3.1604—Payments from non-Department of Veterans Affairs sources.
(a) Contributions or payments by public or private organizations.
When contributions or payments on the burial expenses have been made by a state, any agency or political subdivision of the United States or of a State or the employer of the deceased veteran only the difference between the entire burial expenses and the amount paid thereon by any of these agencies or organizations, not to exceed the applicable statutory burial allowance, will be authorized. Contributions or payments by any other public or private organization such as a lodge, union, fraternal or beneficial organization, society, burial association or insurance company, will bar payment of the burial allowance if such allowance would revert to the funds of such organization or would discharge such organization's obligation without payment.
(1)
A contract or policy which provides for payment at death of a specified amount to a designated beneficiary other than the person rendering burial and funeral services will not bar payment of the burial allowance to the beneficiary even though the organization issuing the contract or policy retains an option to make payment direct to the person rendering burial and funeral services.
(2)
The provisions of this paragraph do not apply to contributions or payments on the burial and funeral expenses which are made for humanitarian reasons if the organization making the contribution or payment is under no legal obligation to do so.
(b) Payment by Federal agency.
(1)
Where a veteran dies while in employment covered by the United States Employees' Compensation Act, as amended, or other similar laws specifically providing for payment of the expenses of funeral, transportation, and interment out of Federal funds, burial allowance will not be authorized by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(2)
A provision in any Federal law or regulation permitting the application of funds due or accrued to the credit of the deceased toward the expenses of funeral, transportation and interment (such as Social Security benefits), as distinguished from a provision specifically prescribing a definite allowance for such purpose, will not bar payment of the burial allowance. In such cases only the difference between the total burial expense and the amount paid thereon under such provision, not to exceed the amount specified in 38 U.S.C. 2302, will be authorized.
(3)
Burial allowance is not payable for deaths in active service, or during the duty periods set forth in § 3.6, or for other deaths where the cost of burial and transportation is paid by the service department.
(c)
Payment of plot or interment allowance by public or private organization except as provided for by § 3.1604 (d ). Where any part of the plot or interment expenses has been paid or assumed by a state, any agency or political subdivision of a State, or the employer of the deceased veteran, only the difference between the total amount of such expenses and the amount paid or assumed by any of these agencies or organizations, not to exceed the statutory plot or interment allowance, will be authorized.
(d) Payment of the plot or interment allowance to a State or political subdivision thereof—
(1) Conditions warranting payment.
All of the following conditions must be met:
(i)
The plot or interment allowance is payable based on the deceased veteran's eligibility for burial in a national cemetery (or, in claims filed prior to December 16, 2003, the deceased veteran's service). See § 38.620 of this chapter.
(ii)
The deceased veteran is buried in a cemetery or a section thereof which is used solely for the interment of persons who are eligible for burial in a national cemetery or who, with respect to persons dying on or after November 1, 2000, were at the time of death members of a reserve component of the Armed Forces not otherwise eligible for such burial or were former members of such a reserve component not otherwise eligible for such burial who were discharged or released from service under conditions other than dishonorable.
(iii)
The cemetery or the section thereof where the veteran is buried is owned by the State, or an agency or political subdivision of the State claiming the plot or interment allowance.
(iv)
No charge is made by the State, or an agency or political subdivision of the State for the cost of the plot or interment.
(2) Claims.
A claim for payment under this paragraph shall be executed by a State, or an agency or political subdivision of a state on a claim form prescribed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(3) Amount of the allowance.
A State or an agency or political subdivision of a state entitled to payment under this paragraph shall be paid the maximum statutory amount as a plot or interment allowance without regard to the acutal cost of the plot or interment.
(4) Priority of payment.
A claim filed under this paragraph shall take precedence in payment of the plot or interment allowance over any claim filed for the plot or interment allowance under § 3.1601(a)(2).
Code of Federal Regulations
(5)
A plot or interment allowance may be paid to a state in addition to a burial allowance under § 3.1600(a) for claims filed on or after December 16, 2003.