former employee was a covered employee of the Department or, for a covered dependent, occurred while the covered dependent's relative was an employee of the Department in a position listed in § 106.2(a)(2).

(b) Payment for a qualifying injury to the brain will be a non-taxable, one-time lump sum payment, unless a second payment is authorized under paragraph (d) of this section.

(c) The amount of the payment is at the Department's discretion. The Department will determine the amount paid to each eligible person based on the following factors:

(1) The responses on the “Eligibility Questionnaire for HAVANA Act Payments” form; and

(2) Whether the Department of Labor (Office of Workers' Compensation Programs) has determined that the applicant has no reemployment potential, or the Social Security Administration has approved the applicant for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income benefits, or the applicant's ABPN-certified neurologist or the applicant's AOBNP-, ABPMR-, or AOBPMR-certified physician has certified that the individual requires a full-time caregiver for activities of daily living, as defined by the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living.

(d) The award thresholds are based on Level III of the Executive Schedule: Base will be 75 percent of Level III pay, and Base+ will be 100 percent of Level III pay. If the applicant meets any of the criteria listed in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, the applicant will be eligible to receive a Base+ payment. Applicants whose board-certified physician (as described in paragraph (a) of this section) confirms that the definition of “qualifying injury to the brain” has been met, but who have not met any of the criteria listed in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, will be eligible to receive a Base payment. If an applicant who received a Base payment later meets any of the criteria listed in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, the applicant may apply for an additional payment that will be the difference between the Base and Base+ payment.