SB 721

Under current law, the Department of Veterans Affairs coordinates the provision of military funeral honors to deceased members or former members of the military. If the provision of military funeral honors is conducted by a local unit of a member organization of the council on veterans programs or a local unit of a veterans organization certified by the department to provide military funeral honors, the department is required to reimburse the organization an amount not to exceed $50 for its cost in providing the military funeral honors.

This bill increases the reimbursement amount to $85, and requires the department to annually adjust the reimbursement amount to reflect adjustments to the U.S. consumer price index.

This bill also expands the list of qualifying veterans to whom military funeral honors may be provided to include a Hmong person who was naturalized pursuant to the federal Hmong Veterans’ Naturalization Act of 2000, which means that the person was admitted to the United States as a refugee from Laos and that the person served with a special guerilla unit, or irregular forces, operating from a base in Laos in support of the U.S. military during the period beginning February 28, 1961, and ending September 18, 1978.