Allowance for Private Purchase of an Outer Burial Receptacle in Lieu of a Government-Furnished Graveliner for a Grave in a VA National Cemetery, 71507 [2014-28259]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 231 (Tuesday, December 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 71507]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28259]


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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 2015, 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 2015.

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: Section 2306(e)(3) and (4) of title 38, 
United States Code 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 2015 is the 
average cost of Government-furnished graveliners in fiscal year 2014, 
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 $327.00 
for fiscal year 2014.
    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 2015.
    The allowance payable for qualifying interments occurring during 
calendar year 2015, therefore, is $318.00.

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. Jose D. 
Riojas, Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs, approved this 
document on November 24, 2014, for publication.

    Dated: November 25, 2014.
William F. Russo,
Acting Director, Office of Regulation Policy & Management, Office of 
the General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2014-28259 Filed 12-1-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P