2564

LAWS OF MARYLAND

Ch. 269

of trustees;] the Commission on Artistic Property; the
Purchasing Bureau, and such other functions, agencies,
commissions, boards, committees, councils or units of
government as may hereafter pursuant to law be declared to
be part of the Department of General Services. The
Department of General Services shall not have a board of
review, and § 3C of this article shall be inapplicable to
the Department of General Services.

Article 96 1/2 - Veterans

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) THE WASHINGTON CEMETERY BOARD OF TRUSTEES SHALL BE
UNDER THE SUPERVISION AND CONTROL OF THE MARYLAND VETERANS
COMMISSION.

[(c)] (D) (1) Any veteran who received an honorable
discharge from the armed forces of the United States shall
be eligible for burial in a State veterans' cemetery, if the
veteran was a legal resident of the State for 20 years, or
if the veteran was a legal resident of the State when the
veteran entered the armed forces or when the veteran died.

(2) The Maryland Veterans' Commission may waive
the 20-year requirement, if, in the judgment of- the
Commission, there are compelling reasons to do so.

[(d)] (E) Any qualified veteran, or next of kin, may
apply for a burial plot in a state veterans' cemetery by
submitting a request to the Maryland Veterans Commission on
forms to be supplied by the Commission. The Veterans