§ 3.1612 - Monetary allowance in lieu of a Government-furnished headstone or marker.

(a) Purpose. This section provides for the payment of a monetary allowance in lieu of furnishing a headstone or marker at Government expense under the provisions of § 1.631(a)(2) and (b) of this chapter to the person entitled to request such a headstone or marker.

(b) Eligibility for the allowance. All of the following conditions shall be met:

(1) The deceased veteran was eligible for burial in a National cemetery (See § 1.620 (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this chapter); or died under circumstances precluding the recovery or identification of the veteran's remains or the veteran's remains were buried at sea.

(2) The veteran was buried on or after October 18, 1978.

(3) The headstone or marker was purchased to mark the otherwise unmarked grave of the deceased veteran or, if death occurred prior to December 18, 1989, the veteran's identifying information was added to an existing headstone or marker.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 2306(d))

(4) The headstone or marker is for placement in a cemetery other than a National cemetery or the headstone or marker upon which the veteran's identifying information was added is situated in a cemetery other than a National cemetery.

(c) Person entitled to request a Government-furnished headstone or marker. For purposes of this monetary allowance, the term “person entitled to request a headstone or marker” includes, but is not limited to, the person who purchased the headstone or marker (or if death occurred prior to December 18, 1989, the person who paid for adding the veteran's identifying information to an existing headstone or marker), or the executor, administrator or person representing the deceased's estate.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 2306(d))

(d) Receipted bill. A receipted bill describing the headstone or marker (or the services rendered in adding the veteran's identifying information to an existing headstone or marker) date of purchase, purchase price, the amount of payment and the name of the person who made such payment, shall accompany a claim for this monetary allowance.

(e) Payment and amount of the allowance. (1) The monetary allowance is payable as reimbursement to the person entitled to request a Government-furnished headstone or marker. If funds of the deceased's estate were used to purchase the headstone or marker or, if death occurred prior to December 18, 1989, to have the deceased's identifying information added to an existing headstone or marker, and no executor or administrator has been appointed, payment may be made to a person who will make a distribution of this monetary allowance to the person or persons entitled under the laws governing the distribution of intestate estates in the State of the decedent's personal domicile.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 2306(d))

(2) The amount of the allowance payable is the lesser of the following:

(i) Actual cost of acquiring a non-Government headstone or marker or, if death occurred prior to December 18, 1989, the actual cost of adding the veteran's identifying information to an existing headstone or marker; or

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 2306(d))

(ii) The average actual cost, as determined by VA, of headstones and markers furnished at Government expense for the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year in which the non-Government marker was purchased or the services for adding the veteran's identifying information on an existing headstone or marker were purchased.

(3) The average actual cost of Government-furnished headstones and markers during any fiscal year is determined by dividing the sum of VA's costs during that fiscal year for procurement, transportation, Office of Memorial Programs and miscellaneous administration, inspection and support staff by the total number of headstones and markers procured by VA during that fiscal year and rounding to the nearest whole dollar amount. The resulting average actual cost is published at the end of each fiscal year in the “Notices” section of the Federal Register.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 2306(d))

(4) The following applies to joint or multiple headstones or markers:

(i) When a joint or multiple non-Government headstone or marker is purchased subsequent to the veteran's death, the amount set forth in paragraph (e)(2)(ii) of this section shall be available as reimbursement for the cost of the veteran's portion of the joint or multiple headstone or marker.

(ii) When a joint or multiple non-Government headstone or marker is existent at the time of the veteran's death, the allowance payable as reimbursement under paragraph (e)(2) of this section shall be determined based on the cost of the services for adding the veteran's identifying information.

(f) Payment of allowance prohibited. This monetary allowance shall not be paid when a Government headstone or marker has been requested or issued under the provisions of § 1.631 (a)(2) and (b) of this chapter.

(g) Claims. There is no time limit for filing claims for monetary allowance in lieu of a Government-furnished headstone or marker.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 2306(d))

(h) The monetary allowance in lieu of a Government-furnished headstone or marker is not payable if death occurred on or after November 1, 1990.

Pt.3, Subpt. B, Nt. Effective Date Note:

At 79 FR 32658, June 6, 2014, subpart B was revised, effective July 7, 2014. For the convenience of the user, the revised subpart B text is set forth as follows: