Vol. 145, No. 26 — December 21, 2011

Registration

SOR/2011-302 December 8, 2011

CANADIAN FORCES MEMBERS AND VETERANS RE-ESTABLISHMENT AND COMPENSATION ACT
WAR VETERANS ALLOWANCE ACT

Regulations Amending certain Department of Veterans Affairs Regulations (Miscellaneous Program)

P.C. 2011-1552 December 8, 2011

His Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Veterans Affairs, hereby makes the annexed Regulations Amending certain Department of Veterans Affairs Regulations (Miscellaneous Program) pursuant to

REGULATIONS AMENDING CERTAIN DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS REGULATIONS (MISCELLANEOUS PROGRAM)

CANADIAN FORCES MEMBERS AND VETERANS RE-ESTABLISHMENT
AND COMPENSATION ACT

CANADIAN FORCES MEMBERS AND VETERANS RE-ESTABLISHMENT
AND COMPENSATION REGULATIONS

1. Section 4 of the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Regulations (see footnote 1) is replaced by the following:

4. An application for career transition services shall be made in writing and shall include, at the request of the Minister, any information or documents that are necessary to enable the Minister to assess whether the applicant is eligible for those services.

2. (1) The portion of section 10 of the French version of the Regulations before paragraph (a) is replaced by the following:

10. La demande de services de réadaptation ou d’assistance professionnelle est présentée par écrit et est accompagnée des renseignements et documents suivants :

(2) Paragraph 10(f) of the English version of the Regulations is replaced by the following:

  • (f) at the request of the Minister, any other information or documents that are necessary to enable the Minister to assess the applicant’s eligibility for the services or assistance.

3. (1) The portion of subsection 12(1) of the English version of the Regulations before paragraph (a) is replaced by the following:

12. (1) A person who is in receipt of rehabilitation services or vocational assistance shall provide, at the request of the Minister, the following information and documents relating to the provision of the services or assistance:

(2) Paragraph 12(1)(c) of the English version of the Regulations is replaced by the following:

  • (c) any other information or documents that are necessary to enable the Minister to assess the person’s continued eligibility for the services or assistance.

(3) Subsection 12(2) of the English version of the Regulations is replaced by the following:

(2) If a person fails to comply with a request under subsection (1), the Minister may suspend the delivery of rehabilitation services or vocational assistance until the information and documents are provided.

4. (1) The portion of section 17 of the French version of the Regulations before paragraph (a) is replaced by the following:

17. La demande visée au paragraphe 18(1) ou 22(1) de la Loi est présentée par écrit et est accompagnée des renseignements et documents suivants :

(2) Paragraph 17(d) of the English version of the Regulations is replaced by the following:

  • (d) at the request of the Minister, any other information or documents that are necessary to enable the Minister to determine eligibility for the benefit or the amount payable.

5. Paragraph 25(1)(d) of the Regulations is replaced by the following:

  • (d) at the request of the Minister, provide the information or documents referred to in any of paragraphs (a) to (c) or provide any other information or documents that are necessary to enable the Minister to assess the person’s continued eligibility for earnings loss or to determine the amount of benefit payable.

6. (1) The portion of section 28 of the French version of the Regulations before paragraph (a) is replaced by the following:

28. La demande de prestation de retraite supplémentaire est présentée par écrit et est accompagnée des renseignements et documents suivants :

(2) Paragraph 28(c) of the English version of the Regulations is replaced by the following:

  • (c) at the request of the Minister, any other information or documents that are necessary to determine whether the applicant is eligible to receive the benefit or the amount payable.

7. Section 29 of the French version of the Regulations is replaced by the following:

29. La prestation de retraite supplémentaire est payée en un seul versement. Elle est égale à 2 % du total des sommes versées au titre de l’allocation pour perte de revenus que le ministre aurait versée au militaire ou au vétéran, ou à son égard, si aucune des sommes exigibles d’une source réglementaire visées au paragraphe 19(1) ou 23(3) de la Loi n’avait été prise en compte dans le calcul de cette allocation.

8. (1) The portion of section 30 of the French version of the Regulations before paragraph (a) is replaced by the following:

30. La demande d’allocation de soutien du revenu est présentée par écrit et est accompagnée des renseignements et documents suivants :

(2) Paragraph 30(d) of the English version of the Regulations is replaced by the following:

  • (d) at the request of the Minister, any other information or documents that are necessary to enable the Minister to assess whether the applicant is eligible for the benefit or the amount of benefit payable.

9. (1) Paragraph 34(1)(f) of the Regulations is replaced by the following:

  • (f) at the request of the Minister, provide the information or documents referred to in any of paragraphs (a) to (e) or any other information or documents that are necessary to enable the Minister to assess the person’s continued eligibility for the benefit or to determine the amount of benefit payable.

(2) Subsection 34(2) of the English version of the Regulations is replaced by the following:

(2) For the purposes of section 36 of the Act, the Minister may suspend the payment of a Canadian Forces income support benefit to a person who fails to comply with subsection (1) until the information and documents are provided.

10. (1) The portion of section 42 of the French version of the Regulations before paragraph (a) is replaced by the following:

42. La demande d’allocation ou d’augmentation de l’allocation pour déficience permanente est présentée par écrit et est accompagnée des renseignements et documents suivants :

(2) Paragraph 42(c) of the English version of the Regulations is replaced by the following:

  • (c) at the request of the Minister, any other information or documents that are necessary to enable the Minister to assess whether the veteran is eligible for a permanent impairment allowance or the amount payable.

11. Subsections 45(1) and (2) of the English version of the Regulations are replaced by the following:

45. (1) A person who is in receipt of a permanent impairment allowance shall provide, on request, medical records, reports or any other information or documents that are necessary to enable the Minister to assess the person’s continued eligibility for the permanent impairment allowance or the amount payable.

(2) The Minister may suspend the payment of a permanent impairment allowance to a person who fails to comply with subsection (1) until the information and documents are provided.

12. (1) The portion of section 48 of the French version of the Regulations before paragraph (a) is replaced by the following:

48. Toute demande d’indemnisation prévue à la partie 3 de la Loi est présentée par écrit et est accompagnée des renseignements et documents suivants :

(2) Paragraph 48(b) of the English version of the Regulations is replaced by the following:

  • (b) at the request of the Minister, any information or documents that are necessary to enable the Minister to assess whether an applicant is eligible for compensation or the amount of compensation payable.

13. The portion of section 49 of the French version of the Regulations before paragraph (a) is replaced by the following:

49. La demande d’indemnité d’invalidité est accompagnée des renseignements et documents suivants :

14. The portion of section 60 of the French version of the Regulations before paragraph (a) is replaced by the following:

60. La demande d’indemnité de captivité qui est présentée par la succession testamentaire du militaire ou du vétéran est accompagnée des renseignements et documents suivants :

WAR VETERANS ALLOWANCE ACT

VETERANS ALLOWANCE REGULATIONS

15. Paragraph 3(4)(b) of the Veterans Allowance Regulations (see footnote 2) is replaced by the following:

  • (b) the names of the applicant’s spouse or common-law partner and dependent children;

COMING INTO FORCE

16. These Regulations come into force on the day on which they are registered.

REGULATORY IMPACT ANALYSIS STATEMENT

(This statement is not part of the Regulations.)

Issue and objectives

The regulatory amendments in this document are a result of recommendations provided by the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations (the Committee) following the review of the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Regulations (SOR/2006-50) and the Veterans Allowance Regulations (SOR/2004-68). The amendments have no impact on the intent of these Regulations as their objective solely consists of removing unnecessary language, correcting a discrepancy between French and English and correcting a grammatical error.

Description and rationale

Amendment to paragraph 3(4)(b) of the Veterans Allowance Regulations

Paragraph 3(4)(b) of the Veterans Allowance Regulations states that the applicant, or the person making the application on behalf of the applicant, shall provide “the names of the applicant’s spouse or common-law partner and dependent children, as well as all relevant information relating to them.” The Committee asked that the Department set out, in a more specific manner, the nature of the information being required.

Paragraph 3(4)(e) of the Veterans Allowance Regulations allows the Minister to request “such other information as the Minister may require to determine the applicant’s eligibility for allowance.” Therefore, the Minister can obtain all necessary information through this provision.

As a result, the Department has agreed to remove the words “as well as all relevant information relating to them” from paragraph 3(4)(b) in order to address the Committee’s concern. This amendment will fulfill that commitment.

Amendment to the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Regulations

Sections 4, 10, 12, 17, 25, 28, 30, 34, 42, 45, 48, 49 and 60

The Committee raised concerns that the English and French versions of these sections were discrepant in that in some cases the English version refers to “information” while the French version refers to “information and documents” (“renseignements et documents”). Meanwhile subsection 45(2) referred to information and documents in both versions while paragraphs 12(1)(c) and 48(b) refer only to “information” in both versions. Additionally, in section 4 “information” in the English version is rendered as “renseignements et autres éléments” in the French. The Committee stated that harmonization of these provisions in both languages seemed necessary.

To ensure consistency between the two languages, amendments to paragraphs 12(1)(c) and 48(b) of the Regulations added “ou document” to the French version of these provisions and removed “or documents” in the English version of subsection 45(2). These amendments were published in the Canada Gazette in August 2009 (SOR/2009-225).

Veterans Affairs Canada has since agreed to make further amendments to ensure the greatest consistency possible between the two languages in order to satisfy the Committee’s concern.

Section 29

The Committee also noted a grammatical error in the French version of section 29 of the Regulations which currently reads “au paragraphe 19(1) ou 23(3) de la Loi n’aurait été prise” which should read “au paragraphe 19(1) ou 23(3) de la Loi n’avait été prise.” This amendment will correct this.

Consultation

As these amendments improve comprehension and do not contain any information that would be subject to comment or objection by veterans, stakeholders or the general public, consultations were not required.

Implementation, enforcement and service standards

These Regulations come into force on the day on which they are registered.

Contact

Suzanne Levesque
Director
Cabinet and Legislative Affairs
Departmental Secretariat and Policy Coordination Division
Veterans Affairs Canada
66 Slater Street, room 1527
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0P4
Telephone: 613-992-3801
Fax: 613-954-1055
Email: cabparl@vac-acc.gc.ca

Footnote a
S.C. 2011, c. 12, s. 17

Footnote b
S.C. 2005, c. 21

Footnote c
S.C. 2000, c. 34, s. 80

Footnote d
R.S., c. w-3

Footnote 1
SOR/2006-50

Footnote 2
C.R.C., c. 1602