Plan for disposition of veterans’ remains approved

Veterans whose remains go unclaimed can be buried in a veteran cemetery under a bill passed by the Legislature March 12.

LB146, introduced by Bellevue Sen. Sue Crawford, authorizes crematoriums and funeral establishments to relinquish control of unclaimed remains to veterans service organizations, which then will provide a burial in a veteran cemetery.

A crematorium or funeral establishment can, upon receiving unclaimed remains, provide information to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Nebraska Department of Veterans’ Affairs or a veterans service organization to determine whether the remains are those of a veteran and the veteran’s eligibility for burial in a veteran cemetery.

Once the organization has been in possession of the remains for one year and made a reasonable effort to locate the appropriate authorizing agent for such remains, but no attempt has been made to claim them, the organization can provide for disposition of the remains at a veteran cemetery.

A crematorium, funeral establishment or veterans service organization will not be liable for the disposition of cremated remains unless there is willful negligence or misconduct.

Senators passed the bill on a 44-0 vote.