FLAGS ON VETERANS' GRAVES H.B. 6315 (H-1): FLOOR ANALYSIS
House Bill 6315 (Substitute H-1 as discharged)
Sponsor: Representative David Farhat
House Committee: Local Government and Urban Policy
Senate Committee: Senior Citizens and Veterans Affairs
CONTENT
The bill would amend Public Act 63 of 1915, which provides for local units of government to furnish and pay for flag holders and United States flags for the graves of veterans, to allow a recognized veterans' organization to petition the legislative body of a city, village, township, or county to provide the flags and flag holders; and otherwise revise provisions pertaining to petitioning a local unit's legislative body to provide flags.
Currently, the legislative body of a city, village, or township, upon petition of five or more eligible voters, must procure for and furnish to the petitioners, at the local unit's expense, a suitable flag holder and U.S. flag for the grave of each U.S. armed forces veteran buried in a cemetery belonging to the city, village, or township. The legislative body may take such action for the grave of each veteran buried in any cemetery located within the city, village, or township that does not belong to the local unit. Under the bill, either a recognized veterans' organization or five eligible voters could petition the legislative body, which then would have to procure and furnish the flags and flag holders for the grave of each veteran buried in a public or private cemetery located within the city, village, or township.
In addition, the Act allows the legislative body of a county, upon petition of five eligible voters of the county, to procure for and furnish to the petitioners, at the county's expense, a suitable flag and flag holder for the grave of each U.S. armed forces veteran buried in any cemetery located within the limits of the county that does not belong to the county. Under the bill, either a recognized veterans' organization or five eligible voters could petition the county's legislative body. The provision would apply to veterans' graves in any "public or private" cemetery located within the county, rather than any cemetery in the county "that does not belong to that county".
MCL 35.831 & 35.831a Legislative Analyst: Patrick Affholter
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no effect on State revenue or expenditures. Local units' expenses could increase by an indeterminate amount, to the extent that a recognized veteran's organization requested flags that would not have been requested by five eligible voters within in the local unit. Local unit revenue would not be affected by the bill.
Date Completed: 12-15-06 Fiscal Analyst: David Zin
Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. hb6315/0506