Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 3 / Wednesday, January 6, 2021 / Notices 705 

The purpose of the closed session is 

to provide recommendations on the 

scientific quality, budget, safety and 

mission relevance of investigatorinitiated research applications 

submitted for VA merit review 

evaluation. Applications submitted for 

review include various medical 

specialties within the general areas of 

biomedical, behavioral and clinical 

science research. The JBL/CS SMRB 

meeting will be closed to the public for 

the review, discussion, and evaluation 

of initial and renewal research 

applications, which involve reference to 

staff and consultant critiques of research 

applications. Discussions will deal with 

scientific merit of each application and 

qualifications of personnel conducting 

the studies, the disclosure of which 

would constitute a clearly unwarranted 

invasion of personal privacy. 

Additionally, premature disclosure of 

research information could significantly 

obstruct implementation of proposed 

agency action regarding the research 

applications. As provided by subsection 

10(d) of Public Law 92–463, as amended 

by Public Law 94–409, closing the 

subcommittee meetings is in accordance 

with Title 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(6) and (9)(B). 

Members of the public who wish to 

attend the open JBL/CS SMRB meeting 

should join via WebEx at: Meeting 

number (access code): 199 200 0800, 

meeting password: 2cZMnrsy?36. 

https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/

veteransaffairs/

j.php?MTID=ma78d899af04f

a76dfb51da583d406ef3. Those who 

would like to obtain a copy of the 

minutes from the closed subcommittee 

meetings and rosters of the 

subcommittee members should contact 

Pauline Cilladi-Rehrer, MSBA, 

Designated Federal Officer, (14RD), 

Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 

Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 

20420, at 202–443–5607 or at 

Pauline.Cilladi-Rehrer@va.gov. 

Dated: December 30, 2020. 

Jelessa M. Burney, 

Federal Advisory Committee Management 

Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2020–29228 Filed 1–5–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 

AFFAIRS 

Allowance for Private Purchase of an 

Outer Burial Receptacle in Lieu of a 

Government-Furnished Graveliner for 

a Grave in a VA National Cemetery 

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans 

Affairs (VA) is updating the monetary 

allowance payable for qualifying 

interments that occur during calendar 

year (CY) 2021, which applies toward 

the private purchase of an outer burial 

receptacle (or ‘‘graveliner’’) for use in a 

VA national cemetery. The allowance is 

equal to the average cost of Governmentfurnished graveliners less any VA 

administrative costs. The purpose of 

this notice is to notify interested parties 

of the average cost of Governmentfurnished graveliners; administrative 

costs that relate to processing and 

paying the allowance; and the amount 

of the allowance payable for qualifying 

interments that occur during CY 2021. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

William Carter, Chief of Budget 

Execution Division, National Cemetery 

Administration, Department of Veterans 

Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, 

Washington, DC 20420. The telephone 

number is 202–461–9764 (this is not a 

toll-free number). 

DATES: This notice is effective January 1, 

2021. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: VA is 

authorized by 38 U.S.C. 2306(e)(3) and 

(4) to provide a monetary allowance for 

the private purchase of an outer burial 

receptacle for use in a VA national 

cemetery where its use is authorized. 

The allowance for qualified interments 

that occur during CY 2021 is the average 

cost of Government-furnished 

graveliners in fiscal year (FY) 2020, less 

the administrative cost incurred by VA 

in processing and paying the allowance 

in lieu of the Government-furnished 

graveliner. 

The average cost of Governmentfurnished graveliners is determined by 

taking VA’s total cost during a fiscal 

year for single-depth graveliners that 

were procured for placement at the time 

of interment and dividing it by the total 

number of such graveliners procured by 

VA during that fiscal year. The 

calculation excludes both graveliners 

pre-placed in gravesites as part of the 

cemetery gravesite development projects 

and all double-depth graveliners. Using 

this method of computation, the average 

cost was determined to be $381.00 for 

FY 2020. 

The administrative cost is based on 

the costs incurred by VA during CY 

2020 that relate to processing and 

paying an allowance in lieu of the 

Government-furnished graveliner. This 

cost has been determined to be $9.00. 

Therefore, the allowance payable for 

qualifying interments occurring during 

CY 2021, is $372.00. 

Signing Authority 

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or 

designee, approved this document and 

authorized the undersigned to sign and 

submit the document to the Office of the 

Federal Register for publication 

electronically as an official document of 

the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Brooks D. Tucker, Assistant Secretary 

for Congressional and Legislative 

Affairs, Performing the Delegable Duties 

of the Chief of Staff, Department of 

Veterans Affairs, approved this 

document on December 31, 2020, for 

publication. 

Luvenia Potts, 

Regulation Development Coordinator, Office 

of Regulation Policy & Management, Office 

of the Secretary, Department of Veterans 

Affairs. 

[FR Doc. 2020–29302 Filed 1–5–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8320–01–P 


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