In an effort to prevent mix-ups at its national cemeteries, the Veterans Affairs Department has told congressional lawmakers the agency will implement new rules to govern renovation practices at gravesites.

In the future, the agency said, headstones at gravesites under renovation must be kept at the site, and cemetery officials must conduct daily inspections to ensure headstones don't get moved to a wrong gravesite.

VA officials informed Congress in November that problems with headstones at wrong gravesites had been identified.

In reviewing renovation practices at its cemeteries, the VA said it has so far discovered 249 problems at 13 cemeteries, according to a report by The Associated Press.

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