[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 32, Volume 5]
[Revised as of July 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 32CFR723.6]

[Page 228-229]
 
                       TITLE 32--NATIONAL DEFENSE
 
                   CHAPTER VI--DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
 
PART 723_BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF NAVAL RECORDS--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 723.6  Action by the Board.

    (a) Deliberations, findings, conclusions, and recommendations. (1) 
Only members of the Board and its staff shall be present during the 
deliberations of the Board.
    (2) Whenever, during the course of its review of an application, it 
appears to the Board's satisfaction that the facts have not been fully 
and fairly disclosed by the records or by the testimony and other 
evidence before it, the Board may require the applicant or military 
authorities to provide such further information as it may consider 
essential to a complete and impartial determination of the facts and 
issues.
    (3) Following a hearing, or where the Board determines to recommend 
that the record be corrected without a hearing, the Board will make 
written findings, conclusions and recommendations. If denial of relief 
is recommended following a hearing, such written findings and 
conclusions will include a statement of the grounds for denial as 
described in Sec. 723.3(e)(4). The name and final vote of each Board 
member will be recorded. A majority vote of the members present on any 
matter before the Board will constitute the action of the Board and 
shall be so recorded.
    (4) Where the Board deems it necessary to submit comments or 
recommendations to the Secretary as to matters arising from but not 
directly related to the issues of any case, such

[[Page 229]]

comments and recommendations shall be the subject of separate 
communication. Additionally, in Military Whistleblower Protection Act 
cases, any recommendation by the Board to the Secretary that 
disciplinary or administrative action be taken against any Navy official 
based on the Board's determination that the official took reprisal 
action against the applicant will not be made part of the Board's record 
of proceedings or furnished the applicant but will be transmitted to the 
Secretary as a separate communication.
    (b) Minority report. In case of a disagreement between members of 
the Board a minority report will be submitted, either as to the 
findings, conclusions or recommendation, including the reasons therefor.
    (c) Record of proceedings. Following a hearing, or where the Board 
determines to recommend that the record be corrected without a hearing, 
a record of proceedings will be prepared. Such record shall indicate 
whether or not a quorum was present, and the name and vote of each 
member present. The record shall include the application for relief, a 
verbatim transcript of any testimony, affidavits, papers and documents 
considered by the Board, briefs and written arguments, advisory 
opinions, if any, minority reports, if any, the findings, conclusions 
and recommendations of the Board, where appropriate, and all other 
papers, documents, and reports necessary to reflect a true and complete 
history of the proceedings.
    (d) Withdrawal. The Board may permit an applicant to withdraw his/
her application without prejudice at any time before its record of 
proceedings is forwarded to the Secretary.
    (e) Delegation of authority to correct certain naval records. (1) 
With respect to all petitions for relief properly before it, the Board 
is authorized to take final corrective action on behalf of the 
Secretary, unless:
    (i) Comments by proper naval authority are inconsistent with the 
Board's recommendation;
    (ii) The Board's recommendation is not unanimous; or
    (iii) It is in the category of petitions reserved for decision by 
the Secretary of the Navy.
    (2) The following categories of petitions for relief are reserved 
for decision by the Secretary of the Navy:
    (i) Petitions involving records previously reviewed or acted upon by 
the Secretary wherein the operative facts remained substantially the 
same;
    (ii) Petitions by former commissioned officers or midshipmen to 
change the character of, and/or the reason for, their discharge; or,
    (iii) Such other petitions as, in the determination of Office of the 
Secretary or the Executive Director, warrant Secretarial review.
    (3) The Executive Director after ensuring compliance with this 
section, will announce final decisions on applications decided under 
this section.