| Chapter 338 |
| 2016 -- S 2567 SUBSTITUTE A Enacted 07/06/2016 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO MILITARY AFFAIRS AND DEFENSE - BURIAL OF VETERANS |
| Introduced By: Senators Felag, Gallo, Lynch Prata, Pichardo, and McCaffrey |
| Date Introduced: February 25, 2016 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 30-25-14 of the General Laws in Chapter 30-25 entitled "Burial of |
| Veterans" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 30-25-14. Rhode Island veterans' memorial cemetery. – (a) The Rhode Island veterans' |
| memorial cemetery, located on the grounds of the Joseph H. Ladd school in the town of Exeter, |
| shall be under the management and control of the director of the department of human services. |
| The director of the department of human services shall appoint an administrator for the Rhode |
| Island veterans' memorial cemetery who shall be an honorably discharged veteran of the United |
| States Armed Forces and shall have the general supervision over, and shall prescribe rules for, the |
| government and management of the cemetery. He or she shall make all needful rules and |
| regulations governing the operation of the cemetery and generally may do all things necessary to |
| insure ensure the successful operation thereof. The director shall promulgate rules and |
| regulations, not inconsistant with the provisions of 38 USCS U.S.C. section § 2402, to govern |
| the eligibility for burial in the Rhode Island veterans' memorial cemetery. In addition to all |
| persons eligible for burial pursuant to rules and regulations established by the director, any person |
| who served in the army, navy, air force, or marine corps of the United States for a period of not |
| less than two (2) years and whose service was terminated honorably, shall be eligible for burial in |
| the Rhode Island veterans' memorial cemetery. The director shall appoint and employ all |
| subordinate officials and persons needed for the proper management of the cemetery. National |
| Guard guard members who are killed in the line of duty or who are honorably discharged after |
| completion of at least twenty (20) years' of service in the Rhode Island National Guard national |
| guard and their spouse shall be eligible for internment in the Rhode Island Veterans' Memorial |
| Cemetery. For the purpose of computing service under this section, honorable service in the |
| active forces or reserves shall be considered toward the twenty (20) years of National Guard |
| national guard service. The general assembly shall make an annual appropriation to the |
| department of human services to provide for the operation and maintenance for the cemetery. The |
| director shall charge and collect a grave liner fee per interment of the eligible spouse and/or |
| eligible dependents of the qualified veteran equal to the Department's department’s cost for the |
| grave liner. |
| (b) No domestic animal shall be allowed on the grounds of the Rhode Island veterans' |
| memorial cemetery, whether at large or under restraint, except for seeing eye guide dogs, hearing |
| ear signal dogs or any other service animal, as required by federal law or any personal assistance |
| animal, as required by chapter 9.1 of title 40. Any person who violates the provisions of this |
| section shall be subject to a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500). |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC005225/SUB A |
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