[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 246 (Monday, December 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 78427]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30423]



[[Page 78427]]

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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 allows 
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 38.629), the 
allowance is equal to the average cost of Government-furnished 
graveliners less any administrative costs to VA. The law provides 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 and paying the allowance, and the amount of 
the allowance payable for qualifying interments that occur during 
calendar year 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joan Jefferies, Budget and Finance 
Service (41B1), National Cemetery Administration, Department of 
Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420. 
Telephone: 202-461-6742 (this is not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under 38 U.S.C. 2306(e)(3) and (4) 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 that occur during calendar year 2009 is the 
average cost of Government-furnished graveliners in fiscal year 2008, 
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 $263.00 
for fiscal year 2008.
    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 $9.00 for 
calendar year 2009.
    The allowance payable for qualifying interments occurring during 
calendar year 2009, therefore, is $254.00.

    Approved: December 16, 2008.
Gordon H. Mansfield,
Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
 [FR Doc. E8-30423 Filed 12-19-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P