38 U.S.C. § 7251: Status

There is hereby established, under Article I of the Constitution of the United States, a court of record to be known as the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. The repeal in subsection (a) [repealing section 402 of Pub. L. 100–687 , formerly set out as a note below] may not be construed to confer upon the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims jurisdiction over any appeal or other matter not within the jurisdiction of the Court as provided in section 7266(a) of title 38 , United States Code. on or after the date of the enactment of this Act [ Dec. 27, 2001 ]; or before the date of the enactment of this Act but in which a final decision has not been made under section 7291 of title 38 , United States Code, as of that date.” Except as otherwise provided in this section, this division (and the amendments made by this Act) [div. A (§§ 1–403) of Pub. L. 100–687 , known as the ‘Veterans’ Judicial Review Act’, see Tables for classification] shall take effect on September 1, 1989 . The amendment made by section 201(a) [amending section 4001 [now 7101] of this title] shall take effect on February 1, 1989 . Sections 201 (other than subsection (a)), 208, 209, 302, and 303, and the amendments made by those sections [see Tables for classification], shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [ Nov. 18, 1988 ]. Sections 202, 203, 205, 206, and 207 [see Tables for classification] shall take effect as of January 1, 1989 . Section 204 [amending section 4004 [now 7104] of this title] shall take effect on September 1, 1989 . Notwithstanding subsection (a), the United States Court of Veterans Appeals [now United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims] established pursuant to chapter 72 of title 38, United States Code (as added by section 301) shall not begin to operate until at least three judges have been appointed to the court.”