CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5481

Chapter 56, Laws of 2009

61st Legislature
2009 Regular Session



BURIAL OF VETERANS



EFFECTIVE DATE: 07/26/09

Passed by the Senate March 3, 2009
  YEAS 48   NAYS 0

BRAD OWEN
________________________________________    
President of the Senate
Passed by the House April 1, 2009
  YEAS 97   NAYS 0

FRANK CHOPP
________________________________________    
Speaker of the House of Representatives


 
CERTIFICATE

I, Thomas Hoemann, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5481 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth.

THOMAS HOEMANN
________________________________________    
Secretary
Approved April 10, 2009, 2:54 p.m.








CHRISTINE GREGOIRE
________________________________________    
Governor of the State of Washington		 
FILED
April 13, 2009







Secretary of State
State of Washington


_____________________________________________ 

SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5481
_____________________________________________

Passed Legislature - 2009 Regular Session
State of Washington61st Legislature2009 Regular Session

By Senate Government Operations & Elections (originally sponsored by Senators Marr, Becker, Hobbs, Haugen, Franklin, Parlette, Eide, Rockefeller, Hatfield, Jarrett, Jacobsen, Kilmer, Berkey, Tom, Swecker, King, Kastama, Shin, McDermott, Prentice, Fairley, Holmquist, Brandland, McCaslin, Ranker, McAuliffe, Roach, Honeyford, and Kauffman)

READ FIRST TIME 02/10/09.   



     AN ACT Relating to veterans' burials; and amending RCW 68.50.230.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 68.50.230 and 2005 c 365 s 146 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Whenever any human remains shall have been in the lawful possession of any person, firm, corporation, or association for a period of ninety days or more, and the relatives of, or persons interested in, the deceased person shall fail, neglect, or refuse to direct the disposition, the human remains may be disposed of by the person, firm, corporation, or association having such lawful possession thereof, under and in accordance with rules adopted by the cemetery board and the board of funeral directors and embalmers, not inconsistent with any statute of the state of Washington or rule adopted by the state board of health.
     (2)(a) The department of veterans affairs may certify that the deceased person to whom subsection (1) of this section applies was a veteran or the dependent of a veteran eligible for interment at a federal or state veterans' cemetery.
     (b) Upon certification of eligible veteran or dependent of a veteran status under (a) of this subsection, the person, firm, corporation, or association in possession of the veteran's or veteran's dependent's remains shall transfer the custody and control of the remains to the department of veterans affairs.
     (c) The transfer of human remains under (b) of this subsection does not create:
     (i) A private right of action against the state or its officers and employees or instrumentalities, or against any person, firm, corporation, or association transferring the remains; or
     (ii) Liability on behalf of the state, the state's officers, employees, or instrumentalities; or on behalf of the person, firm, corporation, or association transferring the remains.


         Passed by the Senate March 3, 2009.
         Passed by the House April 1, 2009.
         Approved by the Governor April 10, 2009.
         Filed in Office of Secretary of State April 13, 2009.