Ch. 504                          MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                              1125

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That new Section 19 be and it is hereby added to Article 96-1/2 of
the Annotated Code of Maryland (1964 Replacement Volume and 1972
Supplement), title "Veterans," to follow immediately after Section 18 thereof, and
to be under the new subtitle "Veterans' Cemeteries," to read as follows:

19.

(A)   THE MARYLAND VETERANS COMMISSION MAY ACQUIRE
SITES IN THIS STATE TO BE USED TO ESTABLISH CEMETERIES FOR
THE INTERMENT OF MARYLAND VETERANS OF THE UNITED
STATES ARMED FORCES AND FOR NEXT OF KIN OF ELIGIBLE
VETERANS. THE APPROVAL OF THE LOCAL GOVERNING_ BODY OF
THE COUNTY _IN WHICH A PROPOSED SITE IS LOCATED, THE
APPROVAL OF THAT COUNTY'S DELEGATION IN THE MARYLAND
GENERAL ASSEMBLY, AND THE_ APPROVAL OF THE BOARD OF
PUBLIC WORKS MUST ALL BE OBTAINED PRIOR TO ANY
ACQUISITION OF LAND FOR THIS PURPOSE. THE MARYLAND
VETERANS COMMISSION IS HEREBY EMPOWERED TO RECEIVE
ANY LANDS GRANTED TO THE STATE OR ANY OF_ITS POLITICAL
SUBDIVISIONS. PRIORITIES SHALL BE_ GIVEN TO THOSE LANDS
WHICH ARE ADJACENT TO OR HAVE A PROXIMITY TO NATIONAL
MEMORIAL BATTLE SITES.

(B)  THE VETERANS COMMISSION SHALL SUPERVISE, MAINTAIN,
AND CONTROL VETERANS' CEMETERIES ESTABLISHED UNDER
THIS SECTION, AND IT MAY EMPLOY NECESSARY PERSONNEL FOR
THIS PURPOSE. WITH THE SALARIES OF REQUIRED PERSONNEL TO
BE PROVIDED IN THE ANNUAL STATE BUDGET. ALL EMPLOYEES
SHALL BE UNDER THE STATE MERIT SYSTEM AS PROVIDED IN
ARTICLE 64A OF THE ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND.

[[(C) ANY VETERAN WHO MEETS THE QUALIFICATIONS AS
ESTABLISHED IN SECTION 1 OF THIS ARTICLE IS ELIGIBLE FOR
BURIAL IN A STATE VETERANS' CEMETERY.]]

(C)   ANY VETERAN WHO RECEIVED AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE
FROM THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES AND WAS A
LEGAL RESIDENT OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND AT THE TIME OF
HIS DEATH SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR BURIAL IN A STATE
VETERANS' CEMETERY.

(D)     ANY QUALIFIED VETERAN , OR NEXT-OF-KIN, MAY
[[RESERVE]] APPLY FOR A BURIAL PLOT IN A STATE VETERANS'
CEMETERY [[BY APPLYING]] BY SUBMITTING A REQUEST TO THE
MARYLAND VETERANS COMMISSION ON FORMS TO BE SUPPLIED
BY THE COMMISSION. THE VETERANS COMMISSION SHALL ALLOT
AVAILABLE BURIAL PLOTS, AT A SITE CLOSEST TO THE VETERAN'S
HOME, ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS. THERE SHALL BE
NO CHARGE MADE FOR ANY BURIAL PLOT AND THE INTERMENT
PROVIDED TO ANY ELIGIBLE VETERAN.

(E)  ANY MEMBER OF THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY OF A VETERAN
WHO QUALIFIES FOR BURIAL AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (C) OF
THIS SECTION MAY ALSO QUALIFY FOR BURIAL IN A STATE
VETERANS' CEMETERY, IF THE INTERMENT OF THE FAMILY
MEMBER IS IN THE SAME BURIAL PLOT AS THAT PROVIDED FOR
THE VETERAN, AND THE INTERMENT IS EITHER ABOVE OR BELOW