Source: https://veteranclaims.net/2009/04/05/certified-list-before-1994-prepared-for-each-bva-decision/
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 12:57:53+00:00

Document:
The 1994 Report of the Chairman of the BVA to Congress is note worthy in that it states that prior to 1994 “certified lists” were prepared for each BVA decision, going forward they will only be prepared for those appeals where a NOA to the CAVC is received.
Another item of interest is the new statutory right to a hearing before a traveling Board.
(3) is contained in Part IV of this report.
will result in a more timely system delivering a higher quality product.
we serve with a comprehensive picture of the Board, its mission, and its activities.
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW 1933 to 1988 (Before Judicial Review) 1988 1994 Since Judicial Review) 1994: A YEAR OF CHANGE AND REINVENTION …’…””…’..’.”.’.” ‘ ‘.’.’.’..
hV ‘ S . 0 ..
representation of veterans before the Department.
was composed of a Chairman, Vice Chairman, and no more than 15 associate members.
which eventually were codified as regulations.
organizational and operational programs to achieve more efficient case management.
Board’s Rules of Practice were extensively revised and were first published in the Code of Federal Regulations in 1964. Currently, the Board’s Appeals Regulations and Rules of Practice are contained in Parts 19 and 20, respectively, of title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
average appellate processing time was 483 days, up from 443 days the preceding year.
FY 1990 to just over 38,000 in FY 1993.
The passage of the Veterans’ Judicial Review Act (VJRA), Pub. L. No. 100-687 (Nov.
more consistent and detailed decisions.
the Board following completion of development requested by the Board on remand.
during 1994 whereby a claims folder is not transferred from a V A regional office t.o the Board until shortly before the Board begins its active review of the associated case. This procedure, known as “advance docketing,” is discussed further on pages 7 and 26-27.
outdated, stale, or of other limited usefulness by the time the Board began its review. To reduce this lag time, the Board temporarily suspended the scheduling of all personal hearings at the Board’s Washington, DC, offices and at V A regional offices from May 1, 1994, through the end of the fiscal year. In the future, hearings will be scheduled to be held at a time proximate to when the Board begins its active review of a case.
show significant interest in the practice of veterans’ law. .
directed that the Board consider every potentially applicable regulation in its decision, regardless of whether it was raised by the appellant or considered in the field. In Bernard v. Brown, 4 Vet.App. 384 (1993), and Thurber v. Brown, 5 Vet.App. 119 (1993), the Court imposed significant new procedural steps before a final decision by the Board may be issued.
cases that are affected by the Court’s decision, and re-adjudicate them.
reconsideration of prior BV A decisions.
its sixth volume during FY 1994.
In Boyer v. Derwinski, I Vet.App. 531 (1991), the Court held that, on reconsideration, the Board must entirely re-adjudicate the case on a de novo basis, as if the prior decision had never been entered.
historic level for the past four fiscal years. Both the decisions remanded by the Court to the Board and those returned from the regional offices after the Board has remanded them require re-adjudication by the Board and result in a vastly increased workload.
decisions in cases like Murphy v. Derwinski, 1 Vet.App. 78 (1990), and Colvin v.
(1993), and many others require that the Board also be more technical and “legalistic” in its approach to decision writing.
1516 (Fed. Cir. 1994), that the clear and unmistakable error review authority in 38 C.F .R. § 3.1 05( a) relates only to review of agency of original jurisdiction decisions and not those of the Board. The u.s. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit again reversed the Court, holding, in Mayer v. Brown, 37 F.3d 618 (Fed. Cir. 1994), that the Court had no jurisdiction to review decisions of the Chairman. .
to have a significant effect on the Board and the quality and timeliness of its decisionmaking.
the hearing docket for BVA hearings at regional offices. Undoubtedly, this is one of the most significant pieces of legislation affecting the Board in the Board’s 61-year history.
Pub. L. No. 103-446, the “Veterans’ Benefits Improvements Act of 1994,'” enacted after the close of FY 1994, provides career incentives and stability for the Board’s most experienced members, thereby correcting a significant problem with attrition to the administrative law judge program. In addition, this Act, for the first time, permitted the Board to screen cases out of docket order in order to insure that the record is ready for final consideration on the merits. Both of these measures are discussed in greater detail, beginning on page 10 of this report. .
the Washington, DC, area in one building (1993).
reviewing, considering, and acting on each item listed.
minimize the time-consuming restatement of the history of each case.
procedure assures that all appellants are treated fairly in docket order assigrunent.
increase in the attorney staff that prepares draft decisions; the institution of a formal, comprehensive training program for staff counsel; the introduction of computer equipment to facilitate the production of decisions and the tracking of cases and other data; and the inclusion of staff physicians in quality review activities.
nearer to the time when cases are reached on the Board’s docket.
exceeding existing limits on the number of BVA employees authorized.
single Board member decision environment.
reduce the number of cases remanded to the RO by the Board for needed development.
this latter measure be implemented immediately.
the case awaits final consideration on the merits based on its place on the docket.
resulting from the imposition of fixed terms of employment on Board member positions.
development and re-adjudication should be perfected in a trial or pilot program.
appeals processed in the current manner.
Secretary and within certain time limitations –until a successor is appointed.
to issue a preliminary report in November 1995, with a final report due in May 1996.
year, was awaiting sentencing in federal court.
about missing or altered documents or take other appropriate action. .
occurred in the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
of any recurrence of this problem.
tampering; it was the Board that caught it; and it was the Board that stopped it.
increased Board member pay to a level comparable to that of Administrative Law Judges.
members of the Senior Executive Service.
supervisory responsibility for the section.
then forwarded to the Administrative Service for dispatch.
other documents to the Board’s offices in Washington, DC. .
The Honorable Jesse Brown administers the oath of office to new Board members.
are awaiting Presidential approval. There are no physicians serving as Board members.
CALLOW A Y, BETTINA S.
to provide the efficient, high-quality service that veterans and their dependents deserve.
As selection of Board members is based solely on merit, the political affiliation, if any, of the candidates is never a factor for consideration.
“independent” medical evidence on the record in support of the determination reached.
opinion on the record from sources within and outside the Department.
Furthennore, Court decisions in the cases of Gilbert v. Derwinski, CQlvin v.
to support its findings rather than provide its own medical judgment as a Board opinion.
physician Board members appointed in the initial round of appointments in FY 1991.
Their tern1s expired in July 1994.
the quality review process has also been expanded.
experts under 38 U.S.C. § 7109.
could be requested under the contemplated arrangements.
Board issued eleven motions for review of fee agreements for insufficiency in FY 1994.
returned to the regional office, and 8 were withdrawn by the parties.
parties addressed to the President, the Secretary, and other government officials.
who respond to these inquiries.
filing appeals with the Board. VSOs are critical to the Board’s operations.
conventions and seminars held by VSOs (both national and state) across the country.
on Compensation, Pension, and Insurance of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
incorporated in Pub. L. No.1 03-446, signed by the President on November 2, 1994.
claims adjudication, veterans’ law education, medical issues, and computer wordprocessing.
physicians will continue to conduct lectures on a variety of medical topics.
in a more efficient manner.
and the entire staff of 40 employees in the Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, transcription unit.
directly to the regional offices.
body of veterans’ benefit law.
has been Installed. Computer access -‘ 0 0 Of, hf, . I CDROII .ueClSlons are aval a e on a Sing e -lYI.
counsel and Board members in FY 1995.
procedures directives, critical tools used throughout the V A claims adjudication system.
contained on the decision CD-ROM, on computer facilities accessible via Internet. .
been facilitated by the expanded use of customized word processing templates.
templates by allowing users to concentrate on document substance rather than form.
classes, instruction on BV A-specific document preparation procedures was conducted.
by the Board to translate lessons through the use of sign language.
decisions stored on CD-ROM was established via a shared computer network.
on-line research materials, was also provided to the VSO representatives.
Board in the Board’s Washington, DC, office building.
group meetings was held with representatives from major veterans’ service organizations.
customer service avenue for the Board to pursue.
results of the survey and the focus group’s initial meeting.
In September 1994, the Board published a BV A Customer Service Standards brochure.
telephonic contact between employees and appellants.
what kind of communication and product appellants can expect from the Board.
comparable organizations inside and outside of government.
TQM effort has benefited the Board and the Board’s ability to serve its customers better.
Committee designated BV A as an official World War II Commemorative Organization.
Board employees’ understanding of the sacrifices and accomplishments of those veterans.
chronicle of significant campaigns, battles, and home front activities.
World War II campaigns, battles, and home front programs for visitors to collect.
who are now the Board’s customers.
during FY 1994 to honor veterans of World War II.
text of the Chairman’s presentation, entitled “The Endless Becoming,” is presented below.
while providing better service to veterans.
has several advantages for veterans.
used in the active review and processing of the appeal.
veteran’s file remained at the regional office until after the Board’s hearing was held there.
Board for docketing approximately once per week.
considered and decided by the Board at the earliest possible opportunity.
and 1,172 hearings in Washington.
required by statute to participate in the decision, is most likely still a Board member.
will begin to hold hearings at regional offices early in calendar year 1995.
employees to encourage innovation and resourcefulness wherever possible.
within this new legal environment, address the underlying causes of the backlog.
Board should be “becoming.” .
ALJs and Board members and the imposition of terms on the Board member position.
and then re-adjudicating the claim.
continue to have their appeals processed in the current manner.
become in the era of judicial review?
Recent legislation has helped address this issue. .
reviewing courts are requiring decisions that look more like judicial opinions than before.
and experience in medicine to the appeals before us.
the ceiling on the number of Board members.
examine the record. We may look at more than the original decision-makers looked at.
understand it as lawyers to the facts which are before us.
crucial part of the veterans’ system.
law judges, primarily at the Social Security Administration.
The result was predictable. In July 1993, there were 55 lawyer-members at the Board.
will, we think, help us retain the best and the brightest for the Board.
evaluation will soon be in place.
painful, but it will become a career goal for a new generation of bright, caring lawyers.
That is a result unconditionally good for veterans and their families.
The Board is also “becoming” in the judicial arena.
decisions has resulted in changes in the Board’s adjudicative and administrative practices.
of expert advisory opinions, as well as sources of medical training for BV A legal staff.
obtain a medical opinion on an issue in question.
unwanted consequence of the profound alteration in the way V A must do business.
benefits adjudication process, have yet to be defined.
what is the proper role of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals in the era of judicial review?
Board and the originating agencies, the V A, the Courts, and the veterans we serve.
certainly close to that point.
the Board to become: .
access to the system or to entitlements?
any real compromise of a veteran’s rights?
These are difficult challenges. But they will be met, because they must be met.
If you are very, very quiet, you may hear them coming. Thank you very much.
of the Board’s decisions by category of appeal is provided below.
0 Begin Admin. Rep. Review oC.se Storage. Board Section OCR & Ending Admin. .Misc. Admin.
7% 13% 60% 13″/. 3% 4″/.
its active review of the associatedc ase.
shown in paragraph II(A), above.
resumption of personal hearings in FY 1995.
factors may arise to affect decision production.
time realized prior to judicial review will be regained.

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 § 7109