(a) As used hereinafter, the term adjudicator shall mean district director or administrative law judge (ALJ).

(b) If a settlement application is submitted to an adjudicator and the case is pending at the Office of Administrative Law Judges, the Benefits Review Board, or any Federal circuit court of appeals, the parties may request that the case be remanded to the adjudicator for consideration of the application. The thirty day period as described in paragraph (f) of this section begins when the remanded case is received by the adjudicator.

(c) If a settlement application is first submitted to an ALJ, the thirty day period mentioned in paragraph (f) of this section does not begin until five days before the date the formal hearing is set. This rule does not preclude the parties from submitting the application at any other time such as (1) after the case is referred for hearing, (2) at the hearing, or (3) after the hearing but before the ALJ issues a decision and order. Where a case is pending before the ALJ but not set for a hearing, the parties may request the case be remanded to the district director for consideration of the settlement.

(d) A settlement agreement between parties represented by counsel, which is deemed approved when not disapproved within thirty days, as described in paragraph (f) of this section, shall be considered to have been filed in the office of the district director on the thirtieth day for purposes of sections 14 and 21 of the Act, 33 U.S.C. 914 and 921.

(e) A fee for representation which is included in an agreement that is approved in the manner described in paragraph (d) of this section, shall also be considered approved within the meaning of section 28(e) of the Act, 33 U.S.C. 928(e).

(f) The thirty day period for consideration of a settlement agreement shall be calculated from the day after receipt unless the parties are advised otherwise by the adjudicator. (See §702.243(b)). If the last day of this period is a holiday or occurs during a weekend, the next business day shall be considered the thirtieth day.

(g) An agreement among the parties to settle a claim is limited to the rights of the parties and to claims then in existence; settlement of disability compensation or medical benefits shall not be a settlement of survivor benefits nor shall the settlement affect, in any way, the right of survivors to file a claim for survivor's benefits.

(h) For purposes of this section and §702.243 the term counsel means any attorney admitted to the bar of any State, territory or the District of Columbia.

[50 FR 399, Jan. 3, 1985, as amended at 51 FR 4284, Feb. 3, 1986]