(a) Reviews available.

(1) Within one year from the date on which the agency of original jurisdiction issues a notice of a decision on a claim or issue as defined in §3.151(c), except as otherwise provided in paragraphs (c), (e), and (f) of this section, a claimant may elect one of the following administrative review options by timely filing the appropriate form prescribed by the Secretary:

(i) A request for higher-level review under §3.2601 or

(ii) An appeal to the Board under §20.202 of this chapter.

(2) At any time after VA issues notice of a decision on an issue within a claim, a claimant may file a supplemental claim under §3.2501.

(b) Concurrent election prohibited. With regard to the adjudication of a claim or an issue as defined in §3.151(c), a claimant who has filed for review under one of the options available under paragraph (a) of this section may not, while that review is pending final adjudication, file for review under a different available option. While the adjudication of a specific benefit is pending on appeal before a federal court, a claimant may not file for administrative review of the claim under any of options listed in paragraph (a) of this section.

(c) Continuously pursued issues. A claimant may continuously pursue a claim or an issue by timely and properly filing one of the following administrative review options, as specified (except as otherwise provided in paragraphs (c), (e), and (f) of this section), after any decision by the agency of original jurisdiction, Board of Veterans' Appeals, or by the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, provided that any appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims is timely filed as determined by the court:

(1) Following notice of a decision on an initial claim or a supplemental claim, the claimant may file a supplemental claim, request a higher-level review, or appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

(2) Following notice of a decision on a higher-level review, the claimant may file a supplemental claim or appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals. (See appeal to the Board, 38 CFR 20.202).

(3) Following notice of a decision on an appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals, the claimant may file a supplemental claim or file a notice of appeal to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

(4) Following a decision on an appeal to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, the claimant may file a supplemental claim.

(d) Voluntary withdrawal. A claimant may withdraw a supplemental claim or a request for a higher-level review at any time before VA renders a decision on the issue. A claimant must submit in writing or through electronic submission in a manner prescribed by the Secretary any notice of withdrawal of an issue under the selected review option to the agency of original jurisdiction. The withdrawal will be effective the date VA receives it. A claimant may withdraw an appeal to the Board of Veteran's Appeals as prescribed in §20.205.

(e) Changing review options while a review is pending adjudication—

(1) Within one year of prior decision notice. A claimant may change the review option selected by withdrawing the request as prescribed in §3.2500(d) and filing the appropriate application for the requested review option within one year from the date on which VA issued notice of a decision on an issue.

(2) More than one year after notice of a decision. A claimant may change the review option selected to a supplemental claim after expiration of one-year following the date on which VA issued a notice of decision on an issue by following the procedure specified in paragraph (e)(1) of this section. Where VA receives the supplemental claim application after expiration of the one-year period, continuous pursuit of the claim will be broken and VA will apply the effective date provisions under paragraph (h)(2) of this section, unless VA grants an extension of the one-year period for good cause shown under §3.109(b) and the supplemental claim application is received within the extension period allowed.

(f) Applicability. This section applies to claims and requests under the modernized review system as set forth in §3.2400, with the exception that a supplemental claim may not be filed in connection with a denial of a request to revise a final decision of the agency of original jurisdiction based on clear and unmistakable error.

(g) Review of simultaneously contested claims. Notwithstanding other provisions of this part, a party to a simultaneously contested claim may only seek administrative review of a decision by the agency of original jurisdiction on such claim by filing an appeal to the Board as prescribed in §20.402 of this chapter within 60 days of the date VA issues notice of the decision on the claim. (See contested claims, 38 CFR 20.402).

(h) Effective dates—

(1) Continuously pursued claims. Except as otherwise provided by other provisions of this part, including §3.400, the effective date will be fixed in accordance with the date of receipt of the initial claim or date entitlement arose, whichever is later, if a claimant continuously pursues an issue by timely filing in succession any of the available review options as specified in paragraph (c) of this section within one year of the issuance of the decision (or the time period specified in paragraph (f) of this section, as applicable to simultaneously contested claims), provided that any appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims must be accepted as timely by that court.

(2) Supplemental claims received more than one year after notice of decision. Except as otherwise provided in this section, for supplemental claims received more than one year after the date on which the agency of original jurisdiction issues notice of a decision or the Board of Veterans' Appeals issued notice of a decision, the effective date will be fixed in accordance with the date entitlement arose, but will not be earlier than the date of receipt of the supplemental claim.

[84 FR 171, Jan. 18, 2019, as amended at 84 FR 4336, Feb. 15, 2019; 84 FR 54033, Oct. 9, 2019]