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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
05/20/2024 02:40 PM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20130&cosponId=12451
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House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: April 10, 2013 03:15 PM
From: Representative RoseMarie Swanger
To: All House members
Subject: Deceased Veteran Notification to County Governments
 
In the near future I will be introducing legislation which amends Act 66 of 1953 (Vital Statistics Law) by providing for deceased veteran notification to county governments. Prior to the enactment of legislation several sessions ago, county governments only placed these markers/flags on “war” veterans’ graves. The law now provides that “all” honorably discharged veterans must receive a marker and U.S. flag; however, there is not a notification mechanism in place for peacetime veterans because they are not eligible for the war veteran burial fee requirement under the county codes. Thus, unless the family notifies the county of their loved one’s death, the county is not able to identify this grave as being that of a veteran.

My legislation will require funeral directors, or the legally authorized person in charge of interment, to notify the county veteran’s affairs office of the death of a veteran they are interring. Ascertaining whether a person is a veteran is a standard practice for funeral directors, because they routinely confirm veteran status for VA death benefits, honor guard burial details and placement of a United States flag on the coffin. Discussion has occurred on this legislation with the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association and the Association of County Veteran Affairs Directors, and they are supportive of this legislation.
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Introduced as HB1691