Notice2025-21703

Agency Information Collection Activity: Notice of Disagreement: Appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals

Primary source

Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.

Published
December 1, 2025

Issuing agencies

Veterans Affairs Department

Abstract

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of a currently approved collection, and allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 30, 2026.

Full Text

<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 228 (Monday, December 1, 2025)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 228 (Monday, December 1, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55244-55245]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-21703]



[[Page 55244]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[OMB Control No. 2900-0674]


Agency Information Collection Activity: Notice of Disagreement: 
Appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals

AGENCY: Board of Veterans' Appeals, Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board), Department of Veterans 
Affairs (VA), is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the 
proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal agencies are required to 
publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed 
collection of information, including each proposed extension of a 
currently approved collection, and allow 60 days for public comment in 
response to the notice. DATES: Comments must be received on or before 
January 30, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Comments must be submitted through <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    Program-Specific information: Michael Nanez, 202-382-2785, 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c78aaea4afa6a2abe989a6a9a2bd87b1a6e9a0a8b1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9cd1f5fff4fdf9f0b2d2fdf2f9e6dceafdb2fbf3ea">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.
    VA PRA information: Dorothy Glasgow, 202-461-1084, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5c0a1d0c0e1d1c2a3d723b332a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f3a5b2a3a1b2b38592dd949c85">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA of 1995, Federal agencies must 
obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each 
collection of information they conduct or sponsor. This request for 
comment is being made pursuant to Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA.
    With respect to the following collection of information, the Board 
invites comments on: (1) whether the proposed collection of information 
is necessary for the proper performance of the Board's functions, 
including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the 
accuracy of the Board's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or the use 
of other forms of information technology.
    Title: Notice of Disagreement (NOD)/Appeal to the Board of 
Veterans' Appeals, VA Form 10182 and VA Form 9.
    OMB Control Number: 2900-0674. <a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRASearch">https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRASearch</a> (Once at this link, you can enter the OMB Control Number to 
find the historical versions of this Information Collection).
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: OMB Control No. 2900-0674 was recently approved on April 
30, 2025. The VA Form 10182 Decision Review Request: Board Appeal 
(Notice of Disagreement), which is required to initiate Board review of 
an appeal in the modernized review system as implemented by the 
Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 (AMA), was 
one of the forms approved for information collection. The Board is 
requesting to revise the currently approved VA Form 10182, to include 
an additional checkbox under Part III, number 11. The proposed checkbox 
will state: ``Check here if you want the Board to issue a decision as 
soon as possible, even if it is within the period to request a 
different review option in Part II. By checking this box, you 
acknowledge that once the Board issues a decision, you will not be 
permitted to change your Board review option.'' The ``Overview of 
Notice of Disagreement Form Sections'' on page three will be amended to 
include further explanation of the checkbox. The Board additionally 
requests to remove the checkbox from Part III, number 11, which states: 
``Check here if you are appealing a denial of benefits by the Veterans 
Health Administration (VHA).'' Finally, the Board seeks to amend the VA 
Form 10182 to clarify that selecting the Evidence Submission or Hearing 
with a Veterans Law Judge review option may extend the time it takes 
for the Board to decide an appeal; the VA Form 10182 currently states 
that selecting those review options will extend the time to receive a 
Board decision. The Board does not request to revise any of the other 
items included in the previously approved collection.
    The Board is requesting to revise the VA Form 10182, by adding a 
checkbox to Part III, number 11, in response to a recent case issued by 
the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). When appellants 
file a VA Form 10182, Decision Review Request: Board Appeal (Notice of 
Disagreement), they have the choice of three Board review options, or 
``dockets.'' Pursuant to 38 CFR 20.202(c)(2), appellants may request to 
modify their Notice of Disagreement and change review options until the 
later of one year from the date the agency of original jurisdiction 
mails notice of the decision on appeal, or within 60 days of the date 
the Board receives the Notice of Disagreement. In Williams v. 
McDonough, 37 Vet. App. 305, 310-311 (2024), the CAVC interpreted 38 
CFR 20.202(c)(2) as preventing the Board from issuing a decision until 
the period to request to change Board review options elapses. As a 
result, the Board has been forced to delay issuing decisions in cases 
that are otherwise ready for adjudication until that period elapses or 
sends a letter and ask appellants whether they wish to waive the 
remaining time, which places additional burdens on appellants and the 
Board.
    The requested revision provides appellants with the option to 
request that the Board issue a decision prior to the end of the period 
to request to switch dockets set out in 38 CFR Sec.  20.202(c)(2). By 
selecting the checkbox on the VA Form 10182, appellants can receive a 
decision in their appeal as soon as possible based on their place in 
docket order while also retaining the right to request a different 
Board review option up until the Board promulgates a decision on the 
appeal.
    The Board is requesting to remove the checkbox under Part III, 
number 11, that states: ``Check here if you are appealing a denial of 
benefits by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA),'' because it 
leads to confusion with appellants and provides little benefit to the 
Board.
    Revising the VA Form 10182 by adding a checkbox is the most 
Veteran-friendly approach as no new form would be required, and 
appellants can avoid delays resulting from the Williams decision by 
requesting that the Board issue a decision in their appeal using an 
already-familiar form. Removing the checkbox concerning denial of 
benefits by the VHA will eliminate the need for appellants to consider 
which Administration issued the decision they are appealing when 
completing the VA Form 10182. The explanation that selecting the 
Evidence Submission or Hearing review option may extend the time it 
takes for the Board to decide an appeal will help appellants make a 
fully informed decision on selecting the Board review option that is 
best for them.
    Any appellant who files a VA Form 10182 may utilize the checkbox 
and review the explanation of the time required for the review options. 
Therefore, the estimated number of respondents and annual burden are 
the same estimates as those provided for the number of respondents who 
may utilize the VA Form 10182 Decision Review Request: Board Appeal 
(Notice of Disagreement). Because the Board is seeking to add a 
checkbox and remove a checkbox, it is estimated that a

[[Page 55245]]

respondent's burden would be unchanged by the requested revisions. The 
estimates are consistent with those provided in the previously approved 
collection, because the requested changes to the VA Form 10182 do not 
add any additional burden to the processing of the form. Rather, the 
checkbox will eliminate the need to delay issuing decisions in appeals 
that are otherwise ready for adjudication and send appellants letters 
of clarification, thereby decreasing the overall administrative burden 
caused by Williams, supra.
    Affected Public: Individuals and households.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 55,000 hours.
    Estimated Average Burden per Respondent: 30 minutes.
    Frequency of Response: Once.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 110,000.
    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.

Dorothy Glasgow,
Acting, VA PRA Clearance Officer, Office of Information Technology, 
Data Governance and Analytics, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2025-21703 Filed 11-28-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P


</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>
Indexed from Federal Register on December 1, 2025.

This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.