Committee advances bill to fund perpetual-care cemeteries facing financial hardship
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
House Bill 1577, an appropriation to help perpetual-care cemeteries pay for infrastructure repairs, was presented and the committee voted to pass the appropriation-only bill after Q&A about scope and the number of affected cemeteries.
The Joint Budget Committee advanced House Bill 1577, an appropriation bill to make funds available for perpetual-care cemeteries experiencing financial hardship.
Representative Crawford presented HB 1577, describing the appropriation as intended for grants to perpetual-care cemeteries to pay for infrastructure repairs. Crawford said funds would be derived from cemetery sales revenues, including space sales and fees for grave openings and closings, and that those revenues have declined in recent decades due to increased cremations. Crawford said maintenance accounts vary widely and cited that some maintenance funds range from $250 to $1 million; existing law limits withdrawals from maintenance funds in some cases.
Committee members asked for additional details. Senator Peyton asked how many perpetual-care cemeteries there are; Crawford said there are 104 across the state and that in Fort Smith three are in fiscal distress. Senator Hickey and others asked whether the state had funded similar programs in the past; the sponsor said not to her knowledge. Committee members asked for follow-up information and the chair asked members with questions to consult with Representative Crawford before the next meeting. The committee subsequently moved the bill and approved it by voice vote.
The committee did not provide a detailed list of which cemeteries are in fiscal distress beyond Crawford’s Fort Smith example, nor a full statewide tally of financially distressed sites. Members asked the sponsor to provide further details on locations and counts ahead of subsequent consideration.