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Stevens County lowers asset limit to $6,000 and adds residency requirement in burial policy
Summary
The Stevens County Board adopted updates to the county burial (indigent burial) policy reducing the asset limit from $12,000 to $6,000 and adding a residency standard designating Stevens County as the county of financial responsibility in most cases; the board discussed treatment of unsheltered decedents and intent to reside.
The Stevens County Board of Commissioners voted March 2025 to revise the county burial policy, reducing the asset limit for eligibility from $12,000 to $6,000 and adding a residency requirement that centers Stevens County as the county of financial responsibility.
County staff presented the policy as a statutory duty the county must perform. Commissioners asked questions about how often the service is used and how the residency requirement will apply to people without a permanent address. Staff said the document already addresses residency determinations and that intent to be a resident may be considered; citizenship is not a factor, and Stevens County will be the county of financial responsibility for people on public assistance when specified by the public assistance CFR process.
Commissioners discussed circumstances involving unsheltered decedents and whether the county would provide or defer responsibility; staff said they could add clarifying language about unsheltered individuals if the board wanted. The board also noted the policy provision covering pregnancy at 20 weeks or more, which staff said can be a hardship for families in unexpected circumstances.
After discussion, a commissioner moved to adopt the revised county burial policy with the two stated changes (asset limit and residency requirement); the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote.
The county will publish the updated policy and follow normal intake and case procedures for determining financial responsibility in individual cases.
Direct quotations from the meeting record: "Two pieces that we specifically are updating is, we have reduced the asset limit from 12,000 to 6,000, and, we've added a residency requirement." — Staff member (presenter) "The decedent must be a Stevens County resident at the time of death. Citizenship does not factor into residency." — Staff member (presenter)
The board directed staff to clarify language for unsheltered individuals and to publish the new policy.
