83_FR_53617 83 FR 53412 - Army Cemeteries

83 FR 53412 - Army Cemeteries

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 205 (October 23, 2018)

Page Range53412-53420
FR Document2018-22968

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.

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 205 (Tuesday, October 23, 2018)
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 205 (Tuesday, October 23, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 53412-53420]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[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: http://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 http://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: http://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



                                                53412                 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 205 / Tuesday, October 23, 2018 / Proposed Rules

                                                players, cellular phones and wireless                   may arise from the definition used in                 filing systems to reflect regulatory
                                                internet communication devices, audio                   this notice of inquiry.                               changes (either in the form of a new
                                                equipment, video cassette recorders,                                                                          license exception or an electronic waste
                                                                                                        Potential Changes to the Regulations
                                                DVD players, video game systems                                                                               indicator in AES), and costs or effects
                                                (including portable systems), video                     (1) Reporting Requirements for the                    that may arise from the potential
                                                game controllers, signal converter boxes,               Export of Exempted Electronic Waste                   changes described in this notice. In
                                                and cable and satellite receivers; and                     BIS is seeking public comments on                  addition, BIS seeks comments on the
                                                   (viii) Portable global positioning                   two approaches that could be used to                  prevalence of counterfeit commodities
                                                system navigation.                                      track the export of electronic waste that             in the electronic supply chains and
                                                BIS welcomes comments from the                          is exempt from the prohibition. The first             whether the changes contemplated in
                                                public on the definition, or any                        approach would be to allow electronic                 this notice of inquiry would alleviate
                                                alternative construct for a definition of               waste that is exempt from the                         this problem.
                                                electronic waste.                                       prohibition to be exported under a                      Dated: October 17, 2018.
                                                                                                        potential new license exception in the                Richard E. Ashooh,
                                                2) Electronic Waste Exemptions
                                                                                                        Export Administration Regulations                     Assistant Secretary for Export
                                                  Electronic waste that would be                        (EAR) (15 CFR, subchapter C, parts 730–               Administration.
                                                exempted from the prohibition on                        774). A second approach would be to                   [FR Doc. 2018–23044 Filed 10–22–18; 8:45 am]
                                                export could include consumer                           track and record exempted electronic
                                                                                                                                                              BILLING CODE 3510–33–P
                                                appliances that have electronic features,               waste exports through a new data
                                                electronic parts of a motor vehicle,                    element in the Automated Export
                                                tested working used electronics, and                    System (AES), maintained by the U.S.
                                                recalled electronics. Tested working                    Census Bureau (Census). BIS recognizes                DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
                                                used electronics would be determined,                   that Census proposed the introduction
                                                                                                                                                              Department of the Army
                                                through testing methodologies, to be                    of a similar data element in the Federal
                                                fully functional for the purpose for                    Register on March 9, 2016 (81 FR
                                                                                                                                                              32 CFR Part 553
                                                which they were designed or, in the                     12423), and ultimately removed the
                                                case of multifunction devices, fully                    proposed requirement in their final rule              [Docket No. USA–2018–HQ–0001]
                                                functional for at least one of the primary              published on April 19, 2017 (82 FR                    RIN 0702–AA80
                                                purposes for which the items were                       18385), because of public comments and
                                                designed. This exemption from the                       concerns. BIS is nevertheless                         Army Cemeteries
                                                potential export prohibition would                      considering re-introducing an electronic
                                                include refurbished items or items                      waste indicator in AES as an alternate                AGENCY:    Department of the Army, DoD.
                                                exported for reuse for the purpose for                  means to track the export of electronic               ACTION:   Proposed rule.
                                                which they were designed. Recalled                      waste that qualifies for an exemption
                                                                                                        from the prohibition. BIS welcomes                    SUMMARY:  The Department of the Army
                                                electronics include items that have been
                                                                                                        comments and suggestions on other                     is proposing revisions regarding the
                                                recalled by the manufacturer or are
                                                                                                        possible approaches and mechanisms                    development, operation, maintenance,
                                                subject to a recall notice issued by the
                                                                                                        that would help the public comply with                and administration of the Army
                                                U.S. Consumer Product Safety
                                                                                                        requirements for the export of electronic             Cemeteries. The revisions include
                                                Commission or other pertinent Federal
                                                                                                        waste.                                                changes in management and a name
                                                authority.
                                                                                                                                                              change to the Army National Military
                                                  Also exempt from the prohibition                      (2) New Recordkeeping Requirements                    Cemeteries. The rule also adopts
                                                would be items that are unusable that
                                                                                                          BIS is seeking comments on new                      modifications suggested by the
                                                are exported as feedstock, with no
                                                                                                        recordkeeping requirements that would                 Department of the Army Inspector
                                                additional mechanical or hand
                                                                                                        apply to exports of exempted electronic               General and approved by the Secretary
                                                separation required, in a reclamation
                                                                                                        waste under a potential new license                   of the Army, as well as implementing
                                                process to render the electronic
                                                                                                        exception and exports of electronic                   changes in interment eligibility due to
                                                components or items recycled
                                                                                                        waste tracked under a potential new                   statute.
                                                consistent with the laws of the foreign
                                                                                                        AES data element. Exporters would be                  DATES:Consideration will be given to all
                                                country performing the reclamation
                                                                                                        required to keep documentation on all                 comments received by December 24,
                                                process. Feedstock means any raw                        electronic waste that is exported,
                                                material constituting the principal input                                                                     2018.
                                                                                                        including how the electronic waste met
                                                for an industrial process.                              the criteria for exemption, and                       ADDRESSES:   You may submit comments,
                                                  BIS welcomes comments from the                        including but not limited to the                      identified by 32 CFR part 553, Docket
                                                public on criteria regarding exempted                   methodology used to test the items and                No. USA–2018–HQ–0001 and/or by
                                                electronic waste items. Items that do not               the test results for each item.                       Regulatory Information Number (RIN)
                                                meet the criteria for exemption could be                                                                      0702–AA80 or by any of the following
                                                subject to a prohibition on export.                     Cost to Industry for Potential Changes to             methods:
                                                Persons would need to determine a                       the Regulations and the Prevalence of                   • Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://
                                                means of disposal or destruction of non-                Counterfeit Items in Electronic Supply                www.regulations.gov. Follow the
                                                exempted electronic waste within the                    Chains                                                instructions for submitting comments.
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with PROPOSAL




                                                United States.                                             BIS seeks public comments on the                     • Mail: Department of Defense, Office
                                                  BIS recognizes that other                             costs to exporters of determining                     of the Chief Management Officer,
                                                organizations and government agencies                   eligibility for exemption of items that               Directorate for Oversight and
                                                may have different criteria or definitions              fall under the definition of electronic               Compliance, 4800 Mark Center Drive,
                                                for electronic waste and other relevant                 waste (including the workability of the               Mailbox #24, Suite 08D09, Alexandria,
                                                terms. BIS seeks comment from the                       testing of used electronics), new                     VA 22350–1700.
                                                public regarding these terms and any                    recordkeeping requirements for                          Instructions: All submissions received
                                                discrepancies and uncertainties that                    exempted electronic waste, updates to                 must include the agency name and


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                                                                      Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 205 / Tuesday, October 23, 2018 / Proposed Rules                                          53413

                                                docket number or RIN for this Federal                   at the Army National Military                         spouse whose marriage to the primarily
                                                Register document. The general policy                   Cemeteries.                                           eligible person ended in divorce, to
                                                for comments and other submissions                         Section 553.36, ‘‘Definitions’’, is                clarify the termination of a spouse’s
                                                from members of the public is to make                   proposed to provide the definitions of                derivative eligibility for interment in a
                                                these submissions available for public                  terms used throughout the proposed                    cemetery upon the remarriage of the
                                                viewing at http://www.regulations.gov                   rule.                                                 primarily eligible spouse, to forbid the
                                                as they are received without change,                       Section 553.37, ‘‘Purpose’’, is                    interment or inurnment of persons
                                                including any personal identifiers or                   proposed to establish eligibility for                 convicted of certain crimes, to forbid the
                                                contact information.                                    interment and inurnment in the twenty-                interment or inurnment of persons who
                                                                                                        five Army post cemeteries, the U.S.                   died on active duty under certain
                                                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
                                                                                                        Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery at Fort                circumstances, and to govern how
                                                Randall Keel, Army National Military
                                                                                                        Leavenworth, KS, and the United States                animal remains unintentionally
                                                Cemeteries, 703–614–6314.
                                                                                                        Military Academy Cemetery at West                     comingled with human remains will be
                                                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:                              Point, NY.                                            interred or inurned.
                                                A. Preamble                                                Section 553.38, ‘‘Statutory                           Section 553.47, ‘‘Prohibition of
                                                                                                        authorities’’, is proposed to cite relevant           interment, inurnment, or
                                                I. Purpose of the Regulatory Action                     sections of United States Code                        memorialization in an Army Cemetery
                                                   a. The Department of the Army (DA)                   applicable to Army Post Cemeteries                    of persons who have committed certain
                                                is proposing changes governing Army                     including Public Law 93–43,10 U.S.C.                  crimes’’, is proposed to be added to
                                                Cemeteries. Army Cemeteries consist of                  985, 1481, 1482, 3013, and 38 U.S.C.                  implement 10 U.S.C. 985 and 38 U.S.C.
                                                Arlington National Cemetery, the U.S.                   2411.                                                 2411, which prohibits the interment,
                                                Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National                       Section 553.39, ‘‘Scope and                        inurnment, or memorialization in any
                                                Cemetery, twenty-five Army post                         applicability’’, is proposed to establish             military cemetery of an individual who
                                                cemeteries, the West Point Post                         the applicability of this part and not on             has been convicted of a federal or state
                                                Cemetery, and the U.S. Disciplinary                     the applicability of a separate internal              capital crime or who committed a
                                                Barracks Cemetery at Fort Leavenworth.                  Army regulation.                                      federal or state capital crime but was not
                                                The rule proposes to revise the current                    Section 553.40, ‘‘Assignment of                    convicted of such crime because the
                                                part as ‘subpart A’(Army National                       gravesites or niches’’, is proposed to                person was not available for trial due to
                                                Military Cemeteries), make corrections                  establish policies regarding the                      death or flight to avoid prosecution.
                                                and additions to subpart A, and add                     assignment of gravesites or niches.                   Definitions of the terms federal capital
                                                                                                           Section 553.41, ‘‘Proof of Eligibility’’,          crime and state capital crime are in
                                                subpart B (Army Post Cemeteries) to
                                                                                                        is proposed to establish the                          § 553.36.
                                                further reflect changes in the
                                                                                                        requirements for family members to                       Section 553.48, ‘‘Findings concerning
                                                management structure of the Army
                                                                                                        provide necessary documentation                       the commission of certain crimes where
                                                National Military Cemeteries created by                                                                       a person has not been convicted due to
                                                                                                        needed to verify veterans and their
                                                Army General Orders 2014–74 (https://                                                                         death or flight to avoid prosecution’’, is
                                                                                                        family members are eligible for
                                                armypubs.army.mil/ProductMaps/                                                                                proposed to be added to implement 10
                                                                                                        interment or inurnment in Army post
                                                PubForm/Details.aspx?PUBNO=                                                                                   U.S.C. 985 and 38 U.S.C. 2411, which
                                                                                                        cemeteries.
                                                DAGO+2014–74) and provisions of a 17                       Section 553.42, ‘‘General rules                    prohibit the interment, inurnment, or
                                                April 2012 Secretary of the Army                        governing eligibility for interment or                memorialization in any military
                                                Decision Memorandum.                                    inurnment in Army Post Cemeteries’’, is               cemetery of an individual who has been
                                                   b. The legal authorities for this                    proposed to establish the general rules               convicted of a federal or state capital
                                                regulatory action include Public Law                    that apply to Army post cemeteries.                   crime, or who committed a federal or
                                                93–43, 10 U.S.C. 3013, and 38 U.S.C.                       Section 553.43, ‘‘Eligibility for                  state capital crime but was not
                                                2411. Public Law 93–43, also known as                   interment and inurnment in Army Post                  convicted of such crime because the
                                                the National Cemeteries Act of 1973,                    Cemeteries’’, is proposed for the twenty-             person was not available for trial due to
                                                contains a clause in Section 7(b)(2) that               five Army cemeteries on various active                death or flight to avoid prosecution.
                                                exempts the Secretary of the Army from                  or former installations which excludes                   Section 553.49, ‘‘Exceptions to
                                                the provisions of the act with respect to               the post cemetery at West Point, NY and               policies for interment or inurnment at
                                                those cemeteries that remained under                    the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery               Army Post Cemeteries’’, is proposed to
                                                the control of the Army. Title 10 U.S.C.                at Fort Leavenworth, KS.                              establish the authorities for granting
                                                3013 governs the appointment of the                        Section 553.44, ‘‘Eligibility for                  exceptions and method by which
                                                Secretary of the Army and the                           interment and inurnment in the West                   exceptions can be requested.
                                                responsibilities of his position to                     Point Post Cemetery’’, is proposed for
                                                include the formulation of policies and                                                                       III. Expected Impact of the Proposed
                                                                                                        the post cemetery at West Point, NY.
                                                programs, which apply to Army                              Section 553.45, ‘‘Eligibility for                  Rule.
                                                Cemeteries. Title 38 U.S.C. 2411                        interment in U.S. Disciplinary Barracks                  DOD expects this rule will reduce
                                                contains further descriptions of persons                Cemetery at Fort Leavenworth’’, is                    burden to the public by saving time to
                                                convicted of capital crimes.                            proposed for the U.S. Disciplinary                    the regulated community—primarily
                                                                                                        Barracks Cemetery at Fort Leavenworth,                legal assistants and veterans—who now
                                                II. Summary of the Major Provisions of
                                                                                                        KS.                                                   have to currently search for the
                                                the Regulatory Action in Question.
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                                                                                                           Section 553.46, ‘‘Ineligibility for                appropriate eligibility criteria in the
                                                   Section 553.12, ‘‘Eligibility for                    interment, inurnment or                               current Code of Federal Regulations
                                                interment at Arlington National                         memorialization in an Army Post                       (CFR), a West Point Regulation, and an
                                                Cemtery’’, clarifies certain dependent                  Cemetery’’, is proposed to clarify those              outdated Army Regulation. With these
                                                eligibility criteria.                                   individuals who are ineligible for                    revisions all Army cemetery eligibility
                                                   Section 553.28, ‘‘Private headstones                 interments, inurnments and                            requirements will be contained in one
                                                and markers’’, clarifies private                        memorialization. This language is also                regulation which is publicly-accessible
                                                headstone and marker approval policies                  to clarify the ineligibility of a former              CFR. DA estimates the consolidation of


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                                                53414                 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 205 / Tuesday, October 23, 2018 / Proposed Rules

                                                eligibility criteria into a single                      under the National Environmental                      J. Executive Order 13771 (Reducing
                                                authoritative source will save those                    Policy Act is required. This new rule                 Regulation and Controlling Regulatory
                                                referring to the CFR for guidance                       codifies existing policies and does not               Costs)
                                                approximately 30 minutes of research,                   significantly alter ongoing activities, nor             This proposed rule is expected to be
                                                review, and compliance time. DA                         does this rule constitute a new use of                an E.O. 13771 deregulatory action.
                                                cemetery eligibility subject matter                     the property.                                         Details on the estimated cost savings
                                                experts estimate that 20% of Army                                                                             can be found in the Expected Impact of
                                                cemetery eligibility research involves                  E. Paperwork Reduction Act
                                                                                                                                                              the Proposed Changes section of this
                                                consultation of the CFR or other Army                     The Army has determined that this
                                                                                                                                                              rule.
                                                regulations by legal assistants and 20%                 proposed rule does not impose reporting
                                                consultation by veterans. This results in               or recordkeeping requirements under                   List of Subjects in 32 CFR Part 553
                                                a total of 40% of Army cemetery                         the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.                    Armed forces, Armed forces reserves,
                                                eligibility criteria involving consultation                                                                   Cemeteries, Government property,
                                                                                                        F. Executive Order 12630 (Government
                                                of the CFR and the other Army                                                                                 Military personnel, Monuments and
                                                                                                        Actions and Interference With
                                                regulations. For purposes of estimating                                                                       memorials, Veterans.
                                                                                                        Constitutionally Protected Property
                                                opportunity costs, DA subject matter                                                                            For the reasons stated in the
                                                                                                        Rights)
                                                experts deemed it reasonable to use the                                                                       preamble, the Department of the Army
                                                average of a legal assistant’s mean                       The Army has determined that E.O.
                                                                                                        12630 does not apply because the                      proposes to amend 32 CFR part 553 to
                                                hourly wage ($25.57/hour), as informed                                                                        read as follows:
                                                by the 2016 Bureau of Labor and                         proposed rule does not impair private
                                                Statistics, and the 2016 U.S. Census                    property rights.                                      PART 553—ARMY CEMETERIES
                                                Bureau, American Community Survey                       G. Executive Order 12866 (Regulatory
                                                for 2015 reported annual veteran                        Planning and Review) and Executive                    ■ 1. The authority citation for 32 CFR
                                                income of $56,978.50. This annum                        Order 13563 (Improving Regulation                     part 553 is revised to read as follows:
                                                income for veterans divided by 2,080                    and Regulatory Review)                                  Authority: 10 U.S.C. 985, 1128, 1481, 1482,
                                                annual work hours yields an average                                                                           3013, 4721–4726; 24 U.S.C. 295a, 412; 38
                                                veteran hourly wage ($27.39/hour) to                       Executive Orders 13563 and 12866                   U.S.C. 2402 note, 2409– 2411, 2413; 40
                                                approximate an hourly wage for an                       direct agencies to assess all costs and               U.S.C. 9102; and Public Law 93–43, Stat. 87.
                                                average eligibility researcher. That rate               benefits of available regulatory
                                                                                                        alternatives and, if regulation is                    ■ 2. The heading for part 553 is revised
                                                is $26.48/hour.                                                                                               to read as set forth above.
                                                   As there was an average of 7,600                     necessary, to select regulatory
                                                                                                        approaches that maximize net benefits                 ■ 3. Redesignate §§ 553.1 through
                                                burials in Army installations in 2016 for                                                                     553.35 as subpart A.
                                                which DA cemetery eligibility subject                   (including potential economic,
                                                matter experts estimate that 40%                        environmental, public health and safety
                                                                                                                                                              Subpart A—Army National Military
                                                involve eligibility research by legal                   effects, distribute impacts, and equity).
                                                                                                                                                              Cemeteries
                                                assistants or veterans, the impacted                    Executive Order 13563 emphasizes the
                                                population would be 3,040 (7,600 *                      importance of quantifying both costs                  ■ 4. Add subpart A heading to read as
                                                0.40). Therefore, 3,040 impacted burials                and benefits, of reducing costs, of                   set forth above.
                                                with an estimated savings of 30 minutes                 harmonizing rules, and of promoting
                                                                                                        flexibility. This proposed rule has been              § 553.10   [Amended]
                                                per eligibility research at average
                                                researcher hourly rate of $26.48 results                designated a ‘‘significant regulatory                 ■  5. § 553.10 is amended by removing
                                                in a savings to the public of $40,249.60                action,’’ although not economically                   ‘‘pursuant to § 553.19(i)’’ and adding in
                                                (7,600*0.40*30mins*$26.48) annually.                    significant, under section 3(f) of                    its place ‘‘pursuant to § 553.19(h)’’ in
                                                DOD welcomes comments on the                            Executive Order 12866. Accordingly,                   paragraph (c).
                                                                                                        the proposed rule has been reviewed by                ■ 6. § 553.12 is amended by:
                                                proposed cost savings associated with
                                                                                                        the Office of Management and Budget                   ■ a. Removing ‘‘; and’’ and adding a
                                                this rule.
                                                                                                        (OMB).                                                period in its place in paragraph (b)(4)(v).
                                                B. Regulatory Flexibility Act                                                                                 ■ b. Adding new paragraph (b)(5).
                                                                                                        H. Executive Order 13045 (Protection of                  The addition reads as follows:
                                                  The Army has determined that the                      Children From Environmental Health
                                                Regulatory Flexibility Act does not                     Risk and Safety Risks)                                § 553.12 Eligibility for interment in
                                                apply because the proposed rule does                                                                          Arlington National Cemetery.
                                                not have a significant economic impact                    The Army has determined that
                                                                                                        according to the criteria defined in                  *     *    *    *     *
                                                on a substantial number of small entities                                                                       (b) * * *
                                                within the meaning of the Regulatory                    Executive Order 13045, the
                                                                                                        requirements of that Order do not apply                 (5) A minor child or permanently
                                                Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601–612.                                                                            dependent child of a primary eligible
                                                                                                        to this proposed rule.
                                                C. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act                                                                               person who is or will be interred in
                                                                                                        I. Executive Order 13132 (Federalism)                 Arlington National Cemetery.
                                                  The Army has determined that the
                                                Unfunded Mandates Reform Act does                          The Army has determined that,                      § 553.28   [Amended]
                                                not apply because the proposed rule                     according to the criteria defined in
                                                                                                        Executive Order 13132, the                            ■ 7. Amend § 553.28 by removing ‘‘is’’
                                                does not include a mandate that may
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                                                                                                        requirements of that Order do not apply               and adding in its place ‘‘may be
                                                result in estimated costs to State, local,                                                                    approved at the discretion of the
                                                or tribal governments in the aggregate,                 to this proposed rule because the rule
                                                                                                        will not have a substantial effect on the             Executive Director, and are’’ in
                                                or the private sector, of $100 million or                                                                     paragraph (a).
                                                more.                                                   States, on the relationship between the
                                                                                                                                                              ■ 8. Add subpart B to read as follows:
                                                                                                        Federal government and the States, or
                                                D. National Environmental Policy Act                    on the distribution of power and                      Subpart B—Army Post Cemeteries
                                                  Neither an environmental analysis nor                 responsibilities among the various
                                                an environmental impact statement                       levels of government.                                 Sec.



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                                                                      Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 205 / Tuesday, October 23, 2018 / Proposed Rules                                          53415

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


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                                                53416                 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 205 / Tuesday, October 23, 2018 / Proposed Rules

                                                   Former spouse. See spouse.                           kin, the order of precedence for                      five Army post cemeteries, the West
                                                   Government. The U.S. government                      designating a decedent’s primary next of              Point Post Cemetery, NY and the U.S.
                                                and its agencies and instrumentalities.                 kin is as follows:                                    Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery at Fort
                                                   Inactive-duty training. (1) Duty                        (i) Spouse, even if a minor;                       Leavenworth, KS.
                                                prescribed for members of the Reserve                      (ii) Children;
                                                components by the Secretary concerned                      (iii) Parents;                                     § 553.38   Statutory authorities.
                                                under 37 U.S.C. 206 or any other                           (iv) Siblings, to include half-blood                 The statutory authorities for this
                                                provision of law.                                       and those acquired through adoption;                  subpart are Public Law 93–43, 10 U.S.C.
                                                   (2) Special additional duties                           (v) Grandparents;                                  985, 1481, 1482, 3013, and 38 U.S.C.
                                                authorized for members of the Reserve                      (vi) Other next of kin, in order of                2411.
                                                components by an authority designated                   relationship to the decedent as
                                                                                                        determined by the laws of the                         § 553.39   Scope and applicability.
                                                by the Secretary concerned and
                                                                                                        decedent’s state of domicile.                           (a) Scope. The development,
                                                performed by them on a voluntary basis
                                                                                                           (2) Absent a court order or written                maintenance, administration, and
                                                in connection with the prescribed
                                                                                                        document from the deceased, the                       operation of the Army Post Cemeteries
                                                training or maintenance activities of the
                                                                                                        precedence of next of kin with equal                  are governed by this part, Army
                                                units to which they are assigned.                                                                             Regulation 290–5, and Department of
                                                                                                        relationships to the decedent is
                                                   (3) In the case of a member of the
                                                                                                        governed by seniority (age), older                    the Army Pamphlet 290–5. The
                                                Army National Guard or Air National
                                                                                                        having higher priority than younger.                  development, maintenance,
                                                Guard of any State, duty (other than
                                                                                                        Equal relationship situations include                 administration, and operation of Army
                                                full-time duty) under 32 U.S.C. 316,
                                                                                                        those involving divorced parents of the               National Military Cemeteries are not
                                                502, 503, 504 or 505 or the prior                                                                             covered by this part.
                                                                                                        decedent, children of the decedent, and
                                                corresponding provisions of law.                                                                                (b) Applicability. This part is
                                                                                                        siblings of the decedent.
                                                   (4) This term does not include:                                                                            applicable to all persons seeking
                                                                                                           Reserve component. The Army
                                                   (i) Work or study performed in                                                                             interment or inurnment in Army Post
                                                                                                        Reserve, the Navy Reserve, the Marine
                                                connection with correspondence                                                                                Cemeteries.
                                                                                                        Corps Reserve, the Air Force Reserve,
                                                courses,
                                                                                                        the Coast Guard Reserve, the Army
                                                   (ii) Attendance at an educational                                                                          § 553.40   Assignment of gravesites or
                                                                                                        National Guard of the United States, and
                                                institution in an inactive status, or                                                                         niches.
                                                   (iii) Duty performed as a temporary                  the Air National Guard of the United
                                                                                                                                                                 (a) All eligible persons will be
                                                member of the Coast Guard Reserve.                      States.
                                                                                                           Spouse, former spouse, subsequently                assigned gravesites or niches without
                                                   Interment. The ground burial of                                                                            discrimination as to race, color, sex,
                                                                                                        remarried spouse.—(1) Spouse. A
                                                casketed or cremated human remains.                                                                           religion, age, or national origin and
                                                   Inurnment. The placement of                          person who is legally married to another
                                                                                                        person.                                               without preference to military grade or
                                                cremated human remains in a niche.                                                                            rank.
                                                                                                           (2) Former spouse. A person who was
                                                   Media. Individuals and agencies that                                                                          (b) Army Cemeteries will enforce a
                                                                                                        legally married to another person at one
                                                print, broadcast, or gather and transmit                                                                      one-gravesite-per-family policy. Once
                                                                                                        time but was not legally married to that
                                                news, and their reporters,                                                                                    the initial interment or inurnment is
                                                                                                        person at the time of one of their deaths.
                                                photographers, and employees.                                                                                 made in a gravesite or niche, each
                                                                                                           (3) Subsequently remarried spouse. A
                                                   Minor child. See child.                                                                                    additional interment or inurnment of
                                                                                                        derivatively eligible spouse who was
                                                   Niche. An above ground space                                                                               eligible persons must be made in the
                                                                                                        married to the primarily eligible person
                                                constructed specifically for the                                                                              same gravesite or niche, except as noted
                                                                                                        at the time of the primarily eligible
                                                placement of cremated human remains.                                                                          in paragraph (f) of this section. This
                                                   Parent. A natural parent, a stepparent,              person’s death and who subsequently
                                                                                                        remarried another person.                             includes multiple primarily eligible
                                                a parent by adoption, or a person who                                                                         persons if they are married to each
                                                                                                           State capital crime. Under State law,
                                                for a period of not less than one year                                                                        other.
                                                                                                        the willful, deliberate, or premeditated
                                                stood in loco parentis, or was granted                                                                           (c) A gravesite reservation will be
                                                                                                        unlawful killing of another human being
                                                legal custody by a court decree or                                                                            honored if the gravesite was properly
                                                                                                        for which a sentence of imprisonment
                                                statutory provision.                                                                                          reserved before May 1, 1975.
                                                                                                        for life or the death penalty may be
                                                   Permanently dependent child. See                                                                              (d) The commander responsible for an
                                                                                                        imposed.
                                                child.                                                                                                        Army cemetery may cancel a gravesite
                                                                                                           Subsequently recovered remains.
                                                   Person authorized to direct                                                                                reservation:
                                                                                                        Additional remains belonging to the
                                                disposition. The person primarily                                                                                (1) Upon determination that a
                                                                                                        decedent that are recovered or identified
                                                entitled to direct disposition of human                                                                       derivatively eligible spouse has
                                                                                                        after the decedent’s interment or
                                                remains and who elects to exercise that                                                                       remarried;
                                                                                                        inurnment.
                                                entitlement. Determination of such                         Subsequently remarried spouse. See                    (2) Upon determination that the
                                                entitlement shall be made in accordance                 spouse.                                               remains of the person having the
                                                with applicable law and regulations.                       Subversive activity. Actions                       gravesite reservation have been buried
                                                   Personal representative. A person                    constituting subversive activity are                  elsewhere or otherwise disposed of;
                                                who has legal authority to act on behalf                those defined in applicable provisions                   (3) Upon determination that the
                                                of another through applicable law,                      of federal law.                                       person having the gravesite reservation
                                                order, and regulation.                                     Unmarried adult child. See child.                  desires to or will be interred in the same
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                                                   Primarily eligible person. Any person                   Veteran. A person who served in the                gravesite with the predeceased, and
                                                who is entitled to interment or                         U.S. Armed Forces and who was                         doing so is feasible; or
                                                inurnment based on his or her service                   discharged or released under honorable                   (4) Upon determination that the
                                                as specified in §§ 553.39 through                       conditions.                                           person having the gravesite reservation
                                                553.41.                                                                                                       would be 120 years of age and there is
                                                   Primary next of kin. (1) In the absence              § 553.37    Purpose.                                  no record of correspondence with the
                                                of a valid written document from the                      This part specifies the eligibility for             person having the gravesite reservation
                                                decedent identifying the primary next of                interment and inurnment in the twenty-                within the last two decades.


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                                                                      Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 205 / Tuesday, October 23, 2018 / Proposed Rules                                            53417

                                                   (e) In cases of reservations where                     (1) DD Form 214 (issued by all                         (3) A statement from someone with
                                                more than one gravesite was reserved                    military services since January 1, 1950),             direct knowledge demonstrating the
                                                (on the basis of the veteran’s eligibility              Certificate of Release or Discharge from              following factors:
                                                at the time the reservation was made),                  Active Duty or any other DD Form that                    (i) The deceased lived most of his or
                                                the gravesite reservations will be                      shows service or discharge information);              her adult life with one or either parents,
                                                honored only if the decedents continue                    (2) WD AGO 53, 55 or 53–55, Enlisted                one or both of whom are otherwise
                                                to meet the eligibility criteria for                    Record and Report of Separation                       eligible for interment;
                                                interment in Army Post Cemeteries that                  Honorable Discharge;                                     (ii) The decedent’s children, siblings,
                                                is in effect at the time of need, and the                 (3) WD AGO 53–98, Military Record                   or other family members, other than the
                                                reserved gravesite is available.                        and Report of Separation Certificate of               eligible parent, waive any derivative
                                                   (f) Gravesites or niches shall not be                Service or any other WD AGO/AGO                       claim to be interred at the Army Post
                                                reserved or assigned prior to the time of               Form that shows service or discharge                  Cemetery in question, in accordance
                                                need.                                                   information;                                          with DA Form 2386 (Agreement for
                                                   (g) The selection of gravesites and                    (4) NGB 22, Report of Separation and                Interment).
                                                niches is the responsibility of the                     Record of Service, Departments of the                    (h) Veterans or primary next of kin of
                                                Cemetery Responsible Official. The                      Army and the Air Force, National Guard                deceased veterans may obtain copies of
                                                selection of specific gravesites or niches              Bureau (must indicate a minimum of 20                 their military records by writing to the
                                                by the family or other representatives of               years total service for pay);                         National Personnel Records Center,
                                                the deceased at any time is prohibited.                   (5) ADJ 545, Discharge Certificate or               Attention: Military Personnel Records, 1
                                                                                                        Army DS ODF, Honorable Discharge                      Archives Drive, St. Louis, Missouri
                                                § 553.41   Proof of eligibility.
                                                                                                        from the United States Army;                          63138 or using their website: http://
                                                  (a) The personal representative or                      (6) Bureau of Investigation No. 6, 53               www.archives.gov/veterans/. All others
                                                primary next of kin is responsible for                  or 118, Discharge Certificate or Bureau               may request a record by completing and
                                                providing appropriate documentation to                  of Investigation No. 213, Discharge from              submitting Standard Form 180.
                                                verify the decedent’s eligibility for                   U.S. Naval Reserve Force;                                (i) The burden of proving eligibility
                                                interment or inurnment.                                   (7) VA Adjudication 545, Summary of                 lies with the party who requests the
                                                  (b) The personal representative or                    Record of Active Service or any other                 burial. Commanders of these cemeteries
                                                primary next of kin must certify in                     VA/GSA/NAR/NA Form that shows
                                                writing that the decedent is not                                                                              or their Cemetery Responsible Officials
                                                                                                        service or discharge information;                     will determine whether the submitted
                                                prohibited from interment or inurnment                    (8) NAVPERS–553, Notice of
                                                under § 553.46 because he or she has                                                                          evidence is sufficient to support a
                                                                                                        Separation from U.S. Naval Service;                   finding of eligibility.
                                                not committed or has not been                             (9) NAVMC 70–PD, Honorable
                                                convicted of a Federal or State capital                 Discharge, U.S. Marine Corps or any                   § 553.42 General rules governing eligibility
                                                crime or is not a convicted Tier III sex                other NAVPERS/NAVCG/NAVMC/                            for interment or inurnment in Army Post
                                                offender.                                               NMC/Form No. 6 U.S.N./Navy (no                        Cemeteries.
                                                  (c) For service members who die on                    number) Form that shows service or                      (a) Only those persons who meet the
                                                active duty, a statement of honorable                                                                         criteria of § 553.43 or are granted an
                                                                                                        discharge information; or;
                                                service from a general court martial                      (10) DD Form 1300, Report of                        exception to policy pursuant to § 553.49
                                                convening authority is required. If the                 Casualty (required in the case of death               may be interred in the twenty-five Army
                                                certificate of honorable service cannot                 of an active duty service member).                    Post Cemeteries. Only those persons
                                                be granted, the service member is                         (f) In addition to the documents                    who meet the criteria of § 553.44 or are
                                                ineligible for interment or inurnment                   otherwise required by this section, a                 granted an exception to policy pursuant
                                                pursuant to § 553.46(b).                                request for interment or inurnment of a               to § 553.49 may be interred or inurned
                                                  (d) When applicable, the following                                                                          in the West Point Cemetery. Only those
                                                                                                        subsequently remarried spouse must be
                                                documents are required:                                                                                       persons who meet the criteria of
                                                  (1) Death certificate;                                accompanied by:
                                                  (2) Proof of eligibility as required by                 (1) A notarized statement from the                  § 553.45 may be interred in the U.S.
                                                paragraphs (e) through (g) of this                      new spouse of the subsequently                        Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery.
                                                                                                        remarried spouse agreeing to the                        (b) Derivative eligibility for interment
                                                section;
                                                  (3) Any additional documentation to                   interment or inurnment and                            or inurnment may be established only
                                                establish the decedent’s eligibility (e.g.,             relinquishing any claim for interment or              through a decedent’s connection to a
                                                marriage certificate, birth certificate,                inurnment in the same gravesite or                    primarily eligible person and not to
                                                waivers, statements that the decedent                   niche.                                                another derivatively eligible person.
                                                had no children);                                         (2) Notarized statement(s) from all of                (c) No veteran is eligible for
                                                  (4) Burial agreement;                                 the children from the prior marriage                  interment, inurnment, or
                                                  (5) A certificate of cremation or                     agreeing to the interment or inurnment                memorialization in an Army Post
                                                notarized statement attesting to the                    of their parents in the same gravesite or             Cemetery (except for the U.S.
                                                authenticity of the cremated human                      niche.                                                Disciplinary Cemetery) unless the
                                                remains and that 100% of the cremated                     (g) In addition to the documents                    veteran’s last period of active duty
                                                remains received from the crematorium                   otherwise required by this section, a                 ended with an honorable discharge. A
                                                are present. The Cemetery Responsible                   request for interment or inurnment of a               general discharge under honorable
                                                Official may, however, allow a portion                  permanently dependent child must be                   conditions is not sufficient for
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                                                of the cremated remains to be removed                   accompanied by:                                       interment, inurnment or
                                                by the crematorium for the sole purpose                   (1) A notarized statement as to the                 memorialization in an Army Post
                                                of producing commemorative items.                       marital status and degree of dependency               Cemetery.
                                                  (6) Any other document as required                    of the decedent from an individual with                 (d) For purposes of determining
                                                by the Cemetery Responsible Official.                   direct knowledge; and                                 whether a service member has received
                                                  (e) The following documents may be                      (2) A physician’s statement regarding               an honorable discharge, final
                                                used to establish the eligibility of a                  the nature and duration of the physical               determinations regarding discharges
                                                primarily eligible person:                              or mental disability; and                             made in accordance with procedures


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                                                53418                 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 205 / Tuesday, October 23, 2018 / Proposed Rules

                                                established by chapter 79 of title 10,                     (1) The spouse of a primarily eligible             of honorable service for active duty
                                                United States Code, will be considered                  person who is or will be interred in an               deaths.
                                                authoritative.                                          Army Post Cemetery in the same grave                     (a) Primarily eligible persons for
                                                   (e) The Executive Director has the                   as the spouse. A former spouse of a                   interment or inurnment. The following
                                                authority to act on requests for                        primarily eligible person is not eligible             are primarily eligible persons for
                                                exceptions to the provisions of the                     for interment in an Army Post Cemetery                purposes of interment or inurnment:
                                                interment, inurnment, and                               under this section.                                      (1) A graduate of the USMA, provided
                                                memorialization eligibility policies                       (2) A subsequently remarried spouse                the individual was a U.S. citizen, both
                                                contained in this part. The Executive                   of a primarily eligible person who is                 as a cadet and at the time of death, and
                                                Director may delegate this authority on                 remarried at the time of need, provided               whose military service fulfilled one of
                                                such terms deemed appropriate.                          that there are no children from any                   the following criteria.
                                                   (f) Individuals who do not qualify as                subsequent marriage; that all children                   (i) The graduate’s service in the
                                                a primarily eligible person or a                        from the prior marriage to the primarily              Armed Forces of the United States, if
                                                derivatively eligible person, but who are               eligible person agree to the interment                any, terminated honorably.
                                                granted an exception to policy to be                    and relinquish any claim for interment                   (ii) The graduate’s service in wartime
                                                interred or inurned pursuant to § 553.49                in the same gravesite in a notarized                  in the Armed Forces of a nation that was
                                                in a new gravesite or niche, will be                    statement(s); and that the new spouse, if             allied with the United States during the
                                                treated as a primarily eligible person for              still living and married to the                       war terminated honorably.
                                                purposes of this part.                                  subsequently remarried spouse, agrees                    (2) Members of the Armed Forces of
                                                   (g) Notwithstanding any other section                to the interment and relinquishes any                 the United States, including USMA
                                                in this part, memorialization with an                   claim for interment. The Cemetery                     cadets, who were on active duty at the
                                                individual memorial marker, interment,                  Responsible Official may cancel the                   USMA at time of death and their
                                                or inurnment in an Army Post Cemetery                   subsequently remarried spouse’s                       derivatively eligible person dependents
                                                is prohibited if there is a gravesite,                  gravesite reservation, if any, consistent             who may have died while the service
                                                niche, or individual memorial marker                    with § 553.40, and place the                          member was on active duty at the
                                                for the decedent in any other                           subsequently remarried spouse’s                       USMA.
                                                Government-operated cemetery or the                     remains in the same gravesite as the                     (3) Members of the Armed Forces of
                                                Government has provided an individual                   primarily eligible person.                            the United States who were on active
                                                grave marker, individual memorial                          (3) The spouse of an active duty                   duty at the USMA at time of retirement.
                                                                                                        service member or an eligible veteran,                   (4) Members of the Armed Forces of
                                                marker or niche cover for placement in
                                                                                                        who was:                                              the United States whose last active duty
                                                a private cemetery.
                                                                                                                                                              station prior to retirement for physical
                                                                                                           (i) Lost or buried at sea, temporarily
                                                § 553.43 Eligibility for interment and                                                                        disability was the USMA. However,
                                                                                                        interred overseas due to action by the
                                                inurnment in Army Post Cemeteries.                                                                            personnel (not otherwise eligible) who
                                                                                                        Government, or officially determined to
                                                   Only those who qualify as a primarily                                                                      are transferred to the Medical Holding
                                                                                                        be missing in action;
                                                eligible person or a derivatively eligible                                                                    Detachment, Keller Army Hospital, for
                                                                                                           (ii) Buried in a U.S. military cemetery
                                                person are eligible for interment and                                                                         medical boarding or medical disability
                                                                                                        maintained by the American Battle
                                                inurnment in Army Post Cemeteries                                                                             retirement are not, regardless of length
                                                                                                        Monuments Commission; or
                                                (except for the West Point Cemetery),                                                                         of time, eligible for interment or
                                                                                                           (iii) Interred in Arlington National               inurnment in the West Point Cemetery
                                                unless otherwise prohibited as provided                 Cemetery as part of a group burial (the
                                                for in §§ 553.46 through 553.48,                                                                              or Columbarium.
                                                                                                        derivatively eligible spouse may not be                  (5) Officers appointed as Professors,
                                                provided that the last period of active                 buried in the group burial gravesite) and
                                                duty of the service member or veteran                                                                         USMA.
                                                                                                        the active duty service member does not                  (b) Derivatively eligible persons.
                                                ended with an honorable discharge.                      have a separate individual interment or
                                                   (a) Primarily eligible persons. The                                                                        Those connected to an individual
                                                                                                        inurnment location.                                   described in paragraph (a) of this
                                                following are primarily eligible persons                   (4) A minor child or permanently
                                                for purposes of interment:                                                                                    section through a relationship described
                                                                                                        dependent adult child of a primarily                  in § 553.43(b). Such individuals may be
                                                   (1) Any service member who dies on                   eligible person who is or will be
                                                active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces                                                                          interred or inurned if space is available
                                                                                                        interred in an Army Post Cemetery.                    in the primarily eligible person’s
                                                (except those service members serving                      (5) The parents of a minor child or a
                                                on active duty for training only), if the                                                                     gravesite or niche.
                                                                                                        permanently dependent adult child,                       (c) Temporary Restrictions. The
                                                General Courts Martial Convening                        whose remains were interred in an
                                                Authority grants a certificate of                                                                             Secretary of the Army or his designee
                                                                                                        Army Post Cemetery based on the                       may, in special circumstances, impose
                                                honorable service.                                      eligibility of a parent at the time of the            temporary restrictions on the eligibility
                                                   (2) Any veteran retired from a Reserve               child’s death, unless eligibility of a                standards for the USMA cemetery. If
                                                component who served a period of                        parent is lost through divorce from the               temporary restrictions are imposed, they
                                                active duty (other than for training), is               primarily eligible parent.                            will be reviewed annually to ensure the
                                                carried on the official retired list, and is
                                                                                                                                                              special circumstances remain valid for
                                                entitled to receive military retired pay.               § 553.44 Eligibility for interment and
                                                                                                        inurnment in the West Point Post Cemetery.            retaining the temporary restrictions.
                                                   (3) Any veteran retired from active
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                                                military service and entitled to receive                  The following persons are eligible for              § 553.45 Eligibility for interment in U.S.
                                                military retired pay.                                   interment and inurnment in the West                   Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery at Fort
                                                   (b) Derivatively eligible persons. The               Point Post Cemetery, unless otherwise                 Leavenworth.
                                                following individuals are derivatively                  prohibited as provided for in §§ 553.46                 (a) Military prisoners who die while
                                                eligible persons for purposes of                        through 553.48, provided that the last                in Military custody and are not claimed
                                                interment who may be interred if space                  period of active duty of the service                  by the person authorized to direct
                                                is available in the gravesite of the                    member or veteran ended with an                       disposition of remains or other persons
                                                primarily eligible person:                              honorable discharge or characterization               legally authorized to dispose of remains


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                                                                      Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 205 / Tuesday, October 23, 2018 / Proposed Rules                                           53419

                                                are permitted to be interred in the U.S.                the service member’s chain of command                 who has been convicted of a Federal or
                                                Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery. All                     determines that there is clear and                    State crime causing the person to be a
                                                decisions for interment in the U.S.D.B.                 convincing evidence that the service                  Tier III sex offender for purposes of the
                                                Cemetery will be made by the Executive                  member engaged in conduct that would                  Sex Offender Registration and
                                                Director, ANMC.                                         have resulted in a separation or                      Notification Act, who for such crime is
                                                  (b) Other persons approved by the                     discharge not characterized as an                     sentenced to a minimum of life
                                                Executive Director.                                     honorable discharge (e.g., a separation               imprisonment and whose conviction is
                                                                                                        or discharge under general but                        final (other than a person whose
                                                § 553.46 Ineligibility for interment,
                                                                                                        honorable conditions, other than                      sentence was commuted by the
                                                inurnment, or memorialization in an Army
                                                Post Cemetery.                                          honorable conditions, a bad conduct                   President or the Governor of a State, as
                                                                                                        discharge, a dishonorable discharge, or               the case may be).
                                                   The following persons are not eligible                                                                        (b) Notice. The Executive Director is
                                                                                                        a dismissal) being imposed, but for the
                                                for interment, inurnment, or                                                                                  designated as the Secretary of the
                                                                                                        death of the service member.
                                                memorialization in an Army Post                           (j) If animal remains are                           Army’s representative authorized to
                                                Cemetery:                                               unintentionally commingled with                       receive from the appropriate Federal or
                                                   (a) A father, mother, brother, sister, or            human remains due to a natural                        State officials notification of conviction
                                                in-law solely on the basis of his or her                disaster, unforeseen accident, act of war             of capital crimes referred to in this
                                                relationship to a primarily eligible                    or terrorism, violent explosion, or                   section.
                                                person, even though the individual is:                  similar incident, and such remains                       (c) Confirmation of person’s
                                                   (1) Dependent on the primarily                                                                             eligibility. (1) If notice has not been
                                                                                                        cannot be separated from the remains of
                                                eligible person for support; or                                                                               received, but the Executive Director has
                                                                                                        an eligible person, then the remains may
                                                   (2) A member of the primarily eligible                                                                     reason to believe that the person may
                                                                                                        be interred or inurned with the eligible
                                                person’s household.                                                                                           have been convicted of a Federal capital
                                                                                                        person, but the identity of the animal
                                                   (b) Except for the U.S. Disciplinary
                                                                                                        remains shall not be inscribed or                     crime or a State capital crime, the
                                                Barracks Cemetery in § 553.45, a person
                                                                                                        identified on a niche, marker,                        Executive Director shall seek written
                                                whose last period of service was not
                                                                                                        headstone, or otherwise.                              confirmation from:
                                                characterized as an honorable discharge                                                                          (i) The Attorney General of the United
                                                (e.g., a separation or discharge under                  § 553.47 Prohibition of interment,                    States, with respect to a suspected
                                                general but honorable conditions, other                 inurnment, or memorialization in an Army
                                                                                                                                                              Federal capital crime; or
                                                than honorable conditions, a bad                        Cemetery of persons who have committed
                                                                                                                                                                 (ii) An appropriate State official, with
                                                conduct discharge, a dishonorable                       certain crimes.
                                                                                                                                                              respect to a suspected State capital
                                                discharge, or a dismissal), regardless of                 (a) Prohibition. Notwithstanding                    crime.
                                                whether the person:                                     §§ 553.43 through 553.45, and pursuant                   (2) The Executive Director will defer
                                                   (1) Received any other veterans’                     to 10 U.S.C. 985 and 38 U.S.C. 2411, the              the decision on whether to inter, inurn,
                                                benefits; or                                            interment or inurnment in an Army                     or memorialize a decedent until a
                                                   (2) Was treated at a Department of                   Cemetery of any of the following                      written response is received.
                                                Veterans Affairs hospital or died in such               persons is prohibited:                                   (c) Due diligence. Army Post
                                                a hospital.                                               (1) Any person identified in writing to             Cemetery Superintendents and
                                                   (c) A person who has volunteered for                 the Executive Director by the Attorney                Commanders who have cemeteries for
                                                service with the U.S. Armed Forces, but                 General of the United States, prior to his            which they are responsible will make
                                                has not yet entered on active duty.                     or her interment or inurnment as a                    every effort to determine if the decedent
                                                   (d) A former spouse whose marriage                   person who has been convicted of a                    is ineligible in accordance with 10
                                                to the primarily eligible person ended in               Federal capital crime and whose                       U.S.C. 985 and 38 U.S.C. 2411. For
                                                divorce.                                                conviction is final (other than a person              those determined ineligible due to the
                                                   (e) A spouse who predeceases the                     whose sentence was commuted by the                    provisions of these sections,
                                                primarily eligible person and is interred               President).                                           commanders will submit their
                                                or inurned in a location other than an                    (2) Any person identified in writing to             determinations in writing to the
                                                Army Cemetery, and the primarily                        the Executive Director by an appropriate              Executive Director for validation.
                                                eligible person remarries.                              State official, prior to his or her
                                                   (f) A divorced spouse of a primarily                 interment or inurnment as a person who                § 553.48 Findings concerning the
                                                eligible person or the service-connected                has been convicted of a State capital                 commission of certain crimes where a
                                                parent when the divorced spouse has a                   crime and whose conviction is final                   person has not been convicted due to death
                                                child interred or inurned in an Army                    (other than a person whose sentence                   or flight to avoid prosecution.
                                                Cemetery under the child’s derivative                   was commuted by the Governor of the                      (a) Preliminary Inquiry. If the
                                                eligibility.                                            State).                                               Executive Director has reason to believe
                                                   (g) Otherwise derivatively eligible                    (3) Any person found under                          that a decedent may have committed a
                                                persons, such as a spouse or minor                      procedures specified in § 553.48 to have              Federal capital crime or a State capital
                                                child, if the primarily eligible person                 committed a Federal or State capital                  crime but has not been convicted of
                                                was not or will not be interred or                      crime, but who has not been convicted                 such crime by reason of such person not
                                                inurned at an Army Cemetery.                            of such crime by reason of such person                being available for trial due to death or
                                                   (h) A person convicted in a Federal                  not being available for trial due to death            flight to avoid prosecution, the
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                                                court or by a court-martial of any                      or flight to avoid prosecution. Notice                Executive Director shall submit the
                                                offense involving subversive activity or                from officials is not required for this               issue to the Army General Counsel. The
                                                an offense described in 18 U.S.C. 1751                  prohibition to apply.                                 Army General Counsel or his or her
                                                (except for military prisoners at the U.S.                (4) Any person identified in writing to             designee shall initiate a preliminary
                                                Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery.)                        the Executive Director by the Attorney                inquiry seeking information from
                                                   (i) A service member who dies while                  General of the United States or by an                 Federal, State, or local law enforcement
                                                on active duty, if the first General                    appropriate State official, prior to his or           officials, or other sources of potentially
                                                Courts Martial Convening Authority in                   her interment or inurnment as a person                relevant information.


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                                                53420                 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 205 / Tuesday, October 23, 2018 / Proposed Rules

                                                   (b) Decision after Preliminary Inquiry.                 (6) The hearing shall be appropriately             the Executive Director, Army National
                                                If, after conducting the preliminary                    recorded. Upon request, a copy of the                 Military Cemeteries.
                                                inquiry described in paragraph (a) of                   record shall be provided to the personal              Karen L. Durham-Aguilera,
                                                this section, the Army General Counsel                  representative.
                                                                                                                                                              Executive Director.
                                                or designee determines that credible                       (f) Final Determination. After
                                                evidence exists suggesting the decedent                                                                       [FR Doc. 2018–22968 Filed 10–22–18; 8:45 am]
                                                                                                        considering the hearing officer’s report,             BILLING CODE 5001–03–P
                                                may have committed a Federal capital
                                                                                                        the opinion of the Army General
                                                crime or State capital crime, then
                                                                                                        Counsel or his or her designee, and any
                                                further proceedings under this section
                                                                                                        additional information submitted by the               FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
                                                are warranted to determine whether the
                                                                                                        personal representative, the Secretary of             COMMISSION
                                                decedent committed such crime.
                                                Consequently the Army General                           the Army or his or her designee shall
                                                Counsel or his or her designee shall                    determine the decedent’s eligibility for              47 CFR Part 54
                                                present the personal representative with                interment, inurnment, or                              [WC Docket No. 10–90; DA 18–1013]
                                                a written notification of such                          memorialization. This determination is
                                                preliminary determination and a dated,                  final and not appealable.                             Pleading Cycle Established for
                                                written notice of the personal                             (1) The determination shall be based               Petitions for Reconsideration of the
                                                representative’s procedural options.                    on evidence that supports or                          Performance Measures Order
                                                   (c) Notice and Procedural Options.                   undermines a conclusion that the                      AGENCY: Federal Communications
                                                The notice of procedural options shall                  decedent’s actions satisfied the elements             Commission.
                                                indicate that, within fifteen days, the                 of the crime as established by the law                ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
                                                personal representative may:                            of the jurisdiction in which the
                                                   (1) Request a hearing;                               decedent would have been prosecuted.                  SUMMARY:    In this document, the
                                                   (2) Withdraw the request for                                                                               Wireline Competition Bureau
                                                                                                           (2) If an affirmative defense is offered
                                                interment, inurnment, or                                                                                      establishes a pleading cycle for Petitions
                                                                                                        by the decedent’s personal
                                                memorialization; or                                                                                           for Reconsideration of the Performance
                                                                                                        representative, a determination as to                 Measures Order.
                                                   (3) Do nothing, in which case the
                                                                                                        whether the defense was met shall be
                                                request for interment, inurnment, or                                                                          DATES: Oppositions due November 7,
                                                memorialization will be considered to                   made according to the law of the
                                                                                                                                                              2018 and replies due November 19,
                                                have been withdrawn.                                    jurisdiction in which the decedent                    2018.
                                                   (d) Time computation. The fifteen-day                would have been prosecuted.
                                                                                                                                                              ADDRESSES: All pleadings are to
                                                time period begins on the calendar day                     (3) Mitigating evidence shall not be               reference WC Docket No. 10–90.
                                                immediately following the earlier of the                considered.                                           Oppositions and replies may be filed
                                                day the notice of procedural options is                    (4) The opinion of the local, State, or            using the Commission’s Electronic
                                                delivered in person to the personal                     Federal prosecutor as to whether he or                Comment Filing System (ECFS), or by
                                                representative or is sent by U.S.                       she would have brought charges against                filing paper copies:
                                                registered mail or, if available, by                    the decedent had the decedent been                       • Electronic Filers: Oppositions and
                                                electronic means to the personal                        available is relevant but not binding and             replies may be filed electronically using
                                                representative. It ends at midnight on                  shall be given no more weight than                    the internet by accessing the ECFS:
                                                the fifteenth day. The period includes                  other facts presented.                                http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/.
                                                weekends and holidays.                                                                                           • Paper Filers: Parties who choose to
                                                   (e) Hearing. The purpose of the                         (g) Notice of Decision. The Executive              file by paper must file an original and
                                                hearing is to allow the personal                        Director shall provide written                        one copy of each filing. Filings can be
                                                representative to present additional                    notification of the Secretary’s decision              sent by hand or messenger delivery, by
                                                information regarding whether the                       to the personal representative.                       commercial overnight courier, or by
                                                decedent committed a Federal capital                                                                          first-class or overnight U.S. Postal
                                                                                                        § 553.49 Exceptions to policies for
                                                crime or a State capital crime. In lieu of              interment or inurnment at Army Post
                                                                                                                                                              Service mail. All filings must be
                                                making a personal appearance at the                     Cemeteries.                                           addressed to the Commission’s
                                                hearing, the personal representative may                                                                      Secretary, Office of the Secretary,
                                                submit relevant documents for                              (a) Requests for exceptions to policy              Federal Communications Commission.
                                                consideration.                                          will be made by the Executive Director,                  • People with Disabilities: To request
                                                   (1) If a hearing is requested, the Army              Army National Military Cemeteries.                    materials in accessible formats for
                                                General Counsel or his or her designee                     (b) Eligibility standards for interment            people with disabilities (Braille, large
                                                shall conduct the hearing.                              and inurnment are based on honorable                  print, electronic files, audio format),
                                                   (2) The hearing shall be conducted in                military service. Exceptions to the                   send an email to fcc504@fcc.gov or call
                                                an informal manner.                                     eligibility standards are rarely granted.             the Consumer & Governmental Affairs
                                                   (3) The rules of evidence shall not                  When granted, exceptions are for those                Bureau at (202) 418–0530 (voice), (202)
                                                apply.                                                  persons who have made significant                     418–0432 (TTY).
                                                   (4) The personal representative and                                                                           For detailed instructions for
                                                                                                        contributions that directly and
                                                witnesses may appear, at no expense to                                                                        submitting oppositions or replies see the
                                                                                                        substantially benefited the U.S. military.
khammond on DSK30JT082PROD with PROPOSAL




                                                the Government, and shall, at the                                                                             SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of
                                                discretion of the hearing officer, testify                 (c) Requests for an exception to the               this document.
                                                under oath. Oaths must be administered                  interment or inurnment eligibility                    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                                by a person who possesses the legal                     policies shall be considered only after               Stephen Wang, Wireline Competition
                                                authority to administer oaths.                          the individual’s death.                               Bureau, (202) 418–7400 or TTY: (202)
                                                   (5) The Army General Counsel or                         (d) Procedures for submitting requests             418–0484.
                                                designee shall consider any and all                     for exceptions to policy for interment                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a
                                                relevant information obtained.                          and inurnment will be established by                  summary of the Commission’s


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Document Created: 2018-10-23 04:14:55
Document Modified: 2018-10-23 04:14:55
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionProposed Rules
ActionProposed rule.
DatesConsideration will be given to all comments received by December 24, 2018.
ContactMr. Randall Keel, Army National Military Cemeteries, 703-614-6314.
FR Citation83 FR 53412 
RIN Number0702-AA80
CFR AssociatedArmed Forces; Armed Forces Reserves; Cemeteries; Government Property; Military Personnel; Monuments and Memorials and Veterans

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