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ORIGINAL Senate File No. SF0011 ENROLLED ACT NO. 7, SENATE SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING 2026 Budget Session AN ACT relating to defense forces and affairs; amending eligibility requirements for indigent veterans in order for counties to request reimbursement for preparing and transporting indigent veterans for burial; specifying indigent veterans who qualify for burial expenses paid by the department of family services also qualify for payment of burial expenses by counties; increasing the amount paid for burial expenses by the department of family services; clarifying priority of payment for burial expenses of indigent veterans; making a conforming amendment; and providing for an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming: Section 1. W.S. 19‑14‑101(a), (b) and by creating a new subsection (d) and 42‑2‑103(c) are amended to read: 19‑14‑101. Burial of indigents. (a) The board of county commissioners of each county shall provide for the preparation of the body and transmittal to and burial in the veteran's cemetery of any veteran other than a dishonorably discharged veteran of the armed forces of the United States who served on behalf of the United States in any war or conflict as defined in section 101, title 38, United States Code and who dies leaving insufficient funds to defray the necessary funeral expenses. The amount expended for transporting the body shall not exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00). The amount paid under this section for burial shall not exceed one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500.00). Each board shall account for the county expenses incurred under this subsection during a fiscal year. By August 1 of each year, a county may request reimbursement by the department of family services for the expenses incurred under this subsection for the preceding fiscal year. The department of family services shall reimburse the expenses in accordance with W.S. 35‑1‑428(c). (b) Before assuming charge and expense for preparation and transmittal of the body and burial, each board of county commissioners shall first determine according to procedures they establish that the deceased veteran of the armed forces of the United States whose body they are called upon to bury served in the armed forces of the United States, during World War II or any preceding war in which the United States was a party or during the Korean or Vietnam conflicts, was other than dishonorably discharged and died in the county leaving insufficient means to defray the necessary funeral expenses. (d) Payment made for burial expenses by the board of county commissioners in accordance with this section shall be considered payment of last resort that follows all other sources and is provided subsequent to all other benefits. 42‑2‑103. Provision of assistance and services; duties of department; burial assistance; department of health state supplemental security income program. (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article and subject to the availability of funds, the department shall pay the burial or cremation expenses of any recipient of aid under the personal opportunities with employment responsibilities (POWER) program, supplemental security income or Medicaid at the time of his death and without sufficient means in his own estate or other resources to provide burial or cremation. The amount paid under this subsection shall not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500.00) after consideration of funds available to the recipient from all other sources. In addition to the amount paid for burial or cremation under this subsection, an amount shall be paid for transportation expenses to the veteran's cemetery for a deceased veteran who qualifies for burial there and who qualifies for burial expenses under this subsection in an amount not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00). In determining eligibility under this subsection, the department shall not consider as available funds, an amount up to or equal to one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500.00) of the corpus of a Medicaid qualifying trust meeting the requirements of W.S. 42‑4‑113. No board of county commissioners shall be responsible for any burial or cremation expenses in excess of the amount paid under this subsection. Burial or cremation expenses under this subsection shall not include those expenses relating to cemetery costs. Section 2. This act is effective July 1, 2026. (END) Speaker of the House President of the Senate Governor TIME APPROVED: _________ DATE APPROVED: _________ I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate. Chief Clerk 1
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