Army Cemeteries, 53412-53420 [2018-22968]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Department of the Army

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 205 (Tuesday, October 23, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 53412-53420]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-22968]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

32 CFR Part 553

[Docket No. USA-2018-HQ-0001]
RIN 0702-AA80


Army Cemeteries

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army is proposing revisions regarding 
the development, operation, maintenance, and administration of the Army 
Cemeteries. The revisions include changes in management and a name 
change to the Army National Military Cemeteries. The rule also adopts 
modifications suggested by the Department of the Army Inspector General 
and approved by the Secretary of the Army, as well as implementing 
changes in interment eligibility due to statute.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by December 
24, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by 32 CFR part 553, 
Docket No. USA-2018-HQ-0001 and/or by Regulatory Information Number 
(RIN) 0702-AA80 or by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Department of Defense, Office of the Chief 
Management Officer, Directorate for Oversight and Compliance, 4800 Mark 
Center Drive, Mailbox #24, Suite 08D09, Alexandria, VA 22350-1700.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and

[[Page 53413]]

docket number or RIN for this Federal Register document. The general 
policy for comments and other submissions from members of the public is 
to make these submissions available for public viewing at https://www.regulations.gov as they are received without change, including any 
personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Randall Keel, Army National 
Military Cemeteries, 703-614-6314.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

A. Preamble

I. Purpose of the Regulatory Action

    a. The Department of the Army (DA) is proposing changes governing 
Army Cemeteries. Army Cemeteries consist of Arlington National 
Cemetery, the U.S. Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery, 
twenty-five Army post cemeteries, the West Point Post Cemetery, and the 
U.S. Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery at Fort Leavenworth. The rule 
proposes to revise the current part as `subpart A'(Army National 
Military Cemeteries), make corrections and additions to subpart A, and 
add subpart B (Army Post Cemeteries) to further reflect changes in the 
management structure of the Army National Military Cemeteries created 
by Army General Orders 2014-74 (https://armypubs.army.mil/ProductMaps/PubForm/Details.aspx?PUBNO=DAGO+2014-74) and provisions of a 17 April 
2012 Secretary of the Army Decision Memorandum.
    b. The legal authorities for this regulatory action include Public 
Law 93-43, 10 U.S.C. 3013, and 38 U.S.C. 2411. Public Law 93-43, also 
known as the National Cemeteries Act of 1973, contains a clause in 
Section 7(b)(2) that exempts the Secretary of the Army from the 
provisions of the act with respect to those cemeteries that remained 
under the control of the Army. Title 10 U.S.C. 3013 governs the 
appointment of the Secretary of the Army and the responsibilities of 
his position to include the formulation of policies and programs, which 
apply to Army Cemeteries. Title 38 U.S.C. 2411 contains further 
descriptions of persons convicted of capital crimes.

II. Summary of the Major Provisions of the Regulatory Action in 
Question.

    Section 553.12, ``Eligibility for interment at Arlington National 
Cemtery'', clarifies certain dependent eligibility criteria.
    Section 553.28, ``Private headstones and markers'', clarifies 
private headstone and marker approval policies at the Army National 
Military Cemeteries.
    Section 553.36, ``Definitions'', is proposed to provide the 
definitions of terms used throughout the proposed rule.
    Section 553.37, ``Purpose'', is proposed to establish eligibility 
for interment and inurnment in the twenty-five Army post cemeteries, 
the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery at Fort Leavenworth, KS, and 
the United States Military Academy Cemetery at West Point, NY.
    Section 553.38, ``Statutory authorities'', is proposed to cite 
relevant sections of United States Code applicable to Army Post 
Cemeteries including Public Law 93-43,10 U.S.C. 985, 1481, 1482, 3013, 
and 38 U.S.C. 2411.
    Section 553.39, ``Scope and applicability'', is proposed to 
establish the applicability of this part and not on the applicability 
of a separate internal Army regulation.
    Section 553.40, ``Assignment of gravesites or niches'', is proposed 
to establish policies regarding the assignment of gravesites or niches.
    Section 553.41, ``Proof of Eligibility'', is proposed to establish 
the requirements for family members to provide necessary documentation 
needed to verify veterans and their family members are eligible for 
interment or inurnment in Army post cemeteries.
    Section 553.42, ``General rules governing eligibility for interment 
or inurnment in Army Post Cemeteries'', is proposed to establish the 
general rules that apply to Army post cemeteries.
    Section 553.43, ``Eligibility for interment and inurnment in Army 
Post Cemeteries'', is proposed for the twenty-five Army cemeteries on 
various active or former installations which excludes the post cemetery 
at West Point, NY and the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery at Fort 
Leavenworth, KS.
    Section 553.44, ``Eligibility for interment and inurnment in the 
West Point Post Cemetery'', is proposed for the post cemetery at West 
Point, NY.
    Section 553.45, ``Eligibility for interment in U.S. Disciplinary 
Barracks Cemetery at Fort Leavenworth'', is proposed for the U.S. 
Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery at Fort Leavenworth, KS.
    Section 553.46, ``Ineligibility for interment, inurnment or 
memorialization in an Army Post Cemetery'', is proposed to clarify 
those individuals who are ineligible for interments, inurnments and 
memorialization. This language is also to clarify the ineligibility of 
a former spouse whose marriage to the primarily eligible person ended 
in divorce, to clarify the termination of a spouse's derivative 
eligibility for interment in a cemetery upon the remarriage of the 
primarily eligible spouse, to forbid the interment or inurnment of 
persons convicted of certain crimes, to forbid the interment or 
inurnment of persons who died on active duty under certain 
circumstances, and to govern how animal remains unintentionally 
comingled with human remains will be interred or inurned.
    Section 553.47, ``Prohibition of interment, inurnment, or 
memorialization in an Army Cemetery of persons who have committed 
certain crimes'', is proposed to be added to implement 10 U.S.C. 985 
and 38 U.S.C. 2411, which prohibits the interment, inurnment, or 
memorialization in any military cemetery of an individual who has been 
convicted of a federal or state capital crime or who committed a 
federal or state capital crime but was not convicted of such crime 
because the person was not available for trial due to death or flight 
to avoid prosecution. Definitions of the terms federal capital crime 
and state capital crime are in Sec.  553.36.
    Section 553.48, ``Findings concerning the commission of certain 
crimes where a person has not been convicted due to death or flight to 
avoid prosecution'', is proposed to be added to implement 10 U.S.C. 985 
and 38 U.S.C. 2411, which prohibit the interment, inurnment, or 
memorialization in any military cemetery of an individual who has been 
convicted of a federal or state capital crime, or who committed a 
federal or state capital crime but was not convicted of such crime 
because the person was not available for trial due to death or flight 
to avoid prosecution.
    Section 553.49, ``Exceptions to policies for interment or inurnment 
at Army Post Cemeteries'', is proposed to establish the authorities for 
granting exceptions and method by which exceptions can be requested.

III. Expected Impact of the Proposed Rule.

    DOD expects this rule will reduce burden to the public by saving 
time to the regulated community--primarily legal assistants and 
veterans--who now have to currently search for the appropriate 
eligibility criteria in the current Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 
a West Point Regulation, and an outdated Army Regulation. With these 
revisions all Army cemetery eligibility requirements will be contained 
in one regulation which is publicly-accessible CFR. DA estimates the 
consolidation of

[[Page 53414]]

eligibility criteria into a single authoritative source will save those 
referring to the CFR for guidance approximately 30 minutes of research, 
review, and compliance time. DA cemetery eligibility subject matter 
experts estimate that 20% of Army cemetery eligibility research 
involves consultation of the CFR or other Army regulations by legal 
assistants and 20% consultation by veterans. This results in a total of 
40% of Army cemetery eligibility criteria involving consultation of the 
CFR and the other Army regulations. For purposes of estimating 
opportunity costs, DA subject matter experts deemed it reasonable to 
use the average of a legal assistant's mean hourly wage ($25.57/hour), 
as informed by the 2016 Bureau of Labor and Statistics, and the 2016 
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey for 2015 reported annual 
veteran income of $56,978.50. This annum income for veterans divided by 
2,080 annual work hours yields an average veteran hourly wage ($27.39/
hour) to approximate an hourly wage for an average eligibility 
researcher. That rate is $26.48/hour.
    As there was an average of 7,600 burials in Army installations in 
2016 for which DA cemetery eligibility subject matter experts estimate 
that 40% involve eligibility research by legal assistants or veterans, 
the impacted population would be 3,040 (7,600 * 0.40). Therefore, 3,040 
impacted burials with an estimated savings of 30 minutes per 
eligibility research at average researcher hourly rate of $26.48 
results in a savings to the public of $40,249.60 
(7,600*0.40*30mins*$26.48) annually. DOD welcomes comments on the 
proposed cost savings associated with this rule.

B. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Army has determined that the Regulatory Flexibility Act does 
not apply because the proposed rule does not have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities within the 
meaning of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601-612.

C. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

    The Army has determined that the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act does 
not apply because the proposed rule does not include a mandate that may 
result in estimated costs to State, local, or tribal governments in the 
aggregate, or the private sector, of $100 million or more.

D. National Environmental Policy Act

    Neither an environmental analysis nor an environmental impact 
statement under the National Environmental Policy Act is required. This 
new rule codifies existing policies and does not significantly alter 
ongoing activities, nor does this rule constitute a new use of the 
property.

E. Paperwork Reduction Act

    The Army has determined that this proposed rule does not impose 
reporting or recordkeeping requirements under the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995.

F. Executive Order 12630 (Government Actions and Interference With 
Constitutionally Protected Property Rights)

    The Army has determined that E.O. 12630 does not apply because the 
proposed rule does not impair private property rights.

G. Executive Order 12866 (Regulatory Planning and Review) and Executive 
Order 13563 (Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review)

    Executive Orders 13563 and 12866 direct agencies to assess all 
costs and benefits of available regulatory alternatives and, if 
regulation is necessary, to select regulatory approaches that maximize 
net benefits (including potential economic, environmental, public 
health and safety effects, distribute impacts, and equity). Executive 
Order 13563 emphasizes the importance of quantifying both costs and 
benefits, of reducing costs, of harmonizing rules, and of promoting 
flexibility. This proposed rule has been designated a ``significant 
regulatory action,'' although not economically significant, under 
section 3(f) of Executive Order 12866. Accordingly, the proposed rule 
has been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

H. Executive Order 13045 (Protection of Children From Environmental 
Health Risk and Safety Risks)

    The Army has determined that according to the criteria defined in 
Executive Order 13045, the requirements of that Order do not apply to 
this proposed rule.

I. Executive Order 13132 (Federalism)

    The Army has determined that, according to the criteria defined in 
Executive Order 13132, the requirements of that Order do not apply to 
this proposed rule because the rule will not have a substantial effect 
on the States, on the relationship between the Federal government and 
the States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among 
the various levels of government.

J. Executive Order 13771 (Reducing Regulation and Controlling 
Regulatory Costs)

    This proposed rule is expected to be an E.O. 13771 deregulatory 
action. Details on the estimated cost savings can be found in the 
Expected Impact of the Proposed Changes section of this rule.

List of Subjects in 32 CFR Part 553

    Armed forces, Armed forces reserves, Cemeteries, Government 
property, Military personnel, Monuments and memorials, Veterans.
    For the reasons stated in the preamble, the Department of the Army 
proposes to amend 32 CFR part 553 to read as follows:

PART 553--ARMY CEMETERIES

0
1. The authority citation for 32 CFR part 553 is revised to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 10 U.S.C. 985, 1128, 1481, 1482, 3013, 4721-4726; 24 
U.S.C. 295a, 412; 38 U.S.C. 2402 note, 2409- 2411, 2413; 40 U.S.C. 
9102; and Public Law 93-43, Stat. 87.

0
2. The heading for part 553 is revised to read as set forth above.
0
3. Redesignate Sec. Sec.  553.1 through 553.35 as subpart A.

Subpart A--Army National Military Cemeteries

0
4. Add subpart A heading to read as set forth above.


Sec.  553.10   [Amended]

0
5. Sec.  553.10 is amended by removing ``pursuant to Sec.  553.19(i)'' 
and adding in its place ``pursuant to Sec.  553.19(h)'' in paragraph 
(c).
0
6. Sec.  553.12 is amended by:
0
a. Removing ``; and'' and adding a period in its place in paragraph 
(b)(4)(v).
0
b. Adding new paragraph (b)(5).
    The addition reads as follows:


Sec.  553.12   Eligibility for interment in Arlington National 
Cemetery.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (5) A minor child or permanently dependent child of a primary 
eligible person who is or will be interred in Arlington National 
Cemetery.


Sec.  553.28   [Amended]

0
7. Amend Sec.  553.28 by removing ``is'' and adding in its place ``may 
be approved at the discretion of the Executive Director, and are'' in 
paragraph (a).
0
8. Add subpart B to read as follows:

Subpart B--Army Post Cemeteries

Sec.

[[Page 53415]]

553.36 Definitions.
553.37 Purpose.
553.38 Statutory authorities.
553.39 Scope and applicability.
553.40 Assignment of gravesites or niches.
553.41 Proof of eligibility.
553.42 General rules governing eligibility for interment or 
inurnment in Army Post Cemeteries.
553.43 Eligibility for interment and inurnment in Army Post 
Cemeteries.
553.44 Eligibility for interment and inurnment in the West Point 
Post Cemetery.
553.45 Eligibility for interment in U.S. Disciplinary Barracks 
Cemetery at Fort Leavenworth.
553.46 Ineligibility for interment, inurnment or memorialization in 
an Army Post Cemetery.
553.47 Prohibition of interment, inurnment or memorialization in an 
Army Cemetery of persons who have committed certain crimes.
553.48 Findings concerning the commission of certain crimes where a 
person has not been convicted due to death or flight to avoid 
prosecution.
553.49 Exceptions to policies for interment or inurnment at Army 
Post Cemeteries.

Subpart B--Army Post Cemeteries


Sec.  553.36   Definitions.

    As used in this part, the following terms have these meanings:
    Active duty. Full-time duty in the active military service of the 
United States.
    (1) This includes:
    (i) Active Reserve component duty performed pursuant to title 10, 
United States Code.
    (ii) Service as a cadet or midshipman currently on the rolls at the 
U.S. Military, U.S. Naval, U.S. Air Force, or U.S. Coast Guard 
Academies.
    (iii) Active duty for operational support.
    (2) This does not include:
    (i) Full-time duty performed under title 32, United States Code.
    (ii) Active duty for training, initial entry training, annual 
training duty, or inactive-duty training for members of the Reserve 
components.
    Active duty for operational support (formerly active duty for 
special work). A tour of active duty for Reserve personnel authorized 
from military or Reserve personnel appropriations for work on Active 
component or Reserve component programs. The purpose of active duty for 
operational support is to provide the necessary skilled manpower assets 
to support existing or emerging requirements and may include training.
    Active duty for training. A category of active duty used to provide 
structured individual and/or unit training, including on-the-job 
training, or educational courses to Reserve component members. The 
active duty for training category includes annual training, initial 
active duty for training, or any other training duty.
    Annual training. The minimum period of active duty for training 
that Reserve members must perform each year to satisfy the training 
requirements associated with their Reserve component assignment.
    Armed Forces. The U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air 
Force and their Reserve components.
    Army Post Cemeteries. Army Post Cemeteries consist of the 26 
cemeteries on active Army installations, on Army reserve complexes, and 
on former Army installations or inactive posts. Army National Military 
Cemeteries are not included in Post Cemeteries. The West Point Cemetery 
is considered an Army Post Cemetery but has separate eligibility 
standards due to its unique stature. In addition to the 26 Post 
Cemeteries, there are 3 Apache Native American Prisoner of War 
Cemeteries on Fort Sill, Oklahoma and 5 World War II German and Italian 
Prisoner of War Cemeteries on four Army installations which are closed 
for interments but for which the Army bears responsibilities. Finally, 
there is the U.S. Army Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery at Fort 
Leavenworth used for interring the unclaimed remains of those who die 
while incarcerated by the United States Military. Unlike the other Army 
cemeteries which honor the Nation's veterans, this cemetery has unique 
eligibility standards due to the characterization of service of those 
criminally incarcerated.
    Cemetery Responsible Official. An appointed official who serves as 
the primary point of contact and responsible official for all matters 
relating to the operation maintenance and administration of an Army 
cemetery. The appointee must be a U.S. Federal Government Employee, DA 
Civilian or military member and appointed on orders by the appropriate 
garrison commander or comparable official.
    Child, minor child, permanently dependent child, unmarried adult 
child.--(1) Child. (i) Natural child of a primarily eligible person, 
born in wedlock;
    (ii) Natural child of a female primarily eligible person, born out 
of wedlock;
    (iii) Natural child of a male primarily eligible person, who was 
born out of wedlock and:
    (A) Has been acknowledged in a writing signed by the male primarily 
eligible person;
    (B) Has been judicially determined to be the male primarily 
eligible person's child;
    (C) Whom the male primarily eligible person has been judicially 
ordered to support; or
    (D) Has been otherwise proven, by evidence satisfactory to the 
Executive Director, to be the child of the male primarily eligible 
person;
    (iv) Adopted child of a primarily eligible person; or
    (v) Stepchild who was part of the primarily eligible person's 
household at the time of death of the individual who is to be interred 
or inurned.
    (2) Minor child. A child of the primarily eligible person who
    (i) Is unmarried;
    (ii) Has no dependents; and
    (iii) Is under the age of twenty-one years, or is under the age of 
twenty-three years and is taking a full-time course of instruction at 
an educational institution which the U.S. Department of Education 
acknowledges as an accredited educational institution.
    (3) Permanently dependent child. A child of the primarily eligible 
person who:
    (i) Is unmarried;
    (ii) Has no dependents; and
    (iii) Is permanently and fully dependent on one or both of the 
child's parents because of a physical or mental disability incurred 
before attaining the age of twenty-one years or before the age of 
twenty-three years while taking a full-time course of instruction at an 
educational institution which the U.S. Department of Education 
acknowledges as an accredited educational institution.
    (4) Unmarried adult child. A child of the primarily eligible person 
who
    (i) Is unmarried;
    (ii) Has no dependents; and
    (iii) Has attained the age of twenty-one years.
    Close relative. The spouse, parents, adult brothers and sisters, 
adult natural children, adult stepchildren, and adult adopted children 
of a decedent.
    Derivatively eligible person. Any person who is entitled to 
interment or inurnment solely based on his or her relationship to a 
primarily eligible person, as set forth in Sec. Sec.  553.43 through 
553.45.
    Executive Director. The person charged by the Secretary of the Army 
to serve as the functional proponent for policies and procedures 
pertaining to the administration, operation, and maintenance of all 
military cemeteries under the jurisdiction of the Army.
    Federal capital crime. An offense under Federal law for which a 
sentence of imprisonment for life or the death penalty may be imposed.

[[Page 53416]]

    Former spouse. See spouse.
    Government. The U.S. government and its agencies and 
instrumentalities.
    Inactive-duty training. (1) Duty prescribed for members of the 
Reserve components by the Secretary concerned under 37 U.S.C. 206 or 
any other provision of law.
    (2) Special additional duties authorized for members of the Reserve 
components by an authority designated by the Secretary concerned and 
performed by them on a voluntary basis in connection with the 
prescribed training or maintenance activities of the units to which 
they are assigned.
    (3) In the case of a member of the Army National Guard or Air 
National Guard of any State, duty (other than full-time duty) under 32 
U.S.C. 316, 502, 503, 504 or 505 or the prior corresponding provisions 
of law.
    (4) This term does not include:
    (i) Work or study performed in connection with correspondence 
courses,
    (ii) Attendance at an educational institution in an inactive 
status, or
    (iii) Duty performed as a temporary member of the Coast Guard 
Reserve.
    Interment. The ground burial of casketed or cremated human remains.
    Inurnment. The placement of cremated human remains in a niche.
    Media. Individuals and agencies that print, broadcast, or gather 
and transmit news, and their reporters, photographers, and employees.
    Minor child. See child.
    Niche. An above ground space constructed specifically for the 
placement of cremated human remains.
    Parent. A natural parent, a stepparent, a parent by adoption, or a 
person who for a period of not less than one year stood in loco 
parentis, or was granted legal custody by a court decree or statutory 
provision.
    Permanently dependent child. See child.
    Person authorized to direct disposition. The person primarily 
entitled to direct disposition of human remains and who elects to 
exercise that entitlement. Determination of such entitlement shall be 
made in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
    Personal representative. A person who has legal authority to act on 
behalf of another through applicable law, order, and regulation.
    Primarily eligible person. Any person who is entitled to interment 
or inurnment based on his or her service as specified in Sec. Sec.  
553.39 through 553.41.
    Primary next of kin. (1) In the absence of a valid written document 
from the decedent identifying the primary next of kin, the order of 
precedence for designating a decedent's primary next of kin is as 
follows:
    (i) Spouse, even if a minor;
    (ii) Children;
    (iii) Parents;
    (iv) Siblings, to include half-blood and those acquired through 
adoption;
    (v) Grandparents;
    (vi) Other next of kin, in order of relationship to the decedent as 
determined by the laws of the decedent's state of domicile.
    (2) Absent a court order or written document from the deceased, the 
precedence of next of kin with equal relationships to the decedent is 
governed by seniority (age), older having higher priority than younger. 
Equal relationship situations include those involving divorced parents 
of the decedent, children of the decedent, and siblings of the 
decedent.
    Reserve component. The Army Reserve, the Navy Reserve, the Marine 
Corps Reserve, the Air Force Reserve, the Coast Guard Reserve, the Army 
National Guard of the United States, and the Air National Guard of the 
United States.
    Spouse, former spouse, subsequently remarried spouse.--(1) Spouse. 
A person who is legally married to another person.
    (2) Former spouse. A person who was legally married to another 
person at one time but was not legally married to that person at the 
time of one of their deaths.
    (3) Subsequently remarried spouse. A derivatively eligible spouse 
who was married to the primarily eligible person at the time of the 
primarily eligible person's death and who subsequently remarried 
another person.
    State capital crime. Under State law, the willful, deliberate, or 
premeditated unlawful killing of another human being for which a 
sentence of imprisonment for life or the death penalty may be imposed.
    Subsequently recovered remains. Additional remains belonging to the 
decedent that are recovered or identified after the decedent's 
interment or inurnment.
    Subsequently remarried spouse. See spouse.
    Subversive activity. Actions constituting subversive activity are 
those defined in applicable provisions of federal law.
    Unmarried adult child. See child.
    Veteran. A person who served in the U.S. Armed Forces and who was 
discharged or released under honorable conditions.


Sec.  553.37  Purpose.

    This part specifies the eligibility for interment and inurnment in 
the twenty-five Army post cemeteries, the West Point Post Cemetery, NY 
and the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery at Fort Leavenworth, KS.


Sec.  553.38  Statutory authorities.

    The statutory authorities for this subpart are Public Law 93-43, 10 
U.S.C. 985, 1481, 1482, 3013, and 38 U.S.C. 2411.


Sec.  553.39  Scope and applicability.

    (a) Scope. The development, maintenance, administration, and 
operation of the Army Post Cemeteries are governed by this part, Army 
Regulation 290-5, and Department of the Army Pamphlet 290-5. The 
development, maintenance, administration, and operation of Army 
National Military Cemeteries are not covered by this part.
    (b) Applicability. This part is applicable to all persons seeking 
interment or inurnment in Army Post Cemeteries.


Sec.  553.40  Assignment of gravesites or niches.

    (a) All eligible persons will be assigned gravesites or niches 
without discrimination as to race, color, sex, religion, age, or 
national origin and without preference to military grade or rank.
    (b) Army Cemeteries will enforce a one-gravesite-per-family policy. 
Once the initial interment or inurnment is made in a gravesite or 
niche, each additional interment or inurnment of eligible persons must 
be made in the same gravesite or niche, except as noted in paragraph 
(f) of this section. This includes multiple primarily eligible persons 
if they are married to each other.
    (c) A gravesite reservation will be honored if the gravesite was 
properly reserved before May 1, 1975.
    (d) The commander responsible for an Army cemetery may cancel a 
gravesite reservation:
    (1) Upon determination that a derivatively eligible spouse has 
remarried;
    (2) Upon determination that the remains of the person having the 
gravesite reservation have been buried elsewhere or otherwise disposed 
of;
    (3) Upon determination that the person having the gravesite 
reservation desires to or will be interred in the same gravesite with 
the predeceased, and doing so is feasible; or
    (4) Upon determination that the person having the gravesite 
reservation would be 120 years of age and there is no record of 
correspondence with the person having the gravesite reservation within 
the last two decades.

[[Page 53417]]

    (e) In cases of reservations where more than one gravesite was 
reserved (on the basis of the veteran's eligibility at the time the 
reservation was made), the gravesite reservations will be honored only 
if the decedents continue to meet the eligibility criteria for 
interment in Army Post Cemeteries that is in effect at the time of 
need, and the reserved gravesite is available.
    (f) Gravesites or niches shall not be reserved or assigned prior to 
the time of need.
    (g) The selection of gravesites and niches is the responsibility of 
the Cemetery Responsible Official. The selection of specific gravesites 
or niches by the family or other representatives of the deceased at any 
time is prohibited.


Sec.  553.41  Proof of eligibility.

    (a) The personal representative or primary next of kin is 
responsible for providing appropriate documentation to verify the 
decedent's eligibility for interment or inurnment.
    (b) The personal representative or primary next of kin must certify 
in writing that the decedent is not prohibited from interment or 
inurnment under Sec.  553.46 because he or she has not committed or has 
not been convicted of a Federal or State capital crime or is not a 
convicted Tier III sex offender.
    (c) For service members who die on active duty, a statement of 
honorable service from a general court martial convening authority is 
required. If the certificate of honorable service cannot be granted, 
the service member is ineligible for interment or inurnment pursuant to 
Sec.  553.46(b).
    (d) When applicable, the following documents are required:
    (1) Death certificate;
    (2) Proof of eligibility as required by paragraphs (e) through (g) 
of this section;
    (3) Any additional documentation to establish the decedent's 
eligibility (e.g., marriage certificate, birth certificate, waivers, 
statements that the decedent had no children);
    (4) Burial agreement;
    (5) A certificate of cremation or notarized statement attesting to 
the authenticity of the cremated human remains and that 100% of the 
cremated remains received from the crematorium are present. The 
Cemetery Responsible Official may, however, allow a portion of the 
cremated remains to be removed by the crematorium for the sole purpose 
of producing commemorative items.
    (6) Any other document as required by the Cemetery Responsible 
Official.
    (e) The following documents may be used to establish the 
eligibility of a primarily eligible person:
    (1) DD Form 214 (issued by all military services since January 1, 
1950), Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty or any 
other DD Form that shows service or discharge information);
    (2) WD AGO 53, 55 or 53-55, Enlisted Record and Report of 
Separation Honorable Discharge;
    (3) WD AGO 53-98, Military Record and Report of Separation 
Certificate of Service or any other WD AGO/AGO Form that shows service 
or discharge information;
    (4) NGB 22, Report of Separation and Record of Service, Departments 
of the Army and the Air Force, National Guard Bureau (must indicate a 
minimum of 20 years total service for pay);
    (5) ADJ 545, Discharge Certificate or Army DS ODF, Honorable 
Discharge from the United States Army;
    (6) Bureau of Investigation No. 6, 53 or 118, Discharge Certificate 
or Bureau of Investigation No. 213, Discharge from U.S. Naval Reserve 
Force;
    (7) VA Adjudication 545, Summary of Record of Active Service or any 
other VA/GSA/NAR/NA Form that shows service or discharge information;
    (8) NAVPERS-553, Notice of Separation from U.S. Naval Service;
    (9) NAVMC 70-PD, Honorable Discharge, U.S. Marine Corps or any 
other NAVPERS/NAVCG/NAVMC/NMC/Form No. 6 U.S.N./Navy (no number) Form 
that shows service or discharge information; or;
    (10) DD Form 1300, Report of Casualty (required in the case of 
death of an active duty service member).
    (f) In addition to the documents otherwise required by this 
section, a request for interment or inurnment of a subsequently 
remarried spouse must be accompanied by:
    (1) A notarized statement from the new spouse of the subsequently 
remarried spouse agreeing to the interment or inurnment and 
relinquishing any claim for interment or inurnment in the same 
gravesite or niche.
    (2) Notarized statement(s) from all of the children from the prior 
marriage agreeing to the interment or inurnment of their parents in the 
same gravesite or niche.
    (g) In addition to the documents otherwise required by this 
section, a request for interment or inurnment of a permanently 
dependent child must be accompanied by:
    (1) A notarized statement as to the marital status and degree of 
dependency of the decedent from an individual with direct knowledge; 
and
    (2) A physician's statement regarding the nature and duration of 
the physical or mental disability; and
    (3) A statement from someone with direct knowledge demonstrating 
the following factors:
    (i) The deceased lived most of his or her adult life with one or 
either parents, one or both of whom are otherwise eligible for 
interment;
    (ii) The decedent's children, siblings, or other family members, 
other than the eligible parent, waive any derivative claim to be 
interred at the Army Post Cemetery in question, in accordance with DA 
Form 2386 (Agreement for Interment).
    (h) Veterans or primary next of kin of deceased veterans may obtain 
copies of their military records by writing to the National Personnel 
Records Center, Attention: Military Personnel Records, 1 Archives 
Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63138 or using their website: https://www.archives.gov/veterans/. All others may request a record by 
completing and submitting Standard Form 180.
    (i) The burden of proving eligibility lies with the party who 
requests the burial. Commanders of these cemeteries or their Cemetery 
Responsible Officials will determine whether the submitted evidence is 
sufficient to support a finding of eligibility.


Sec.  553.42  General rules governing eligibility for interment or 
inurnment in Army Post Cemeteries.

    (a) Only those persons who meet the criteria of Sec.  553.43 or are 
granted an exception to policy pursuant to Sec.  553.49 may be interred 
in the twenty-five Army Post Cemeteries. Only those persons who meet 
the criteria of Sec.  553.44 or are granted an exception to policy 
pursuant to Sec.  553.49 may be interred or inurned in the West Point 
Cemetery. Only those persons who meet the criteria of Sec.  553.45 may 
be interred in the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery.
    (b) Derivative eligibility for interment or inurnment may be 
established only through a decedent's connection to a primarily 
eligible person and not to another derivatively eligible person.
    (c) No veteran is eligible for interment, inurnment, or 
memorialization in an Army Post Cemetery (except for the U.S. 
Disciplinary Cemetery) unless the veteran's last period of active duty 
ended with an honorable discharge. A general discharge under honorable 
conditions is not sufficient for interment, inurnment or 
memorialization in an Army Post Cemetery.
    (d) For purposes of determining whether a service member has 
received an honorable discharge, final determinations regarding 
discharges made in accordance with procedures

[[Page 53418]]

established by chapter 79 of title 10, United States Code, will be 
considered authoritative.
    (e) The Executive Director has the authority to act on requests for 
exceptions to the provisions of the interment, inurnment, and 
memorialization eligibility policies contained in this part. The 
Executive Director may delegate this authority on such terms deemed 
appropriate.
    (f) Individuals who do not qualify as a primarily eligible person 
or a derivatively eligible person, but who are granted an exception to 
policy to be interred or inurned pursuant to Sec.  553.49 in a new 
gravesite or niche, will be treated as a primarily eligible person for 
purposes of this part.
    (g) Notwithstanding any other section in this part, memorialization 
with an individual memorial marker, interment, or inurnment in an Army 
Post Cemetery is prohibited if there is a gravesite, niche, or 
individual memorial marker for the decedent in any other Government-
operated cemetery or the Government has provided an individual grave 
marker, individual memorial marker or niche cover for placement in a 
private cemetery.


Sec.  553.43  Eligibility for interment and inurnment in Army Post 
Cemeteries.

    Only those who qualify as a primarily eligible person or a 
derivatively eligible person are eligible for interment and inurnment 
in Army Post Cemeteries (except for the West Point Cemetery), unless 
otherwise prohibited as provided for in Sec. Sec.  553.46 through 
553.48, provided that the last period of active duty of the service 
member or veteran ended with an honorable discharge.
    (a) Primarily eligible persons. The following are primarily 
eligible persons for purposes of interment:
    (1) Any service member who dies on active duty in the U.S. Armed 
Forces (except those service members serving on active duty for 
training only), if the General Courts Martial Convening Authority 
grants a certificate of honorable service.
    (2) Any veteran retired from a Reserve component who served a 
period of active duty (other than for training), is carried on the 
official retired list, and is entitled to receive military retired pay.
    (3) Any veteran retired from active military service and entitled 
to receive military retired pay.
    (b) Derivatively eligible persons. The following individuals are 
derivatively eligible persons for purposes of interment who may be 
interred if space is available in the gravesite of the primarily 
eligible person:
    (1) The spouse of a primarily eligible person who is or will be 
interred in an Army Post Cemetery in the same grave as the spouse. A 
former spouse of a primarily eligible person is not eligible for 
interment in an Army Post Cemetery under this section.
    (2) A subsequently remarried spouse of a primarily eligible person 
who is remarried at the time of need, provided that there are no 
children from any subsequent marriage; that all children from the prior 
marriage to the primarily eligible person agree to the interment and 
relinquish any claim for interment in the same gravesite in a notarized 
statement(s); and that the new spouse, if still living and married to 
the subsequently remarried spouse, agrees to the interment and 
relinquishes any claim for interment. The Cemetery Responsible Official 
may cancel the subsequently remarried spouse's gravesite reservation, 
if any, consistent with Sec.  553.40, and place the subsequently 
remarried spouse's remains in the same gravesite as the primarily 
eligible person.
    (3) The spouse of an active duty service member or an eligible 
veteran, who was:
    (i) Lost or buried at sea, temporarily interred overseas due to 
action by the Government, or officially determined to be missing in 
action;
    (ii) Buried in a U.S. military cemetery maintained by the American 
Battle Monuments Commission; or
    (iii) Interred in Arlington National Cemetery as part of a group 
burial (the derivatively eligible spouse may not be buried in the group 
burial gravesite) and the active duty service member does not have a 
separate individual interment or inurnment location.
    (4) A minor child or permanently dependent adult child of a 
primarily eligible person who is or will be interred in an Army Post 
Cemetery.
    (5) The parents of a minor child or a permanently dependent adult 
child, whose remains were interred in an Army Post Cemetery based on 
the eligibility of a parent at the time of the child's death, unless 
eligibility of a parent is lost through divorce from the primarily 
eligible parent.


Sec.  553.44  Eligibility for interment and inurnment in the West Point 
Post Cemetery.

    The following persons are eligible for interment and inurnment in 
the West Point Post Cemetery, unless otherwise prohibited as provided 
for in Sec. Sec.  553.46 through 553.48, provided that the last period 
of active duty of the service member or veteran ended with an honorable 
discharge or characterization of honorable service for active duty 
deaths.
    (a) Primarily eligible persons for interment or inurnment. The 
following are primarily eligible persons for purposes of interment or 
inurnment:
    (1) A graduate of the USMA, provided the individual was a U.S. 
citizen, both as a cadet and at the time of death, and whose military 
service fulfilled one of the following criteria.
    (i) The graduate's service in the Armed Forces of the United 
States, if any, terminated honorably.
    (ii) The graduate's service in wartime in the Armed Forces of a 
nation that was allied with the United States during the war terminated 
honorably.
    (2) Members of the Armed Forces of the United States, including 
USMA cadets, who were on active duty at the USMA at time of death and 
their derivatively eligible person dependents who may have died while 
the service member was on active duty at the USMA.
    (3) Members of the Armed Forces of the United States who were on 
active duty at the USMA at time of retirement.
    (4) Members of the Armed Forces of the United States whose last 
active duty station prior to retirement for physical disability was the 
USMA. However, personnel (not otherwise eligible) who are transferred 
to the Medical Holding Detachment, Keller Army Hospital, for medical 
boarding or medical disability retirement are not, regardless of length 
of time, eligible for interment or inurnment in the West Point Cemetery 
or Columbarium.
    (5) Officers appointed as Professors, USMA.
    (b) Derivatively eligible persons. Those connected to an individual 
described in paragraph (a) of this section through a relationship 
described in Sec.  553.43(b). Such individuals may be interred or 
inurned if space is available in the primarily eligible person's 
gravesite or niche.
    (c) Temporary Restrictions. The Secretary of the Army or his 
designee may, in special circumstances, impose temporary restrictions 
on the eligibility standards for the USMA cemetery. If temporary 
restrictions are imposed, they will be reviewed annually to ensure the 
special circumstances remain valid for retaining the temporary 
restrictions.


Sec.  553.45  Eligibility for interment in U.S. Disciplinary Barracks 
Cemetery at Fort Leavenworth.

    (a) Military prisoners who die while in Military custody and are 
not claimed by the person authorized to direct disposition of remains 
or other persons legally authorized to dispose of remains

[[Page 53419]]

are permitted to be interred in the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks 
Cemetery. All decisions for interment in the U.S.D.B. Cemetery will be 
made by the Executive Director, ANMC.
    (b) Other persons approved by the Executive Director.


Sec.  553.46  Ineligibility for interment, inurnment, or 
memorialization in an Army Post Cemetery.

    The following persons are not eligible for interment, inurnment, or 
memorialization in an Army Post Cemetery:
    (a) A father, mother, brother, sister, or in-law solely on the 
basis of his or her relationship to a primarily eligible person, even 
though the individual is:
    (1) Dependent on the primarily eligible person for support; or
    (2) A member of the primarily eligible person's household.
    (b) Except for the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery in Sec.  
553.45, a person whose last period of service was not characterized as 
an honorable discharge (e.g., a separation or discharge under general 
but honorable conditions, other than honorable conditions, a bad 
conduct discharge, a dishonorable discharge, or a dismissal), 
regardless of whether the person:
    (1) Received any other veterans' benefits; or
    (2) Was treated at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital or 
died in such a hospital.
    (c) A person who has volunteered for service with the U.S. Armed 
Forces, but has not yet entered on active duty.
    (d) A former spouse whose marriage to the primarily eligible person 
ended in divorce.
    (e) A spouse who predeceases the primarily eligible person and is 
interred or inurned in a location other than an Army Cemetery, and the 
primarily eligible person remarries.
    (f) A divorced spouse of a primarily eligible person or the 
service-connected parent when the divorced spouse has a child interred 
or inurned in an Army Cemetery under the child's derivative 
eligibility.
    (g) Otherwise derivatively eligible persons, such as a spouse or 
minor child, if the primarily eligible person was not or will not be 
interred or inurned at an Army Cemetery.
    (h) A person convicted in a Federal court or by a court-martial of 
any offense involving subversive activity or an offense described in 18 
U.S.C. 1751 (except for military prisoners at the U.S. Disciplinary 
Barracks Cemetery.)
    (i) A service member who dies while on active duty, if the first 
General Courts Martial Convening Authority in the service member's 
chain of command determines that there is clear and convincing evidence 
that the service member engaged in conduct that would have resulted in 
a separation or discharge not characterized as an honorable discharge 
(e.g., a separation or discharge under general but honorable 
conditions, other than honorable conditions, a bad conduct discharge, a 
dishonorable discharge, or a dismissal) being imposed, but for the 
death of the service member.
    (j) If animal remains are unintentionally commingled with human 
remains due to a natural disaster, unforeseen accident, act of war or 
terrorism, violent explosion, or similar incident, and such remains 
cannot be separated from the remains of an eligible person, then the 
remains may be interred or inurned with the eligible person, but the 
identity of the animal remains shall not be inscribed or identified on 
a niche, marker, headstone, or otherwise.


Sec.  553.47   Prohibition of interment, inurnment, or memorialization 
in an Army Cemetery of persons who have committed certain crimes.

    (a) Prohibition. Notwithstanding Sec. Sec.  553.43 through 553.45, 
and pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 985 and 38 U.S.C. 2411, the interment or 
inurnment in an Army Cemetery of any of the following persons is 
prohibited:
    (1) Any person identified in writing to the Executive Director by 
the Attorney General of the United States, prior to his or her 
interment or inurnment as a person who has been convicted of a Federal 
capital crime and whose conviction is final (other than a person whose 
sentence was commuted by the President).
    (2) Any person identified in writing to the Executive Director by 
an appropriate State official, prior to his or her interment or 
inurnment as a person who has been convicted of a State capital crime 
and whose conviction is final (other than a person whose sentence was 
commuted by the Governor of the State).
    (3) Any person found under procedures specified in Sec.  553.48 to 
have committed a Federal or State capital crime, but who has not been 
convicted of such crime by reason of such person not being available 
for trial due to death or flight to avoid prosecution. Notice from 
officials is not required for this prohibition to apply.
    (4) Any person identified in writing to the Executive Director by 
the Attorney General of the United States or by an appropriate State 
official, prior to his or her interment or inurnment as a person who 
has been convicted of a Federal or State crime causing the person to be 
a Tier III sex offender for purposes of the Sex Offender Registration 
and Notification Act, who for such crime is sentenced to a minimum of 
life imprisonment and whose conviction is final (other than a person 
whose sentence was commuted by the President or the Governor of a 
State, as the case may be).
    (b) Notice. The Executive Director is designated as the Secretary 
of the Army's representative authorized to receive from the appropriate 
Federal or State officials notification of conviction of capital crimes 
referred to in this section.
    (c) Confirmation of person's eligibility. (1) If notice has not 
been received, but the Executive Director has reason to believe that 
the person may have been convicted of a Federal capital crime or a 
State capital crime, the Executive Director shall seek written 
confirmation from:
    (i) The Attorney General of the United States, with respect to a 
suspected Federal capital crime; or
    (ii) An appropriate State official, with respect to a suspected 
State capital crime.
    (2) The Executive Director will defer the decision on whether to 
inter, inurn, or memorialize a decedent until a written response is 
received.
    (c) Due diligence. Army Post Cemetery Superintendents and 
Commanders who have cemeteries for which they are responsible will make 
every effort to determine if the decedent is ineligible in accordance 
with 10 U.S.C. 985 and 38 U.S.C. 2411. For those determined ineligible 
due to the provisions of these sections, commanders will submit their 
determinations in writing to the Executive Director for validation.


Sec.  553.48  Findings concerning the commission of certain crimes 
where a person has not been convicted due to death or flight to avoid 
prosecution.

    (a) Preliminary Inquiry. If the Executive Director has reason to 
believe that a decedent may have committed a Federal capital crime or a 
State capital crime but has not been convicted of such crime by reason 
of such person not being available for trial due to death or flight to 
avoid prosecution, the Executive Director shall submit the issue to the 
Army General Counsel. The Army General Counsel or his or her designee 
shall initiate a preliminary inquiry seeking information from Federal, 
State, or local law enforcement officials, or other sources of 
potentially relevant information.

[[Page 53420]]

    (b) Decision after Preliminary Inquiry. If, after conducting the 
preliminary inquiry described in paragraph (a) of this section, the 
Army General Counsel or designee determines that credible evidence 
exists suggesting the decedent may have committed a Federal capital 
crime or State capital crime, then further proceedings under this 
section are warranted to determine whether the decedent committed such 
crime. Consequently the Army General Counsel or his or her designee 
shall present the personal representative with a written notification 
of such preliminary determination and a dated, written notice of the 
personal representative's procedural options.
    (c) Notice and Procedural Options. The notice of procedural options 
shall indicate that, within fifteen days, the personal representative 
may:
    (1) Request a hearing;
    (2) Withdraw the request for interment, inurnment, or 
memorialization; or
    (3) Do nothing, in which case the request for interment, inurnment, 
or memorialization will be considered to have been withdrawn.
    (d) Time computation. The fifteen-day time period begins on the 
calendar day immediately following the earlier of the day the notice of 
procedural options is delivered in person to the personal 
representative or is sent by U.S. registered mail or, if available, by 
electronic means to the personal representative. It ends at midnight on 
the fifteenth day. The period includes weekends and holidays.
    (e) Hearing. The purpose of the hearing is to allow the personal 
representative to present additional information regarding whether the 
decedent committed a Federal capital crime or a State capital crime. In 
lieu of making a personal appearance at the hearing, the personal 
representative may submit relevant documents for consideration.
    (1) If a hearing is requested, the Army General Counsel or his or 
her designee shall conduct the hearing.
    (2) The hearing shall be conducted in an informal manner.
    (3) The rules of evidence shall not apply.
    (4) The personal representative and witnesses may appear, at no 
expense to the Government, and shall, at the discretion of the hearing 
officer, testify under oath. Oaths must be administered by a person who 
possesses the legal authority to administer oaths.
    (5) The Army General Counsel or designee shall consider any and all 
relevant information obtained.
    (6) The hearing shall be appropriately recorded. Upon request, a 
copy of the record shall be provided to the personal representative.
    (f) Final Determination. After considering the hearing officer's 
report, the opinion of the Army General Counsel or his or her designee, 
and any additional information submitted by the personal 
representative, the Secretary of the Army or his or her designee shall 
determine the decedent's eligibility for interment, inurnment, or 
memorialization. This determination is final and not appealable.
    (1) The determination shall be based on evidence that supports or 
undermines a conclusion that the decedent's actions satisfied the 
elements of the crime as established by the law of the jurisdiction in 
which the decedent would have been prosecuted.
    (2) If an affirmative defense is offered by the decedent's personal 
representative, a determination as to whether the defense was met shall 
be made according to the law of the jurisdiction in which the decedent 
would have been prosecuted.
    (3) Mitigating evidence shall not be considered.
    (4) The opinion of the local, State, or Federal prosecutor as to 
whether he or she would have brought charges against the decedent had 
the decedent been available is relevant but not binding and shall be 
given no more weight than other facts presented.
    (g) Notice of Decision. The Executive Director shall provide 
written notification of the Secretary's decision to the personal 
representative.


Sec.  553.49  Exceptions to policies for interment or inurnment at Army 
Post Cemeteries.

    (a) Requests for exceptions to policy will be made by the Executive 
Director, Army National Military Cemeteries.
    (b) Eligibility standards for interment and inurnment are based on 
honorable military service. Exceptions to the eligibility standards are 
rarely granted. When granted, exceptions are for those persons who have 
made significant contributions that directly and substantially 
benefited the U.S. military.
    (c) Requests for an exception to the interment or inurnment 
eligibility policies shall be considered only after the individual's 
death.
    (d) Procedures for submitting requests for exceptions to policy for 
interment and inurnment will be established by the Executive Director, 
Army National Military Cemeteries.

Karen L. Durham-Aguilera,
Executive Director.
[FR Doc. 2018-22968 Filed 10-22-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 5001-03-P