SB 130 — An Act amending Title 51 (Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, providing for burial benefits.

PRINTER'S NO.   79

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 130
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY MASTRIANO, BROWN, COSTA, FONTANA, PENNYCUICK,
        PHILLIPS-HILL, TARTAGLIONE AND J. WARD, JANUARY 22, 2025

     REFERRED TO VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS,
        JANUARY 22, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 51 (Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in Department of Military and Veterans
 3      Affairs, providing for burial benefits.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6      Section 1.    Title 51 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 7   Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
 8   § 705.1.    Burial benefits.
 9      (a)     Notice of deceased serviceperson to county.--
10            (1)   Subject to paragraph (2), a licensed funeral
11      director, funeral entity or cemetery company shall, within 96
12      hours of receipt of the remains of a deceased serviceperson,
13      notify the county director of veterans affairs of a deceased
14      serviceperson having legal residence in the county at the
15      time of death and provide the family of the deceased
16      serviceperson with the contact information for the county
17      director of veterans affairs.
18            (2)   Paragraph (1) shall only apply to a cemetery company
 1      if the cemetery company provides interment for the cremated
 2      remains of a deceased serviceperson for whom a licensed
 3      funeral director or funeral entity provided no goods or
 4      services.
 5      (b)   Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
 6   words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
 7   subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
 8      "Cemetery company."   As defined in 9 Pa.C.S. § 101 (relating
 9   to definitions).
10      "Deceased serviceperson."   As defined in 16 Pa.C.S. § 15508
11   (relating to definitions).
12      "Funeral entity."   As defined in 49 Pa. Code § 13.1 (relating
13   to definitions).
14      "Licensed funeral director."    As defined in 49 Pa. Code §
15   13.1.
16      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




20250SB0130PN0079                   - 2 -