Letterhead of
                         The Franklin Life Insurance Company
                                  #1 Franklin Square
                             Springfield, Illinois  62713



                                     May 6, 1996

Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.  20549

              Re:  Franklin Life Variable Annuity Fund A
              (1933 Act Registration No. 2-36394;
              1940 Act Registration No. 811-1990)
              ------------------------------------------

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         On behalf of Franklin Life Variable Annuity Fund A, a registered
investment company (the "Fund"), and in lieu of filing the Fund's Prospectus and
Statement of Additional Information under Rule 497(c) under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended, I hereby certify pursuant to Rule 497(j) that the forms of
Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information that would have been filed
under Rule 497(c) would not have differed from the Prospectus and Statement of
Additional Information contained in Post-Effective Amendment No. 42 to the
Fund's Registration Statement on Form N-3, which was filed electronically with
the Securities and Exchange Commission on or about April 30, 1996.

         If you have any questions about this filing, please contact the
undersigned at (217) 528-2011.

                                       Very truly yours,

                                       /s/ Stephen P. Horvat, Jr.

                                       Stephen P. Horvat, Jr.
                                       Senior Vice President,
                                       General Counsel and Secretary


VIA EDGAR