Missouri Senate

Perfected

Section 9.074

May first of every year is designated as Silver Star Families of America Day.

This section is identical to HB 678 (2009).

Section 42.007

Only veterans who have been members of certain veterans' organizations who make recommendations to the governor for appointments to the Missouri Veterans' Commission for at least two consecutive years prior to the recommendation may be appointed to the Missouri Veterans' Commission.

The commission is also authorized to make rules and regulations necessary for the management and administration of its veteran service programs and cemeteries.

Section 173.234

This section modifies the eligibility for the veteran's survivor grant. Currently, the spouse or child of person is eligible for an educational grant if the military member served in armed combat in the military, was killed or became 80% disabled as a result of combat injuries, and was a Missouri resident when first entering the military and at the time of death or injury. Under this section, the spouse or natural, adopted, or stepchild of a qualified military member will be eligible for the educational grant if the military member served in the military after September 11, 2001, was killed or became 80% disabled as a result of combat injuries sustained in a combat action after September 11, 2001, was discharged for active duty service having served since September 11, 2001 and received a DD214 in a geographic area entitled to receive combat pay tax exclusion exemption, hazardous duty pay, or imminent danger pay, or hostile fire pay, and was a Missouri resident when first entering the military or at the time of death or injury.

Section 173.1155

This section allows a dependent of a member of the military who resides in Missouri and whose parent is assigned to a permanent duty station in state to be eligible for in-state tuition at state institutions of higher education. The educational benefits of in-state tuition continue as long as the dependent is continuously enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program, including transfers between Missouri institutions of higher education or transfers from an undergraduate program to a graduate program.

This section is similar to HB 666 (2009).

Section 194.360

This section provides funeral homes, funeral directors, embalmers, and their employees with immunity from liability in disposing of a veteran's remains or cremated remains to a veterans' service organization. This immunity only applies if: 1)the remains have been in the possession of the funeral establishment for at least a year; 2)the establishment gives written notice to the person or other funeral establishment who contracted for the cremation, or publishes notice in a newspaper if the address of the person or other funeral establishment that contracted for the cremation is unknown; and 3) the person or other funeral establishment who contracted for the cremation does not claim the remains within thirty days of the mailing of the written notice or within four months of the date of the first publication of notice.

Veterans' service organizations who receive human or cremated remains of a veteran are not liable for simple negligence if they do not have reason to know that the remains do not satisfy the notice requirements of this section and if they inter the remains and do not scatter the remains. The veterans' service organization shall take all reasonable steps to inter the remains in a veterans' cemetery.

This section is identical to HCS/HB 111 (2009).

Section 301.451

This section allows any person who has been awarded the purple heart medal to receive one set of "Purple Heart" license plates for free. There shall be an additional fee charged for each subsequent set of purple heart license plates equal to the fee for personalized license plates, but this additional fee shall only have to be paid once, at the time of initial application for the additional set of plates.

This section similar to HB 270 (2009).

Section 452.412

This section requires all court orders regarding child custody or visitation issued or modified while the person is in active military service and deployed out-of-state to be temporary in nature. Upon return from deployment, the party will be given an opportunity to be heard on the child custody and visitation order before a permanent order is entered.

This section is similar to SB 440 (2009) and HB 504 (2009).

EMILY KALMER