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State proposal would repeal small veterans burial stipends to save $52,700; committee defers action
Summary
BFM asked the appropriations committee to repeal a $100 etching stipend and a $200 headstone‑setting stipend for private burials, saying federal benefits and state veterans cemeteries cover major needs; the committee deferred the bill for further review.
The Bureau of Finance and Management presented House Bill 10‑38, a budget‑driven proposal to repeal two small state stipends that have helped families bury eligible veterans in private cemeteries: a $100 payment for headstone etching and a $200 payment for headstone setting. Brandy Meissner of BFM told the committee repeal would free about $52,700 in ongoing general funds.
BFM said the state now has a dedicated State Veterans Cemetery and access to federal VA burial benefits that range materially higher (the VA burial benefit was described in testimony as roughly $978 to $2,000 depending on circumstances). The bureau framed the measure as a budget‑cutting step while retaining support for veterans through state facilities, federal VA benefits and continuing commitments such as the veterans home and military funeral honors.
Committee members asked how many veterans used the stipend and how the federal benefit applied to private plots. Meissner said 255 headstone setting reimbursements were paid in the most recent year and that etching assistance had not been used that year. She said the federal VA provides burial benefits that also apply to private burials in many circumstances. The committee deferred the bill for further consideration.
