Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Oklahoma Legislature, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
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3 SENATE BILL 1533 By: Stanley
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to veteran burial; amending 72 O.S.
7 2021, Sections 34 and 1, Chapter 90, O.S.L. 2022 (72
8 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 36), which relate to
8 internment or cremation assistance for indigent
9 veterans and the Dignity in Burial Act; requiring
9 certain veteran to have been a resident of this
10 state; updating statutory language; updating
10 statutory references; and providing an effective
11 date.
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13 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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14 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 72 O.S. 2021, Section 34, is
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15 amended to read as follows:
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16 Section 34. A. The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs
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17 shall establish a program to provide assistance for the proper
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18 interment or cremation of honorably discharged indigent veterans of
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19 the United States Armed Forces. The program shall aid in obtaining
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20 any available burial benefits from the United States Department of
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21 Veterans Affairs or through private organizations. The program
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22 shall provide for a burial grant for any indigent veteran or any
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23 person who qualifies for reimbursement as determined by the Oklahoma
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24 Department of Veterans Affairs, for unpaid expenses directly
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Req. No. 3056 Page 1
1 resulting from interment or cremation. Maximum reimbursement shall
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2 not exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) per indigent veteran
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3 application.
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4 B. Eligibility requirements for the program shall be as
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5 follows:
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6 1. The deceased shall be a veteran as defined by Section 2 of
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7 this title;
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8 2. No one shall have claimed the remains of the deceased
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9 Veteran veteran;
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10 3. The veteran shall have died in Oklahoma been a resident of
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11 this state;
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12 4. The veteran shall not have been in the custody of the
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13 Department of Corrections at the time of death;
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14 5. The applicant shall provide documentation establishing the
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15 burial location of the deceased veteran's remains in a cemetery or
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16 the location where the deceased veteran's cremains have been
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17 permanently placed; and
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18 6. The applicant shall provide documentation establishing that
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19 the deceased veteran received a proper memorial headstone or marker
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20 at the place of his or her interment as provided for in 38 U.S.C,
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21 Section 2306 of Title 38 of the United States Code or that a
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22 memorial headstone or marker meeting the same physical standards for
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23 size, material, composition, placement, and informational content
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24 was provided in the event the deceased veteran did not qualify under
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Req. No. 3056 Page 2
1 the provisions of 38 U.S.C, Section 2306 of Title 38 of the United
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2 States Code.
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3 C. The Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of
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4 Veterans Affairs or his or her designee shall make final approval of
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5 Indigent Veteran Burial Applications indigent veteran burial
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6 applications, shall determine whether the deceased meets eligibility
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7 criteria, and may approve funds to reimburse the costs of interment
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8 or cremation.
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9 D. Reimbursement shall be paid from the Indigent Veteran Burial
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10 Revolving Fund. If there are insufficient resources in the Indigent
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11 Veteran Burial Revolving Fund, payment shall be made from the
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12 Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs Revolving Fund.
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13 Once funds are available in the Indigent Veteran Burial
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14 Revolving Fund, the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs may be
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15 reimbursed for payments made from the Oklahoma Department of
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16 Veterans Affairs Revolving Fund.
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17 E. Application processes for the implementation of this program
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18 shall be developed by the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs.
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19 F. Rules for the implementation of this program shall be
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20 promulgated by the Oklahoma Veterans Commission.
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21 SECTION 2. AMENDATORY Section 1, Chapter 90, O.S.L. 2022
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22 (72 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 36), is amended to read as follows:
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23 Section 36. A. This act shall be known and may be cited as the
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24 "Dignity in Burial Act".
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1 B. The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs shall establish
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2 a program to ensure a dignified burial for honorably discharged
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3 veterans of the United States Armed Forces who, prior to death,
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4 lacked the financial capacity to prepare for or to provide for an
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5 interment or cremation befitting a veteran of the United States
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6 Armed Forces. The program shall aid in obtaining any available
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7 burial benefits from the United States Department of Veterans
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8 Affairs or through private organizations. The program shall provide
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9 a burial grant for any veteran or any person who qualifies for
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10 reimbursement, as determined by the Oklahoma Department of Veterans
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11 Affairs, for unpaid expenses directly resulting from interment or
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12 cremation. The maximum amount of reimbursement, not including
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13 private funds, shall not exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) per
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14 application.
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15 C. Eligibility requirements for the program shall be as
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16 follows:
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17 1. The deceased shall be a veteran as defined in Section 2 of
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18 Title 72 of the Oklahoma Statutes this title;
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19 2. The veteran shall have died in Oklahoma been a resident of
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20 this state;
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21 3. The veteran shall not have been in the custody of the
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22 Department of Corrections at the time of death;
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23 4. The applicant shall provide documentation establishing the
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24 burial location of the deceased veteran's remains in a cemetery or
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1 the location where the deceased veteran's cremains have been
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2 permanently placed;
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3 5. The applicant shall provide documentation establishing that
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4 the deceased veteran was provided an appropriate casket if the
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5 deceased veteran was interred; and
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6 6. The applicant shall provide documentation establishing that
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7 the deceased veteran received a proper memorial headstone or marker
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8 at the place of his or her interment as provided in 38 U.S.C.,
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9 Section 2306 or that a memorial headstone or marker meeting the same
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10 physical standards for size, material, composition, placement, and
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11 informational content was provided in the event the deceased veteran
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12 did not qualify under the provisions of 38 U.S.C., Section 2306.
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13 D. The Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of
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14 Veterans Affairs or his or her designee shall make final approval of
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15 the Dignity in Burial Act applications, shall determine whether the
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16 deceased meets eligibility criteria, and may approve funds to
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17 reimburse the costs of interment or cremation.
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18 E. Reimbursement shall be paid from the Indigent Veteran Burial
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19 Revolving Fund as provided in Section 34 of Title 72 of the Oklahoma
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20 Statutes this title. If there are insufficient resources in the
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21 Indigent Veteran Burial Revolving Fund, payment shall be made from
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22 the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs Revolving Fund.
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1 F. An application process for the implementation of this
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2 program shall be developed by the Oklahoma Department of Veterans
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3 Affairs.
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4 G. Rules for the implementation of this program shall be
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5 promulgated by the Oklahoma Veterans Commission.
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6 SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.
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8 60-2-3056 CAD 1/12/2026 2:40:41 PM
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Req. No. 3056 Page 6Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.