[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 112 (Monday, June 10, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 29293-29294]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-14362]



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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
38 CFR Part 17

RIN 2900-AI07


Autopsies

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This document amends the autopsies regulations. The 
regulations in effect prior to the effective date of this document set 
forth a mechanism for informing the appropriate United States Attorney 
through a VA Regional Counsel's Office of a death at a VA facility when 
it is ``suspected that the death resulted from crime or the cause of 
death is unknown.'' This merely was intended to apply when there was a 
suspicion that a death resulted from a crime. The words ``or the cause 
of death is unknown'' are removed based on the determination that they 
are not necessary to accomplish the intended purpose and could be 
misunderstood to mean that the autopsy procedures were intended to 
apply when there is no suspicion of a crime. This document also changes 
the term ``coroner'' to ``medical examiner/coroner'' to reflect that in 
the context of the regulations it is appropriate for both names to be 
used interchangeably.

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 10, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary M. Stitak, Staff Assistant to 
Director, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service (111F), Patient 
Care Services, Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans 
Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420, (202) 565-7075.


[[Page 29294]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This final rule consists of nonsubstantive 
changes and, therefore, is not subject to the notice and comment and 
effective date provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553.
    The Secretary hereby certifies that this final rule will not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities 
as they are defined in the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), 5. U.S.C. 
601-602. This final rule would not cause a significant effect on any 
entities since it does not contain any substantive provisions. 
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.
    The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance program numbers are 
64008, 64009, and 64010.

List of Subjects in 38 CFR Part 17

    Administrative practice and procedure, Alcohol abuse, Alcoholism, 
Claims, Day care, Dental health, Drug abuse, Foreign relations, 
Government contracts, Grant programs-health, Grant programs-veterans, 
Health care, Health facilities, Health professions, Health records, 
Homeless, Medical and dental schools, Medical devices, Medical 
research, Mental health programs, Nursing homes, Philippines, Reporting 
and recordkeeping requirements, Scholarships and fellowships, Travel 
and transportation expenses, Veterans.

    Approved: May 31, 1996.
Jesse Brown,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

    For the reasons set forth in the preamble, 38 CFR part 17 is 
amended as set forth below:

PART 17--MEDICAL

    1. The authority citation for part 17 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501, 1721, unless otherwise noted.


Sec. 17.170  [Amended]

    2. In Sec. 17.170, paragraph (c) is amended by removing ``or the 
cause of death is unknown'', and paragraph (d) is amended by removing 
``coroner'' each time it appears and adding, in its place, ``medical 
examiner/coroner''.

[FR Doc. 96-14362 Filed 6-7-96; 8:45 am]
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