An Act To Provide Funding to Municipalities To Assist with the Maintenance of Veterans' Graves

Sec. 1. 37-B MRSA §515  is enacted to read:

§ 515.  Municipal Veterans' Graves Fund

The Municipal Veterans' Graves Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established as a nonlapsing, interest-bearing fund administered by the bureau. The fund consists of appropriations and allocations for inclusion into the fund, gifts and grants from outside sources and interest from investments of the fund as the bureau determines appropriate. The bureau shall disburse grants from the fund to municipalities for the purpose of maintaining veterans' graves under Title 13, section 1101 on an as-needed basis as determined by the bureau. The bureau shall adopt routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A to carry out the purposes of this section.

Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.

DEFENSE, VETERANS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF

Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services

Initiative: Provides funds for the Municipal Veterans' Graves Fund under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 37-B, section 515 to provide grants to municipalities for the maintenance of veterans' graves in municipal cemeteries.

GENERAL FUND	2015-16	2016-17
All Other	$1,000,000	$0
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$1,000,000	$0

SUMMARY

This bill creates the Municipal Veterans' Graves Fund, administered by the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services, and appropriates $1,000,000 to provide grants to municipalities for the maintenance of veterans' graves in municipal cemeteries.