ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
REVISED
Arizona state veterans’
cemeteries
Allows
the Arizona Department of Veterans Services (ADVS) to acquire property and to
establish and operate veterans’ cemeteries in Arizona. Establishes a veterans’ cemetery in northern
Arizona.
Background
On November 11, 1998, President Clinton signed the Veterans’ Benefits Enhancement Act, which included a section amending the Department of Veterans’ Affairs cemetery grant program. The measure authorizes the federal government to pay all costs of establishing, improving or expanding state owned and operated veterans’ cemeteries. States however retain responsibility for costs associated with acquiring land and operational costs.
Laws 1999, Chapter 133 appropriated $500,000 from the state general fund to be used as start up monies for the construction of the southern Arizona state veterans’ cemetery. An additional $252,300 was authorized from the Department’s Veterans’ Home contingency special line item in Laws 2000, Chapter 180. Pursuant to federal law these monies are reimbursed by the federal government. It is expected that the contingency fund will be reimbursed upon grant approval by the State Cemetery Grant Service. It is unclear at this point whether the state general fund will be reimbursed by ADVS for the $500,000 appropriation. Additionally, Joint Legislative Budget Committee staff estimates, based on an April 2002 opening date, the operational cost of the southern Arizona veterans’ cemetery to be $211,100 in FY 2001-2002 and $342,000 in FY 2002-2003.
The ADVS is proposing to construct an additional state owned and operated veterans’ cemetery in northern Arizona. S.B. 1121 grants the ADVS statutory authority to operate cemeteries in Arizona. The fiscal impact of this legislation is unknown.
1. Allows the ADVS to acquire property, establish and operate veterans’ cemeteries.
2. Establishes the state veterans’ cemetery fund to be administered by the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services and:
(a)
Allows
for the deposit of state and federal monies.
(b)
Stipulates
that money in the fund must be used for acquiring property and establishing
veterans’ cemeteries.
(c)
Specifies
that money in the fund is continuously appropriated.
(d)
Exempts
the fund from lapsing.
3. Provides for a general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by the Government Committee
Removes unspecified appropriation.
Amendments Adopted by the Appropriations Committee
Removes unspecified appropriation.
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
The Appropriations amendment was adopted and the Government amendment was withdrawn.
Senate Action
GOV 1/29/01 DPA 4-0-2-0
APPROP 2/20/01 DPA 12-0-0-0
3rd Read 3/5/01 29-0-1-0
Prepared by Senate Staff
April 20, 2001