82_FR_55377 82 FR 55155 - Reimbursement for Caskets and Urns for Burial of Unclaimed Remains in a National Cemetery or a VA-funded State or Tribal Veterans' Cemetery

82 FR 55155 - Reimbursement for Caskets and Urns for Burial of Unclaimed Remains in a National Cemetery or a VA-funded State or Tribal Veterans' Cemetery

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 222 (November 20, 2017)

Page Range55155-55155
FR Document2017-25067

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 or a VA-funded state or tribal veterans' 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) 2018.

Federal Register, Volume 82 Issue 222 (Monday, November 20, 2017)
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 222 (Monday, November 20, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 55155]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-25067]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Reimbursement for Caskets and Urns for Burial of Unclaimed 
Remains in a National Cemetery or a VA-funded State or Tribal Veterans' 
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 or a VA-funded state or tribal 
veterans' 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) 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric Axelbank, Budget Formulation 
Division, National Cemetery Administration, Department of Veterans 
Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20420. Telephone: (202) 
632-7236 (this is not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 2306(f) of title 38, U.S.C., 
authorizes VA National Cemetery Administration (NCA) to furnish a 
casket or urn for interment in a VA national cemetery or a VA-funded 
state or tribal veterans' 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 section 38.628 of title 
38, Code of Federal Regulations.
    Public Law 114-273 extended VA's authority to furnish a casket or 
urn for interment 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 when those remains are to be buried in a VA national cemetery 
or a VA-funded state or tribal veterans' cemetery. The reimbursement 
amounts shown in this notice are applicable to those interments.
    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 human remains, which include a secure closure to 
contain the cremated remains.
    Using this method of computation, in FY 2017, the average costs for 
caskets were determined to be $2,131 and $169 for urns. Accordingly, 
the reimbursement rates payable for qualifying interments occurring 
during CY 2018 are $2,131 for caskets and $169 for urns.

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. Gina S. 
Farrisee, Deputy Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs, 
approved this document on November 14, 2017, for publication.

    Dated: November 14, 2017.
Jeffrey Martin,
Office Program Manager, Office of Regulation Policy & Management, 
Office of the Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2017-25067 Filed 11-17-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 8320-01-P



                                                                           Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 222 / Monday, November 20, 2017 / Notices                                                 55155

                                                unless the collection of information                    ACTION:   Notice.                                     veterans’ cemetery. The reimbursement
                                                displays a valid OMB control number.                                                                          amounts shown in this notice are
                                                   Books or records relating to a                       SUMMARY:    The Department of Veterans                applicable to those interments.
                                                collection of information must be                       Affairs (VA) is updating the monetary
                                                                                                        reimbursement rates for caskets and                     Reimbursement for a claim received
                                                retained as long as their contents may
                                                become material in the administration                   urns purchased for the interment in a                 in any CY will not exceed the average
                                                of any internal revenue law. Generally,                 VA national cemetery or a VA-funded                   cost of a 20-gauge metal casket or a
                                                tax returns and tax return information                  state or tribal veterans’ cemetery of                 durable plastic urn during the fiscal
                                                are confidential, as required by 26                     Veterans who die with no known next                   year (FY) preceding the CY of the claim.
                                                U.S.C. 6103.                                            of kin and where there are insufficient               Average costs are determined by market
                                                   Request for Comments: Comments                       resources for furnishing a burial                     analysis for 20-gauge metal caskets,
                                                submitted in response to this notice will               container. The purpose of this notice is              designed to contain human remains,
                                                be summarized and/or included in the                    to notify interested parties of the rates             with a gasketed seal, and external rails
                                                request for OMB approval. All                           that will apply to reimbursement claims               or handles. The same analysis is
                                                comments will become a matter of                        that occur during calendar year (CY)                  completed for durable plastic urns,
                                                public record. Comments are invited on:                 2018.                                                 designed to contain human remains,
                                                (a) Whether the collection of                                                                                 which include a secure closure to
                                                information is necessary for the proper                 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:       Eric
                                                                                                        Axelbank, Budget Formulation Division,                contain the cremated remains.
                                                performance of the functions of the
                                                agency, including whether the                           National Cemetery Administration,                       Using this method of computation, in
                                                information shall have practical utility;               Department of Veterans Affairs, 810                   FY 2017, the average costs for caskets
                                                (b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate               Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC                    were determined to be $2,131 and $169
                                                of the burden of the collection of                      20420. Telephone: (202) 632–7236 (this                for urns. Accordingly, the
                                                information; (c) ways to enhance the                    is not a toll-free number).                           reimbursement rates payable for
                                                quality, utility, and clarity of the                    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section                    qualifying interments occurring during
                                                information to be collected; (d) ways to                2306(f) of title 38, U.S.C., authorizes VA            CY 2018 are $2,131 for caskets and $169
                                                minimize the burden of the collection of                National Cemetery Administration                      for urns.
                                                information on respondents, including                   (NCA) to furnish a casket or urn for
                                                                                                        interment in a VA national cemetery or                Signing Authority
                                                through the use of automated collection
                                                techniques or other forms of information                a VA-funded state or tribal veterans’                   The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or
                                                technology; and (e) estimates of capital                cemetery of the unclaimed remains of                  designee, approved this document and
                                                or start-up costs and costs of operation,               Veterans for whom VA cannot identify                  authorized the undersigned to sign and
                                                maintenance, and purchase of services                   a next of kin and determines that
                                                                                                                                                              submit the document to the Office of the
                                                to provide information.                                 sufficient financial resources for the
                                                                                                                                                              Federal Register for publication
                                                  Approved: November 14, 2017.                          furnishing of a casket or urn for burial
                                                                                                                                                              electronically as an official document of
                                                L. Brimmer,
                                                                                                        are not available. VA implemented
                                                                                                        regulations to administer this authority              the Department of Veterans Affairs. Gina
                                                Senior Tax Analyst.                                                                                           S. Farrisee, Deputy Chief of Staff,
                                                                                                        as a reimbursement benefit in section
                                                [FR Doc. 2017–25098 Filed 11–17–17; 8:45 am]
                                                                                                        38.628 of title 38, Code of Federal                   Department of Veterans Affairs,
                                                BILLING CODE 4830–01–P
                                                                                                        Regulations.                                          approved this document on November
                                                                                                           Public Law 114–273 extended VA’s                   14, 2017, for publication.
                                                                                                        authority to furnish a casket or urn for                Dated: November 14, 2017.
                                                DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS                                  interment of the unclaimed remains of                 Jeffrey Martin,
                                                AFFAIRS                                                 Veterans for whom VA cannot identify                  Office Program Manager, Office of Regulation
                                                                                                        a next of kin and determines that                     Policy & Management, Office of the Secretary,
                                                Reimbursement for Caskets and Urns
                                                                                                        sufficient financial resources for the                Department of Veterans Affairs.
                                                for Burial of Unclaimed Remains in a
                                                                                                        furnishing of a casket or urn for burial
                                                National Cemetery or a VA-funded                                                                              [FR Doc. 2017–25067 Filed 11–17–17; 8:45 am]
                                                                                                        are not available when those remains
                                                State or Tribal Veterans’ Cemetery                                                                            BILLING CODE 8320–01–P
                                                                                                        are to be buried in a VA national
                                                AGENCY:    Department of Veterans Affairs.              cemetery or a VA-funded state or tribal
nshattuck on DSK9F9SC42PROD with NOTICES




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Document Created: 2018-10-25 10:41:50
Document Modified: 2018-10-25 10:41:50
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionNotice.
ContactEric Axelbank, Budget Formulation Division, National Cemetery Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20420. Telephone: (202) 632-7236 (this is not a toll-free number).
FR Citation82 FR 55155 

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