§ 135.3 - Eligibility for payments by the Department of State.

§ 135.3 Eligibility for payments by the Department of State.

(a) The Department of State may provide a payment to covered individuals, as defined hereinin this part, if the qualifying injury to the brain was assessed and diagnosed in person by a currently board-certified neurologist physician from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) or a physician currently 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 while the individual was a covered employee of the Department.

(b) The Department of State may provide a payment to covered employees, as defined hereinin this part, if the qualifying injury to the brain was assessed and diagnosed in person by a currently board-certified neurologist physician from the ABPN or a physician currently certified by the , AOBNP, ABPMR, or AOBPMR; occurred on or after January 1, 2016, ; and while the employee was a covered employee of the Department.

(c) The Department of State may provide a payment to a covered dependent, if the qualifying injury to the brain was assessed and diagnosed in person by a currently board-certified neurologist physician from the ABPN or a physician currently certified by the , AOBNP, ABPMR, or AOBPMR; occurred on or after January 1, 2016, ; and the dependent's sponsor was a covered employee of the Department at the time of the dependent's injury.

(d) Payment for a qualifying injury to the brain will be a non-taxable, one-time lump sum payment.

(e) The Department will determine the amount paid to each eligible person based on the following factors:

(1) The responses on the DS-4316, “Eligibility Questionnaire for HAVANA Act Payments”; and

(2) Whether the Department of Labor (Workers' Compensation) has determined that the requestor requester has no reemployment potential, ; or the Social Security Administration has approved the requestor requester for either Social Security Disability Insurance , or the requestoror Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI) benefits; or the requester's ABPN-certified neurologist or ABPMR, AOBNP, ABPMR, or AOBPMR board-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 of Daily Living.

(3) The award thresholds are based on Level III of the Senior Executive Schedule: Base will be 75 percent of Level III pay, and Base+ will be 100 percent of Level III pay. If the requestor meets any of the criteria listed in paragraph (e)(2) of this section, the requestor will be eligible to receive a Base+ payment. Requestors whose neurologists confirm that the definition of “qualifying injury to the brain” has been met but have not met any of the criteria listed paragraph (e)(2) of this section, will be eligible to receive a Base payment. If a requestor who received a Base payment later s meets any of the criteria listed in paragraph (e)(2) of this section, the requestor may apply for an additional payment that will be the difference between the Base and Base+ payment.

(f) The Under Secretary of State for Management may approve payments under the rule. The Bureau of Global Talent Management (GTM) will notify individuals of the decision in writing.

(g) An appeal of a decision made by the Under Secretary of State for Management may be directed to the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources in writing. The Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources is the final appeal authority. GTM will notify individuals of the decision in writing.

[87 FR 38984, June 30, 2022, as amended at 87 FR 48444, Aug. 9, 2022; 88 FR 4726, Jan. 25, 2023]