4026

VETOES

(c) The Governor shall designate 1 member as chairman.

(d) The terms of the members shall be staggered and shall
not exceed 3 years.

(e) Each member of the Task Force:

(1)  Serves without compensation; and

(2)  Is entitled to reimbursement for expenses in
accordance with the Standard State Travel Regulations.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall
take effect July 1, 1985.

May 28, 1985
The Honorable Benjamin L. Cardin
Speaker of the House of Delegates
State House
Annapolis, Maryland 21404

Dear Mr. Speaker:

In accordance with Article II, Section 17 of the Maryland
Constitution, I have today vetoed House Bill 949.

House Bill 949 would require the Maryland Veterans
Commission to provide, without charge, a grave liner for each
burial plot in a State veterans cemetery. Grave liners are
concrete vaults into which caskets are placed for burial. The
rationale for using a grave liner is that it reduces the amount
of soil sinkage of the grave site over the years and thereby
decreases the cost to maintain the cemetery plot.

In the past year, there have been two State studies of the
desirability of supplying grave liners in Maryland veteran
cemeteries. A study by the State Cemetery Program Manager at the
direction of the Maryland Veterans Commission concluded that the
use of grave liners would not save the State money nor would it
improve the appearance of the cemetery. The study noted that
there has been very little difference in sinkage between graves
with or without grave liners and attributed this to the use of
soil tamping techniques. In the five cemeteries operated by the
Maryland Veterans Commission, the soil is compacted by compressed
air tampers as the grave is closed. Three weeks later the grave
is tamped again and top soil is added before a layer of sod is
placed on the grave. Since veteran interment began in State
veteran cemeteries 8 years ago, there has been no significant