Statutory Increase in Operations and Maintenance Grant Funding

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending its regulations that govern Federal grants to establish, expand, improve, or operate and maintain veterans' cemeteries. This final rule implements new statutory amendments to increase the maximum amount of grants to States and Tribal Organizations to operate and maintain veterans' cemeteries as authorized by section 2206 of the "Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020" (the Act). Effective on January 5, 2021, the maximum amount of operation and maintenance grants increased from $5 million to $10 million. This final rule implements that statutory change. Additionally, VA is revising the date by which the list of approved pre-applications is prioritized for fiscal year funding from August 15 to October 1 each year.