HB 516

Abstract

Creates the Disposition of Veterans' Cremains Act. Provides that a funeral director must make a reasonable effort to determine whether a deceased person, whose remains have been submitted for final disposition by cremation, was a veteran of the armed services ("veteran"), a spouse of a veteran, or the dependent child of a veteran. If there is uncertainty regarding the deceased person's status and no authorizing agent exists, the funeral director may allow the National Cemetery Administration's National Cemetery Scheduling Office, any veterans organization whose primary purpose is to locate, identify, and inter the unclaimed cremains of American veterans, or any federally-chartered veterans service organization to have access to the cremains and all information regarding the deceased person in the possession of the funeral director so that the deceased person's status may be determined. If the deceased person is identified as a veteran, spouse of a veteran, or dependent child of a veteran, requires the funeral director to notify the authorizing agent over the disposal of the cremains that the decedent may be eligible to be interred at a veterans' cemetery. Provides that if the cremains are not claimed by an authorizing agent after one year and the authorizing agent then fails to respond within 30 days to the funeral director's written request for disposition instructions, the funeral director must then contact any veterans organization whose primary purpose is to locate, identify, and inter the unclaimed cremains of American veterans or any federally-chartered veterans service organization so that arrangements for the disposition of the cremains of the veteran, spouse of a veteran, or dependent child of a veteran may be made in a state or national veterans' cemetery. Provides that a funeral director complying with this Act is immune from any criminal or civil liability regarding the release of information relative to the determination of the status as a veteran or any available interment as a veteran or for the release of the cremains to a veterans' cemetery. Effective immediately.