71A-7 - Veterans Memorials and Cemeteries

Title 71A > 71A-7

Sections (7)

Memorials

71A-7-101 - Memorials by cities and towns.

71A-7-101(1) The boards of city commissioners, city councils, and town boards, respectively, may appropriate from any fund of the city or town available for general purposes amounts considered expedient for the purpose of erecting or contributing to the erection of a memorial to commemorate the achievements of uniformed service members and veterans of the state within their respective cities or towns. 71A-7-101(2) The city commissioners, city council, or town board may, when authorized by the qualified electors of the city or town, issue general obligation bonds and devote the proceeds to the erection of memorials.

71A-7-102 - Memorials by counties.

71A-7-102(1) The county legislative body of the several counties may raise and maintain, appropriate money for, and contribute to the building and maintenance of, memorials to the memory of veterans of any wars in which the United States of America participated. 71A-7-102(2) Memorials may be in the form of grave adornments, public buildings, monuments, recreational areas and facilities, parks, and public places. 71A-7-102(3) A county legislative body may not erect and maintain, assist in, or contribute to, the erection or maintenance of any memorial which is outside of the boundaries of the county.

71A-7-103 - County tax for memorials.

The county legislative body may levy and collect an annual tax upon property situated within the county to raise funds for memorials under this part.

Veteran Burials

71A-7-201 - Veteran burials — Veterans not to be buried in ground used for paupers.

The body of an individual who dies while in the military service of the United States of America during any period of war, police action, or other period of national emergency, or the body of any veteran of the military service of the United States of America who served during any war, police action, or other period of national emergency, may not be buried in any portion of any cemetery or burial ground used for the burial of paupers.

71A-7-202 - Veteran burials — Political subdivisions may provide proper burial sites.

Municipalities, towns, counties, or other political subdivisions of the state may grant burial sites to chartered veterans organizations without financial consideration or may provide a proper site for the burial of any persons covered by this chapter without financial consideration.

71A-7-203 - Veteran burials — Veterans Remains Organization — Funeral service establishments — Liability — State agency — Responsibilities.

71A-7-203(1) As used in this section:

“Remains facility” means the same as a funeral service establishment defined in Section 58-9-102. “Status information” means a veteran or a veteran’s dependent’s name, date of birth, place of birth, date of death, Social Security number, military service number, branch of service, and military rank on date of death. “Veterans Remains Organization” means an entity recognized and authorized by the United States Veterans Administration and the National Personnel Records Center to verify and inter the unclaimed cremated remains of United States military veterans or a veteran’s dependents. 71A-7-203(2) A veterans remains organization may contact a remains facility for the purpose of identifying any unclaimed cremated remains of a military veteran or a veteran’s dependent.

Upon contact with the remains facility, the organization shall: provide identifying documentation to the remains facility; and with the permission of the remains facility, inventory any unclaimed cremated remains in order to identify any remains of a veteran or a veteran’s dependent. The organization shall contact the National Personnel Records Center to determine if any of the unclaimed cremated remains are: a veteran’s or a veteran’s dependent’s remains; and eligible for interment benefits. The organization shall claim any unclaimed cremated remains from a remains facility upon providing the facility with proof that the remains are those of a veteran or a veteran’s dependent and are eligible for interment benefits. The organization shall make arrangements to inter the remains. 71A-7-203(3) A remains facility:

may allow a veterans remains organization, upon presentation of identification, to inventory unclaimed cremated remains; shall provide all status information in the remains facility’s possession to a veterans remains organization; shall release any unclaimed cremated remains to a veterans remains organization upon presentation of documentation that the remains are of a veteran or a veteran’s dependent who is eligible for burial in a state or national cemetery; and is not subject to civil liability for release of status information or release of the unclaimed cremated remains following the presentation of documentation indicating the remains are those of a veteran or a veteran’s dependent and eligible for interment benefits. 71A-7-203(4) The department shall, upon presentation of documentation that certain cremated remains in the possession of a veterans remains organization are those of a veteran or a veteran’s dependent and eligible for interment benefits:

authorize the interment of the cremated remains in a state veterans cemetery; and provide assistance to the veterans remains organization in the interment process.

Veterans Cemeteries

71A-7-301 - Veterans cemeteries — Development, operation, and maintenance — Responsibilities of Department — Costs.

71A-7-301(1) The department shall develop, operate, and maintain veterans cemeteries. 71A-7-301(2) To help pay the costs of developing, constructing, operating, and maintaining veterans cemeteries, the department may:

receive federal funds by following the procedures and requirements of Title 63J, Chapter 5, Federal Funds Procedures Act; receive state funds, contributions from veterans organizations, and other private donations; and charge fees for at least the cost of the burial of a veteran’s spouse and any other persons, who the department determines is eligible to be buried in a veterans cemetery established by the state.