An Act
ENROLLED HOUSE
BILL NO. 1067 By: Hardin (Tommy), Boles,
Fugate, Luttrell, and
Provenzano of the House
and
Simpson and Stephens of the
Senate
An Act relating to veterans; creating the Dignity in
Burial Act; directing the Oklahoma Department of
Veterans Affairs to est ablish 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 progra m; requiring
Executive Director to determine final approval of
applications; 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.
SUBJECT: Veterans
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLA HOMA:
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". ENR. H. B. NO. 1067 Page 2
B. The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Af fairs 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 ;
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 the 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 documentation 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.
ENR. H. B. NO. 1067 Page 3
D. The Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of
Veterans Affairs or h is 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 int erment 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
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 p rogram shall be
promulgated by the Oklahoma Veterans Co mmission.
SECTION 2. This act shall becom e effective November 1, 2022.
ENR. H. B. NO. 1067 Page 4
Passed the House of Representatives the 9th day of March, 2022.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives
Passed the Senate the 25th day of April, 2022.
Presiding Officer of the Senate
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Received by the Office of the Governor this ____________________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________
Approved by the Governor of the State of Oklahoma this _____ ____
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
_________________________________
Governor of the State of Oklahoma
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
Received by the Office of the Secretary of State this __________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________