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VA proposes to amend its regulations regarding aid for the establishment, expansion, and improvement, or operation and maintenance of Veterans cemeteries to implement new authorities provided in section 2208 of The Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020.  The Act authorizes VA to expand the use of Veterans Cemetery Grant Program (VCGP) funds to include training costs for State and Tribal cemetery personnel to participate in training provided by the National Cemetery Administration (NCA).

Statement of Need:

This rulemaking is needed for the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to amend its regulations, in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 501, to implement new authorities enacted in Section 2208 of Public Law 116-315, The Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020. That Public Law amended section 2408 of title 38, United States Code (U.S.C.).

Summary of the Legal Basis:

VA proposes to amend its regulations regarding aid for the establishment, expansion, and improvement, or operation and maintenance of Veterans cemeteries to implement new authorities provided in section 2208. The Act authorized VA to expand the use of Veterans Cemetery Grant Program (VCGP) funds to include training costs for State and Tribal cemetery personnel to participate in training provided by the National Cemetery Administration (NCA). 

Alternatives:

Because VA must implement new grants authority in regulation, there are no practical alternatives to rulemaking. Grantees can choose to apply for training grant funds or expend their own resources to send employees to attend NCA training. However, as mentioned above, because many grantees lack sufficient fiscal resources for their employees to attend NCA training, VA anticipates increased participation from grantee-cemetery employees. The proposed approach limits the number of employees the State or Tribal Organizations can have attending training and those entities will continue to have difficulty meeting the same national shrine standards and measures as VA national cemeteries.

Anticipated Costs and Benefits:

The primary benefit of this program expansion will assist VA grant-funded State and Tribal Veterans’ cemeteries in meeting NCA operational standards and measures. This includes the appearance in the key cemetery areas of cleanliness, height and alignment of headstones and markers, leveling of gravesites, and turf conditions.  VA estimates transfers of $89,916 for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 and $458,661 for FY 2023 - FY 2027.

Risks:

TBD