BILL ANALYSIS Ó Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair AB 1806 (Cook) - Veteran Interment. Amended: June 26, 2012 Policy Vote: VA 7-0, GF 9-0 Urgency: No Mandate: Yes Hearing Date: August 16, 2012 Consultant: Maureen Ortiz SUSPENSE FILE. Bill Summary: AB 1806 requires county public administrators to determine if unclaimed remains of a decedent belong to a veteran or a dependent of a veteran; requires a county veteran services officer to report data of the deceased veteran to the Department of Veterans Affairs; and, requires the department to create and maintain a list of those individuals. Fiscal Impact: Minor, absorbable costs to the DVA for creating and maintaining the list (General) Unknown, potentially minor state reimbursable costs to counties (General) Background: A county public administrator investigates and administers the estates of people who die without a will, any known relatives, or other person qualified to administer the estate. The public administrator must provide for the interment of a deceased person's remains if there are no other qualified individuals to assume that duty. Burial benefits are available to qualified veterans that include a gravesite in any of the 131 national cemeteries, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate - all at no cost to the family. Proposed Law: AB 1806 requires every county public administrator to make a reasonable effort to determine if the unclaimed remains of a decedent belong to a veteran or a dependent of a veteran. The public administrator will be required to work with AB 1806 (Cook) Page 1 the county veteran service officer (CVSO), a national veterans cemetery, the United States Social Security Administration, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, or other applicable entity to determine if the remains belong to a veteran. AB 1806 further requires the public administrator or the CVSO to report to the Department of Veterans Affairs the following information if it is determined that unclaimed remains belong to a veteran or dependent of a veteran: a) The name, rank, and branch of service of the deceased; or of the eligible veteran if the deceased is a dependent. b) Dates of service. c) Location of the remains and a telephone number and name for the contact at that location. Finally, AB 1806 requires the DVA to create and maintain a list of veterans and dependents of veterans whose remains are reported, and to make the list available to representatives of veterans' remains organizations by telephone or in person.