Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 237 / Friday, December 8, 2000 / Notices 77073

of the burden of the collection of

information; (c) ways to enhance the

quality, utility, and clarity of the

information to be collected; (d) ways to

minimize the burden of the collection of

information on respondents, including

through the use of automated collection

techniques or other forms of information

technology; and (e) estimates of capital

or start-up costs and costs of operation,

maintenance, and purchase of services

to provide information.

Dated: December 4, 2000.

Vicki S. Thorpe,

Manager, Graphics, Printing and Records

Branch.

[FR Doc. 00–31285 Filed 12–7–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4810–39–U

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: Public Law 104–275 was

enacted on October 9, 1996. It allowed

the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

to provide a monetary allowance

towards the private purchase of an outer

burial receptacle for use in a VA

national cemetery. Under VA regulation

(38 CFR 1.629), the allowance is equal

to the average cost of Governmentfurnished graveliners minus any

administrative costs to VA. The law

continues to provide a veteran’s

survivors with the option of selecting a

Government-furnished graveliner for

use in a VA national cemetery where

such use is authorized.

The purpose of this Notice is to notify

interested parties of the average cost of

Government-furnished graveliners,

administrative costs that relate to

processing a claim, and the amount of

the allowance payable for qualifying

interments which occurred during or

prior to calendar year 2000, but after

October 9, 1996.

DATES: The allowance rates are effective

the date this notice appears in the

Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Deanna L. Wilson, Program Analyst,

Communications Management Services

(402B1), National Cemetery

Administration, Department of Veterans

Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW.,

Washington, DC 20420. Telephone:

202–273–5154 (this is not a toll-free

number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under 38

U.S.C. 501(a) and Public Law 104–275,

section 213, VA may 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 which occur during

or prior to calendar year 2000, but after

October 9, 1996, is the average cost of

Government-furnished graveliners in

fiscal year 1999, less the administrative

costs 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 which

were procured for placement at the time

of interment and dividing it by the total

number of such graveliners procured by

VA during that fiscal year. The

calculation excludes both graveliners

procured and pre-placed in gravesites as

part of cemetery gravesite development

projects and all double-depth

graveliners. Using this method of

computation, the average cost was

determined to be $147.96 for fiscal year

1999.

The administrative costs incurred by

VA consist of those costs that relate to

processing and paying an allowance in

lieu of the Government-furnished

graveliner. These costs have been

determined to be $10.17 for calendar

year 2000.

The net allowance payable for

qualifying interments occurring during

or before calendar year 2000, therefore,

is $137.79.

Approved: October 13, 2000.

Hershel W. Gober,

Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

[FR Doc. 00–31290 Filed 12–7–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8320–01–P