Effective 28 Aug 2013

194.360. Veterans, cremated remains — definitions — funeral establishment or coroner, authorized release of identifying information, to whom — release of remains, when — immunity from liability. — 1. As used in this section the following terms shall mean:

(1) "Funeral establishment", as defined in section 333.011, a funeral home, a funeral director, an embalmer, or an employee of any of the individuals or entities;

(2) "Identifying information", data required by the Department of Veterans Affairs to verify a veteran or their dependent's eligibility for burial in a national or state cemetery: name, service number, Social Security number, date of birth, date of death, place of birth, and copy of death certificate;

(3) "Veteran", a person honorably discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States, including, but not limited to, the Philippine Commonwealth Army, the Regular Scouts "Old Scouts", and the Special Philippine Scouts "New Scouts", or a person who died while on active military service with any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States;

(4) "Veterans' service organization", a veterans organization that is federally chartered by the Congress of the United States, veterans' service organization recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs or that qualifies as a Section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19), nonprofit tax exempt organization under the Internal Revenue Code that is organized for the verification and burial of veterans and dependents.

2. A funeral establishment or coroner in the possession of cremated remains is authorized to release the identifying information to the Department of Veterans Affairs or a veterans' service organization for the purpose of obtaining verification of the veteran's or veterans' dependent's eligibility for a military burial, interment, or scattering. When verification of a veteran or dependent is completed, the funeral establishment or coroner may release the remains to the veterans' service organization who then may arrange for the burial, interment, or scattering of the remains.

3. A funeral establishment or coroner who releases the identifying information shall not be liable in any action regarding the release of the identifying information and neither the funeral establishment, coroner, or veterans' service organization shall be liable in any action stemming from the final disposition, interment, burial, or scattering of remains released to a veterans' service organization pursuant to this chapter so long as the funeral establishment, prior to the burial, interment, or scattering of the remains, follows the notification procedures for unclaimed cremated remains as set out in subdivision (4) of section 194.350.

4. A veterans' service organization accepting remains under this section shall take all reasonable steps to inter the remains in a veterans' cemetery.

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(L. 2009 H.B. 111 merged with H.B. 427, A.L. 2013 S.B. 186)