all of the tangible and intangible benefits associated with such colocations. (3) The Secretary shall (A) at least 10 days before the issuance or other publication of the invitation referred to in paragraph (1), submit a copy of the invitation to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives; and (B) at least 30 days before entering into an agreement under, paragraph (2), submit a copy to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives of the proposals selected by the Secretary from those received in response to the invitation issued under paragraph (1). (g) The authority to enter into an agreement under this section. shall expire on September 30, 1992. (Added P.L. 102-83, § 2(a).) § 317. Chief Minority Affairs Officer (a) The Secretary shall designate one of the Assistant Secretaries of the Department as the Chief Minority Affairs Officer of the Department. (b) The Chief Minority Affairs Officer shall have the following duties: (1) To investigate and examine the policies, regulations, programs, and other activities of the Department as they affect minority group members who are veterans or receive benefits from the Department. (2) To assess the needs of minority group members who are veterans or who receive benefits from the Department as those needs relate to the activities of, and benefits provided by, the Department and to evaluate the manner and extent to which the activities of, and benefits provided, by the Department fulfill those needs. (3) To advise the Secretary regarding the effect on minority group members of policies, regulations, programs, and other activities of the Department and of methods to ensure that minority group members are afforded an opportunity to participate fully in the activities and benefits of the Department. (4) To carry out any additional functions and activities that the Secretary prescribes with regard to minority group members who are veterans or who receive benefits from the Department. (c) In this section, the term "minority group member" means an individual who is (1) Asian American; (2) Black; (3) Hispanic; (4) Native American (including American Indian, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian); (5) Pacific-Islander American; or (6) female. (d) Not less than every two years, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress a report containing a detailed description of any activities and policies of the Department relating to minority group members who are veterans or who receive benefits from the De Administrative error; equitable relief. 510. 511. Decisions of the Secretary; finality. 512. 513. Contracts and personal services. 515. Authority to reorganize offices. Delegation of authority; assignment of functions and duties. Administrative settlement of tort claims. SUBCHAPTER II-SPECIFIED FUNCTIONS 521. 522. 523. 525. 527. 529. 541. 542. Assistance to certain rehabilitation activities. Studies of rehabilitation of disabled persons. Coordination and promotion of other programs affecting veterans and their dependents. Publication of laws relating to veterans. Evaluation and data collection. Annual report to Congress. SUBCHAPTER III-ADVISORY COMMITTEES Advisory Committee on Former Prisoners of War. 543. Advisory Committee on Prosthetics and Special-Disabilities Programs. SUBCHAPTER I-GENERAL AUTHORITIES § 501. Rules and regulations (a) The Secretary has authority to prescribe all rules and regulations which are necessary or appropriate to carry out the laws administered by the Department and are consistent with those laws, including (1) regulations with respect to the nature and extent of proof and evidence and the method of taking and furnishing them in order to establish the right to benefits under such laws; (2) the forms of application by claimants under such laws; (3) the methods of making investigations and medical examinations; and (4) the manner and form of adjudications and awards. (b) Any rule, regulation, guideline, or other published interpretation or order (and any amendment thereto) issued pursuant to the authority granted by this section or any other provision of this title shall contain citations to the particular section or sections of statutory law or other legal authority upon which such issuance is based. The citation to the authority shall appear immediately following each substantive provision of the issuance. (c) In applying section 552(a)(1) of title 5 to the Department, the Secretary shall ensure that subparagraphs (C), (D), and (E) of that section are complied with, particularly with respect to opinions and interpretations of the General Counsel. (d) The provisions of section 553 of title 5 shall apply, without regard to subsection (a)(2) of that section, to matters relating to loans, grants, or benefits under a law administered by the Secretary. (Added P.L. 102-83, § 2(a).) § 502. Judicial review of rules and regulations An action of the Secretary to which section 552(a)(1) or 553 of title 5 (or both) refers (other than an action relating to the adoption or revision of the schedule of ratings for disabilities adopted under section 1155 of this title) is subject to judicial review. Such review shall be in accordance with chapter 7 of title 5 and may be sought only in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. However, if such review is sought in connection with an appeal brought under the provisions of chapter 72 of this title, the provisions of that chapter shall apply rather than the provisions of chapter 7 of title 5. (Added P.L. 102-83, § 2(a).) § 503. Administrative error; equitable relief (a) If the Secretary determines that benefits administered by the Department have not been provided by reason of administrative error on the part of the Federal Government or any of its employees, the Secretary may provide such relief on account of such error as the Secretary determines equitable, including the payment of moneys to any person whom the Secretary determines is equitably entitled to such moneys. (b) If the Secretary determines that a veteran, surviving spouse, child of a veteran, or other person has suffered loss as a consequence of reliance upon a determination by the Department of eligibility or entitlement to benefits, without knowledge that it was erroneously made, the Secretary may provide such relief on account of such error as the Secretary determines is equitable, including the payment of moneys to any person whom the Secretary determines is equitably entitled to such moneys. (c) Not later than April 1 of each year, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report containing a statement as to the disposition of each case recommended to the Secretary for equitable relief under this section during the preceding calendar year. (Added P.L. 102-83, § 2(a).) § 505. Opinions of Attorney General The Secretary may require the opinion of the Attorney General on any question of law arising in the administration of the Depart ment. (Added P.L. 102–83, § 2(a).) § 510. Authority to reorganize offices (a) Except to the extent inconsistent with law, the Secretary may (1) consolidate, eliminate, abolish, or redistribute the functions of the Administrations, offices, facilities, or activities in the Department; (2) create new Administrations, offices, facilities, or activities in the Department; and (3) fix the functions of any such Administration, office, facility, or activity and the duties and powers of their respective executive heads. (b) The Secretary may not in any fiscal year implement an administrative reorganization described in subsection (c) unless_the Secretary first submits to the appropriate committees of the Congress a report containing a detailed plan and justification for the administrative reorganization. No action to carry out such reorganization may be taken after the submission of such report until the end of a 90-day period of continuous session of Congress following the date of the submission of the report. For purposes of the preceding sentence, continuity of a session of Congress is broken only by adjournment sine die, and there shall be excluded from the computation of such 90-day period any day during which either House of Congress is not in session during an adjournment of more than three days to a day certain. (c) An administrative reorganization described in this subsection is an administrative reorganization of a covered field office or facility that involves a reduction during any fiscal year in the number of full-time equivalent employees with permanent duty stations at such office or facility— (1) by 15 percent or more; or (2) by a percent which, when added to the percent reduction made in the number of such employees with permanent duty stations at such office or facility during the preceding fiscal year, is 25 percent or more. (d)(1) Not less than 30 days before the date on which the implementation of any administrative reorganization described in paragraph (2) of a unit in the Central Office is to begin, the Secretary shall transmit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives a notification regarding the reorganization. (2) Paragraph (1) applies to an administrative reorganization of any unit of the Central Office that is the duty station for 30 or more employees if the reorganization involves a reduction in any fiscal year in the number of full-time equivalent employees with permanent duty station in such unit by 50 percent or more. (e) For purposes of this section, the term "administrative reorganization" does not include a consolidation or redistribution of functions at a covered field office or facility, or between components of the Veterans Benefits Administration and the Veterans Health Administration at a Department medical and regional office center, if after the consolidation or redistribution the same number of fulltime equivalent employees continues to perform the affected functions at that field office, facility, or center. (f) For purposes of this section: (1) The term "covered field office or facility" means a Department office or facility outside the Central Office that is the per |