[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 5 (Friday, January 8, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 997-998]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-00143]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Reimbursement for Caskets and Urns for Burial of Unclaimed 
Remains in a National Cemetery

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is updating the 
monetary reimbursement rates for caskets and urns purchased for the 
interment in a VA national cemetery of Veterans who die with no known 
next of kin and where there are insufficient resources for furnishing a 
burial container. The purpose of this notice is to notify interested 
parties of the rates that will apply to reimbursement claims that occur 
during calendar year (CY) 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tamula Jones, Budget Operations and 
Field Support Division, National Cemetery Administration, Department of 
Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20420. 
Telephone: 202-461-6688 (this is not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title 38, United States Code, Section 
2306(f) authorizes VA National Cemetery

[[Page 998]]

Administration to furnish a casket or urn for interment in a VA 
national cemetery of the unclaimed remains of Veterans for whom VA 
cannot identify a next of kin and determines that sufficient financial 
resources for the furnishing of a casket or urn for burial are not 
available. VA implemented regulations to administer this authority as a 
reimbursement benefit in Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 
38.628.
    Reimbursement for a claim received in any CY will not exceed the 
average cost of a 20-gauge metal casket or a durable plastic urn during 
the fiscal year (FY) preceding the CY of the claim. Average costs are 
determined by market analysis for 20-gauge metal caskets, designed to 
contain human remains, with a gasketed seal, and external rails or 
handles. The same analysis is completed for durable plastic urns, 
designed to contain cremated human remains, which include a secure 
closure to contain the cremated remains.
    Using this method of computation, in FY 2015, the average costs for 
caskets were determined to be $2,421.00, and $244.00 for urns. 
Accordingly, the reimbursement rates payable for qualifying interments 
occurring during CY 2016 is $2,421.00 for caskets and $244 for urns.
    Request approval to publish in the Federal Register, VA's notice on 
the rates of reimbursement for caskets and urns for CY2016.

Signing Authority

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or designee, approved this 
document and authorized the undersigned to sign and submit the document 
to the Office of the Federal Register for publication electronically as 
an official document of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Robert L. 
Nabors II, Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs, approved 
this document on January 5, 2016 for publication.

    Dated: January 5, 2016.
Michael Shores,
Chief Impact Analyst, Office of Regulation Policy & Management, Office 
of the General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2016-00143 Filed 1-7-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8320-01-P