[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 246 (Tuesday, December 23, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 74291]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-31507]



[[Page 74291]]

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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 that occur during calendar year 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Ciolek, Capital and Performance 
Budgeting (402A12), National Cemetery Administration, Department of 
Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420. 
Telephone: 202-273-5161 (this is not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under 38 U.S.C. 501(a) and Pub. L. 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 that occur during calendar year 2004 is the average cost of 
government-furnished graveliners in fiscal year 2003, 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 that were procured for placement at the time of interment 
and dividing it by the total number of such graveliners procured by 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 $164.66 
for fiscal year 2003.
    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 $9.75 for 
calendar year 2004.
    The net allowance payable for qualifying interments occurring 
during calendar year 2004, therefore, is $154.91.

    Approved: December 12, 2003.
Anthony J. Principi,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 03-31507 Filed 12-22-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P