BILL NUMBER: SB 469	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JUNE 15, 2009
	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 22, 2009

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Aanestad
    (   Coauthors:   Senators  
Cogdill,   Cox,   and Maldonado   ) 
    (   Coauthors:   Assembly Members 
 Bill Berryhill,   Block,   DeVore,  
and Huffman   ) 

                        FEBRUARY 26, 2009

   An act to add Chapter 10.5 (commencing with Section 1480) to
Division 6 of the Military and Veterans Code, relating to veterans.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 469, as amended, Aanestad. Veterans' cemeteries: fees.
   Existing law provides for the establishment and operation of
certain state-owned and operated veterans' cemeteries. Existing law
authorizes honorably discharged veterans and their spouses and
children to be interred  atthese   at these
 cemeteries, and provides for a fee to be charged for each
spouse or child interred at the cemetery, as specified.
   This bill would authorize the fee for the interment of the spouses
and children of honorably discharged veterans in these cemeteries to
be waived if the cemetery administrator determines that the families
of the spouses or children do not have sufficient means to pay for
the costs of interment, and would require any costs for these
interments to be paid from nonstate funds. This bill would require
the cemetery administrator to seek reimbursements, as specified, and
would authorize the cemetery administrator to solicit private
donations, to offset any fees lost as a result of this fee waiver.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Chapter 10.5 (commencing with Section 1480) is added to
Division 6 of the Military and Veterans Code, to read:
      CHAPTER 10.5.  STATE VETERANS CEMETERIES FEE WAIVER


   1480.  (a) Notwithstanding any other  provision of
 law, the fee for the interment of the spouses or children
of eligible veterans in a cemetery operated under this division may
be waived if the cemetery administrator determines that the families
of the spouses or children do not have sufficient means to pay for
the costs of interment.
   (b) Any costs for the interment of the spouses or children of
eligible veterans who received a waiver pursuant to subdivision (a)
shall be paid from nonstate funds.
   (c) The cemetery administrator shall seek reimbursements, if any
are available, from federal, county, and other local agencies to
offset any fees lost as a result of the waiver authorized pursuant to
subdivision (a).
   (d) The cemetery administrator may solicit private donations to
offset any fees lost as a result of the waiver authorized pursuant to
subdivision (a).