{"data":{"id":"us/38-cfr-18b.73","jurisdiction":"us","citation":"38 CFR 18b.73","heading":"b.73 Final decisions.","body":"(a) Where the hearing is conducted by a hearing examiner who makes an initial decision, if no exceptions thereto are filed within the 20-day period specified in § 18b.72, such decision shall become the final decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and shall constitute “final agency action” within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. 704 (formerly section 10(c) of the Administrative Procedure Act), subject to the provisions of § 18b.75.\n(b) Where the hearing is conducted by an administrative law judge who makes a recommended decision or upon the filing of exceptions to an administrative law judge's initial decision, the reviewing authority shall review the recommended or initial decision and shall issue a decision thereon, which shall become the final decision of VA, and shall constitute “final agency action” within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. 704 (formerly section 10(c) of the Administrative Procedures Act), subject to the provisions of § 18b.75.\n(c) All final decisions shall be promptly served on all parties, and amici, if any.","path":["Title 38—Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief","CHAPTER I—DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS","PART 18b—PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE UNDER TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 AND PART 18 OF THIS CHAPTER"],"source_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-08-25/title-38.xml","current_through":"2026-08-25","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T02:25:50Z","sha256":"6e3cc11e3abb43e12322703f5575b7f65ca3ff6aad94d5665836c920d527b541","source_id":"us-cfr","stale":true,"prev":"us/38-cfr-18b.72","next":"us/38-cfr-18b.74"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}