H-4491.1          _______________________________________________

                                  HOUSE BILL 2899

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              54th Legislature             1996 Regular Session

By Representatives D. Schmidt, Buck, Cairnes, L. Thomas, Blanton, Campbell and Smith

Read first time 01/24/96.  Referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.

Increasing county burial costs for indigent deceased veterans.

     AN ACT Relating to county burial costs for indigent deceased veterans; and amending RCW 73.08.070.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

     Sec. 1.  RCW 73.08.070 and 1983 c 295 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

     It shall be the duty of the legislative authority in each of the counties in this state to designate some proper authority other than the one designated by law for the care of paupers and the custody of criminals who shall cause to be interred at the expense of the county the body of any honorably discharged veterans as defined in RCW 41.04.005 and the wives, husbands, minor children, widows or widowers of such veterans, who shall hereafter die without leaving means sufficient to defray funeral expenses; and when requested so to do by the commanding officer of any post, camp or chapter of any national organization of veterans now, or which may hereafter be, chartered by an act of congress or the relief committee of any such posts, camps or chapters:  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That such interment shall not cost ((more)) less than three hundred dollars.  If the deceased has relatives or friends who desire to conduct the burial of such deceased person, then upon request of said commander or relief committee a sum not ((to exceed)) less than three hundred dollars shall be paid to said relatives or friends by the county treasurer, upon due proof of the death and burial of any person provided for by this section and proof of expenses incurred.

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