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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION
STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2nd Session of the 58th Legislature (2022)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
HOUSE BILL NO. 1067 By: Hardin (Tommy), Boles, and
Fugate of the House
and
Simpson of the Senate
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
An Act relating to veterans; creating the Dignity in
Burial Act; directing the Oklahoma Department of
Veterans Affairs to establish a program to ensure
dignified burial for certain v eterans; describing
program purpose; providing a burial grant to
reimburse certain expenses of eligible persons;
setting maximum amount of reimbursement; providing
eligibility requirements for program; requiring
Executive Director to determine final approval of
grants; directing reimbursement from Indigent Veteran
Burial Revolving Fund; providing alternate funds if
there are insufficient resources; requiring
development of application process for program;
directing Oklahoma Veterans Commission to promulgate
rules; providing for codification; and provid ing an
effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLA HOMA:
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SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 35 of Title 72, unless there is
created a duplication in numbering, reads as fo llows:
A. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Dignity in
Burial Act".
B. The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affai rs shall establish
a program to ensure a dignified bur ial for honorably discharged
veterans of the United States Armed Forces who, prior to death,
lacked the financial capac ity to prepare for or to provide for an
interment or cremation befitting a veteran of the United States
Armed Forces. The program shall aid in obtaining any available
burial benefits from t he United States Dep artment of Veterans
Affairs or through private organizations. The program shall provide
a burial grant for any veteran or any person who qualifies for
reimbursement as determined by the Oklahoma Department of Veterans
Affairs, for unpaid expenses directly resulting from interment or
cremation. The maximum amount of reimbursement, not including
private funds, shall not exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) per
application.
C. Eligibility requirements for the program shall be as
follows:
1. The deceased shall be a veteran as d efined in Section 2 of
Title 72 of the Oklahoma St atutes;
2. The veteran shall have died in Oklahoma;
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3. The veteran shall not have been in the custody of th e
Department of Corrections at the time of death ;
4. The applicant shall provide documentation establishing the
burial location of the deceased ve teran's remains in a cemetery or
the location where th e deceased veteran's cremains have been
permanently placed;
5. The applicant shall provide documentation establishing that
the deceased veteran was provided an appropria te casket if the
deceased veteran was interred; and
6. The applicant shall provide d ocumentation establishing that
the deceased veteran rece ived a proper memorial headstone or marker
at the place of his or her int erment as provided in 38 U.S.C.,
Section 2306 or that a memorial headstone or marker meeting the same
physical standards for size, material, composition, placement , and
informational content was provided in th e event the deceased veteran
did not qualify under the provisions of 38 U.S.C., Section 2306.
D. The Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of
Veterans Affairs or his or her designee shall make final approval of
the Dignity in Burial Act applications, shall determine whether the
deceased meets eligibility criteria , and may approve funds to
reimburse the costs of inte rment or cremation.
E. Reimbursement shall be paid from the Indigent Veteran
Burial Revolving Fund provided in Section 34 of Title 72 of the
Oklahoma Statutes. If there are insufficient resources in the
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Indigent Veteran Burial Revolving Fund, payment shall be made from
the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs Revolving Fund.
F. An application process for the implementation of this
program shall be developed by the Ok lahoma Department of Veterans
Affairs.
G. Rules for the implementation of this pro gram shall be
promulgated by the Oklahoma Veterans Commission .
SECTION 2. This act shall becom e effective November 1, 2022.
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AND MILITARY AFFAIRS,
dated 03/02/2022 - DO PASS, As Amended and Coauthored.