05-17416. Jurisdictions and Addresses of Regional Counsels

AGENCY:

Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

This document amends the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regulations regarding the jurisdictions and addresses of the General Counsel's Regional Counsels. This amendment is necessary to update Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations, to reflect recent jurisdiction and address changes.

DATES:

Effective Date: September 1, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Susan Sokoll, Deputy Director, Legal Information Division, Office of General Counsel (026H), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420, telephone [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

VA's regulation 38 CFR 14.501, “Functions and responsibilities of Regional Counsels,” has the jurisdictions and addresses of Regional Counsels in paragraph (f). This amendment removes obsolete information in that paragraph, regarding the jurisdictions and addresses of Regional Counsels and replaces it with current information. The rule provides updated addresses for several Regional Counsels. Additionally, it reflects a reorganization of the jurisdictions of some Regional Counsels. The 23 regions previously referenced in § 14.501(f) have been consolidated into 22 regions. Accordingly, this rule removes reference to former Region 17 and reflects the revised jurisdictions of Regions 18 and 19 as a result of that reorganization.

Administrative Procedure Act

These changes to 38 CFR 14.501(f) are being published without regard to notice-and-comment procedures of 5 U.S.C. 553(b) because they involve only matters of agency organization, which are exempted from such procedures by virtue of 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(A). Further, because these changes do not involve substantive rules, they are not subject to the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(d) providing for a 30-day delay in the effective date of substantive rules.

Paperwork Reduction Act

This document contains no provisions constituting a collection of information under the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521).

Unfunded Mandates

The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 requires, at 2 U.S.C. 1532, that agencies prepare an assessment of anticipated costs and benefits before developing any rule that may result in an expenditure by State, local, or tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector of $100 million or more (adjusted annually for inflation) in any given year. This rule would have no such effect on State, local, or tribal governments, or the private sector.

Executive Order 12866

This document has been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order 12866.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

The Secretary hereby certifies that this regulatory amendment will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities as they are defined in the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601-612. This regulation deals with the internal organization of the VA Regional Counsels and primarily impacts VA and beneficiaries. To the extent that any small entities deal with VA Regional Counsels, this rule merely provides information to assist such entities in identifying and locating the proper Regional Counsel and thus will not have any significant economic impact upon a substantial number of small entities. Therefore, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 605(b), this amendment is exempt from the initial and final regulatory flexibility analysis requirements of sections 603 and 604.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

There is no Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance program number associated with this rulemaking.

List of Subjects in 38 CFR Part 14

• Administrative practice and procedure
• Claims
• Courts
• Foreign relations
• Government employees
• Lawyers
• Legal services
• Organization and functions (Government agencies)
• Reporting and recordkeeping requirements
• Surety bonds
• Trusts and trustees
• Veterans

Approved: August 11, 2005.

Gordon H. Mansfield,

Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

For the reasons set forth in the preamble, 38 CFR part 14 is amended as follows:

PART 14—LEGAL SERVICES, GENERAL COUNSEL, AND MISCELLANEOUS CLAIMS

1. The authority citation for part 14 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301; 28 U.S.C. 2671-2680; 38 U.S.C. 501(a), 512, 515, 5502, 5902-5905; 28 CFR part 14, appendix to part 14, unless otherwise noted.

2. Section 14.501(f) is revised to read as follows:

§ 14.501

Functions and responsibilities of Regional Counsels.

* * * * *

(f) The jurisdictions and addresses of Regional Counsels are as follows:

(1) Region 1: (JURISDICTION) Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island; (ADDRESS) VAMC, 200 Springs Road, Bldg. 61, Bedford, MA 01730.

(2) Region 2: (JURISDICTION) New Jersey, Metropolitan New York City; (ADDRESS) 800 Poly Place, Building 14, Brooklyn, NY 11209.

(3) Region 3: (JURISDICTION) District of Columbia; Fairfax, Virginia; Arlington, Virginia; Alexandria, Virginia; Martinsburg, West Virginia; and Maryland; (ADDRESS) 3900 Loch Raven Blvd., Bldg. 4, Baltimore, MD 21218.

(4) Region 4: (JURISDICTION) Pennsylvania, Delaware; (ADDRESS) University & Woodland Avenues, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

(5) Region 5: (JURISDICTION) Georgia, South Carolina; (ADDRESS) 1700 Clairmont Rd., Decatur, GA 30033-4032.

(6) Region 6: (JURISDICTION) Florida, Puerto Rico; (ADDRESS) P.O. Box 5005, Building 22, Room 333, Bay Pines, FL 33744.

(7) Region 7: (JURISDICTION) Ohio, West Virginia (excluding Martinsburg, West Virginia); (ADDRESS) 10000 Brecksville Rd., Bldg. 1, 5th Floor, Brecksville, OH 44141.

(8) Region 8: (JURISDICTION) Arkansas, Tennessee; (ADDRESS) 110 9th Ave., South Room A-201A, Nashville, TN 37203.

(9) Region 9: (JURISDICTION) Alabama, Mississippi; (ADDRESS) 1500 E. Woodrow Wilson Dr., Jackson, MS 39216.

(10) Region 10: (JURISDICTION) Illinois, Iowa; (ADDRESS) VA Medical Center, Bldg. 1, G Section 1st Floor, P. O. Box 1427, Hines, IL 60141.

(11) Region 11: (JURISDICTION) Michigan, Wisconsin; (ADDRESS) Patrick V. McNamara Federal Bldg., Suite 1460, 477 Michigan Ave., Detroit, MI 48226.

(12) Region 12: (JURISDICTION) Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska; (ADDRESS) 1 Jefferson Barracks Drive, St. Louis, MO 63125-4185.

(13) Region 13: (JURISDICTION) Oklahoma, Northern Texas; (ADDRESS) 4800 Memorial Drive, Bldg. 12, Waco, TX 76711.

(14) Region 14: (JURISDICTION) Louisiana, Southern Texas; (ADDRESS) 6900 Almeda Road, Houston, TX 77030.

(15) Region 15: (JURISDICTION) Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota; (ADDRESS) VA Medical Center, One Veterans Drive, Bldg. 73, Minneapolis, MN 55417.

(16) Region 16: (JURISDICTION) Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Montana; (ADDRESS) Box 25126, 155 Van Gordon Street, Denver, CO 80225.

(17) Region 18: (JURISDICTION) California, Hawaii, and Philippine Islands; (ADDRESS) VA Medical Center, 4150 Clement Street, Bldg. 210, San Francisco, CA 94121.

(18) Region 19: (JURISDICTION) Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico; (ADDRESS) 650 E. Indian School Rd., Bldg. 24, Phoenix AZ 85012.

(19) Region 20: (JURISDICTION) Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Alaska; (ADDRESS) 1220 S.W. Third Ave., Suite 1224, Portland, OR 97204.

(20) Region 21: (JURISDICTION) New York (except Metropolitan New York City), Vermont; (ADDRESS) 120 LeBrun, Buffalo, NY 14215.

(21) Region 22: (JURISDICTION) Indiana, Kentucky; (ADDRESS) 575 N. Pennsylvania Street, Room 309, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

(22) Region 23: (JURISDICTION) North Carolina, Virginia (excluding Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria); (ADDRESS) Hiram H. Ward Federal Bldg., 251 N. Main Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27155.