72
STAT.]
PUBLIC LAW 85-857-SEPT. 2, 1958
rectly responsible to the Administrator. The Board shall consist of a Chairman, a Vice Chairman, such number (not more than fifty) of associate members as may be found necessary, and such other professional, administrative, clerical, and stenographic personnel as are necessary in conducting hearings and considering and disposing of appeals properly before the Board. (b) MemtJers of the Board (including the Chairman and Vice Chairman) shall be appointed by the Administrator with the approval of the President. § 4002. Assignment of members of Board The Chairman may from time to time divide the Board into sections of three members, assign the members of the Board thereto, and designate the chief thereof. If a section as a result of a vacancy or absence or inability of a member assigned thereto to serve thereon is composed of a number of members less than designated for the section, the Chairman may assign other members to the section or direct the section to proceed with the transaction of business without awaiting any additional assignment of members thereto. A hearing docket shall be maintained and formal recorded hearings shall be held by such associate member or members as the Chairman may designate, the associate member or members being of the section which will make final determination in the claim. A section of the Board shall make a determination on any proceeding instituted before the Board and on any motion in connection therewith assigned to such section by the Chairman and shall make a report of any such determination, which report shall constitute its final disposition of the proceeding. § 4003. Determinations by the Board (a) The determination of the section, when unanimously concurred in by the members of the section shall be the final determination of the Board, except that the Board on its own motion may correct an obvious error in the record, or may upon the basis of additional official information from the service department concerned reach a contrary conclusion. (b) When there is a disagreement among the members of the section the concurrence of the Chairman with the majority of members of such section shall constitute the final determination of the Board, except that the Board on its own motion may correct an obvious error in the record, or may upon the basis of additional official information from the service department concerned reach a contrary conclusion. § 4004. Jurisdiction of the Board (a) All questions on claims involving benefits under the laws administered by the Veterans' Administration shall be subject to one review on appeal to the Administrator. Final decisions on such appeals shall be made by the Board. (b) When a claim is disallowed by the Board, it may not thereafter be reopened and allowed, and no claim based upon the same factual basis shall be considered; however, where subsequent to disallowance of a claim, new and material evidence in the form of official reports from the proper service department is secured, the Board may authorize the reopening of the claim and review of the former decision. (c) The Board shall be bound in its decisions by the regulations of the Veterans' Administration, instructions of the Administrator, and the precedent opinions of the chief law officer. § 4005. Applications for review on appeal (a) Except in the case of simultaneously contested claims, applications for review on appeal shall be filed within one year from the date of mailing of notice of the result of initial review or determina-
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