[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 233 (Wednesday, December 6, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57654-57655]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-26262]


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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: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is updating the 
monetary allowance payable for qualifying interments that occur during 
calendar year 2018, which applies toward the private purchase of an 
outer burial receptacle (or ``graveliner'') for use in a VA national 
cemetery. The allowance is equal to the average cost of Government-
furnished graveliners less any administrative costs to VA. 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 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Carter, Chief of Budget 
Execution Division, National Cemetery Administration, Department of 
Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20420. 
Telephone: 202-461-9764 (this is not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 2306(e)(3) and (4) of title 38, 
United States Code (U.S.C.) authorizes VA to 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 2018 
is the average cost of Government-furnished graveliners in fiscal year 
2017, 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 $315.00 
for fiscal year 2017.
    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 2018.
    The allowance payable for qualifying interments occurring during 
calendar year 2018, therefore, is $306.00.

Signing Authority

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or designee, approved this 
document and authorized the undersigned to sign and

[[Page 57655]]

submit the document to the Office of the Federal Register for 
publication electronically as an official document of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs. Gina S. Farrisee, Deputy Chief of Staff, Department 
of Veterans Affairs, approved this document on November 30, 2017, for 
publication.

    Dated: November 30, 2017.
Jeffrey Martin,
Impact Analyst, Office of Regulation Policy & Management, Office of the 
Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2017-26262 Filed 12-5-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8320-01-P