[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 12 (Thursday, January 17, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2514-2515]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-1249]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Allowance for Private Purchase of an Outer Burial Receptacle in 
Lieu of a Government-Furnished Graveliner for a Grave in a VA National 
Cemetery

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Public Law 104-275 was enacted on October 9, 1996. It allowed 
the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide a monetary allowance 
towards the private purchase of an outer burial receptacle for use in a 
VA national cemetery. Under VA regulation (38 CFR 1.629), the allowance 
is equal to the average cost of Government-furnished graveliners minus 
any administrative costs to VA. The law continues to provide a 
veteran's survivors with the option of selecting a Government-furnished 
graveliner for use in a VA national cemetery where such use is 
authorized.
    The purpose of this Notice is to notify interested parties of the 
average cost of Government-furnished graveliners, administrative costs 
that relate to processing a claim, and the amount of the allowance 
payable for qualifying interments, which occur during calendar year 
2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Barber, Program Analyst, 
Communications and Regulatory Division (402B1), National Cemetery 
Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, 
Washington, DC 20420. Telephone: (202) 273-5183 (this is not a toll-
free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under 38 U.S.C. 501(a) and Public Law 104-
275, section 213, VA may provide a monetary allowance for the private 
purchase of an outer burial receptacle for use in a VA national 
cemetery where its use is authorized. The allowance for qualified 
interments, which occur during calendar year 2002, is the average cost 
of Government-furnished graveliners in fiscal year 2001, less the 
administrative costs incurred by VA in processing and paying the 
allowance in lieu of the Government-furnished graveliner.
    The average cost of Government-furnished graveliners is determined 
by taking VA's total cost during a fiscal year for single-depth 
graveliners which were procured for placement at the time of interment 
and dividing it by the total number of such graveliners procured by

[[Page 2515]]

VA during that fiscal year. The calculation excludes both graveliners 
procured and pre-placed in gravesites as part of cemetery gravesite 
development projects and all double-depth graveliners. Using this 
method of computation, the average cost was determined to be $153.79 
for fiscal year 2001.
    The administrative costs incurred by VA consist of those costs that 
relate to processing and paying an allowance in lieu of the Government-
furnished graveliner. These costs have been determined to be $9.50 for 
calendar year 2002.
    The net allowance payable for qualifying interments occurring 
during calendar year 2002, therefore, is $144.29.

    Approved: January 9, 2002.
Anthony J. Principi,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 02-1249 Filed 1-16-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P