Background

This transmittal amends chapter I-3-0 of the Hearings, Appeals and Litigation Law (HALLEX) manual to update and provide instructions relating to claim(s) files. The updates are necessary to improve internal communications and processing, provide missing instructions, and clarify existing instructions. We also made other formatting and editorial changes.

Explanation of Content and Changes

This transmittal revises chapter I-3-0 as follows:

I-3-0-70 – We removed outdated instructions and added three subsections titled “Request for Review Filed With Field Office (FO),” “Request for Review Filed With OAO,” and “Request for Review Filed With Another Component.” We added needed instructions addressing each situation, including helpful references to the Office of Appellate Operations (OAO) electronic business process.

I-3-0-71 – We changed the title to “Requesting Paper Claim(s) File” to more accurately reflect the content of the section.

I-3-0-71 A – We added a new subsection A titled “Locating the Claim(s) File” and inserted instructions for locating a paper claim(s) file. We moved the information formerly in subsection A to subsection B.

I-3-0-71 B – We incorporated information formerly in subsection A, retitled the subsection “Claim(s) File Located in the Mega-site,” and updated the information. We moved some of the information formerly in subsection B to new subsection C and moved other information related to reconstructing a claim(s) file to HALLEX I-3-0-75.

I-3-0-71 C – We incorporated information formerly in subsection B and titled the subsection “Claim(s) File Not Located in the Mega-site.” We updated the information and added specific instructions on requesting a claim(s) file located in a hearing office.

I-3-0-75 – We changed the title to “Branch Responsibilities When Claim is Remanded and Hearing Office Does Not Receive Claim(s) File” to more accurately reflect the content of the section. We removed outdated instructions and updated the information.

I-3-0-84 – We changed the title to “Requests for Copies of Exhibits and Other Claim(s) File Material” to more accurately reflect the content in the section. In subsection A, we made editorial changes to the language to more closely mirror other HALLEX instructions, and added a NOTE about providing copies of materials to claimants who are incarcerated. We updated the instructions in subsection B. In subsection C, we changed the titles of the sub-subsections to more accurately reflect the content and updated the information. We also made several editorial and formatting changes in subsection C. We removed subsection D as the information is outdated.

I-3-0-97 – We removed the section in its entirety as the information is now incorporated in OAO's Document Generation System.

Date: June 9, 2014