(a) Upon its approving or denying a claim, the PSOB Office shall serve notice of the same upon the claimant (and upon any other claimant who may have filed a claim with respect to the same public safety officer). In the event of a denial, such notice shall--
(1) Specify the factual findings and legal conclusions that support it; and
(2) Provide information as to requesting a Hearing Officer determination.
(b) Upon a claimant's failure (without reasonable justification or excuse) to pursue in timely fashion the determination, by the PSOB Office, of his filed claim, the Director may, at his discretion, deem the same to be abandoned. Not less than thirty-three days prior thereto, the PSOB Office shall serve the claimant with notice of the Director's intention to exercise such discretion.
(c) In connection with its determination (pursuant to a filed claim) of the existence of competent medical evidence to the contrary, the PSOB Office shall serve the claimant with notice (indicating that he may file such documentary, electronic, video, or other non-physical evidence (such as medical-history records, as appropriate) and legal arguments in support of his claim as he may wish to provide), where there is evidence before it that affirmatively suggests that--
(1) The public safety officer actually knew or should have known that he had cardio-vascular disease risk factors and appears to have worsened or aggravated the same through his own intentional and risky behavior (as opposed to where the evidence affirmatively suggests merely that cardio-vascular disease risk factors were present); or
(2) It is more likely than not that a public safety officer's heart attack or stroke was imminent. [73 FR 76534, Dec. 17, 2008]