Agencies urged to reuse records
Retrospective: Access involves more than a portal.
- Event / announcement date
- 2026-01-21
On January 21, 2026, the Administrative Conference of the United States recommended that agencies stop requiring people to obtain and return records the agency already holds. Its advice concerns administrative adjudications, including benefits decisions, rather than rulemaking. [1]
The document cites VA’s existing practice of supplying records from its health administration to benefits adjudicators. Reusing agency-held records can spare applicants a round trip through a separate request process, while disclosure remains subject to governing law. [1]
The conference’s 2023 online-process recommendations proposed portals for filing evidence and viewing case documents, alongside exceptions when electronic filing is impossible or impracticable. They also called for staff assistance. That earlier design connects convenient digital access with alternatives for people unable to use a required online process. These are recommended agency practices, not a guarantee of access to every record. [2]
The source
- ACUS: Records in agency proceedings ↗
Source date 2026-02-11 · reviewed October 29, 2026 · publication - ACUS / Federal Register: Online adjudication processes ↗
Source date 2023-07-03 · reviewed October 29, 2026 · publication
About this item: Retrospective report. No first-hand reporting or independent testing is claimed. Corrections policy.
