00 SENATE BILL NO. 182 01 "An Act authorizing the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs to establish and 02 maintain Alaskan veterans' cemeteries; and establishing the Alaska veterans' cemetery 03 fund in the general fund." 04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 * Section 1. AS 28.10.421(d)(16) is amended to read: 06 (16) special request plates commemorating Alaska veterans ...... $100 07 plus a fee of $35 and the fee required for that vehicle under (b)(1) or (2) of this 08 section; the $100 fee required by this paragraph shall be collected only on the first 09 issuance of and the replacement of the commemorative veterans' plates; the $35 fee 10 required by this paragraph shall be collected biennially in the same manner as the fee 11 required under (b)(1) or (2) of this section; the commissioner of administration shall 12 separately account for the fees received under this paragraph that the department 13 deposits in the general fund; notwithstanding (g) of this section, the annual estimated 14 balance in the account that is in excess of the cost of issuing special request plates may 01 be appropriated by the legislature to the Alaska veterans' cemetery fund created 02 under AS 37.05.590 and for the support of programs benefiting Alaska veterans. 03 * Sec. 2. AS 37.05 is amended by adding a new section to article 6 to read: 04 Sec. 37.05.590. Alaska veterans' cemetery fund. (a) There is created as a 05 special account in the general fund the Alaska veterans' cemetery fund into which 06 shall be deposited appropriations to the Alaska veterans' cemetery fund. 07 (b) Beginning with the appropriations for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 08 2005, on an annual basis and under AS 37.07 (Executive Budget Act), the legislature 09 may appropriate amounts from the Alaska veterans' cemetery fund to the Department 10 of Military and Veterans' Affairs for the construction, operation, and maintenance of 11 the Alaska veterans' cemeteries established under AS 44.35.035. 12 (c) Appropriations to the Alaska veterans' cemetery fund are not one-year 13 appropriations and do not lapse under AS 37.25.010. 14 (d) The unexpended and unobligated balance of an appropriation from the 15 Alaska veterans' cemetery fund lapses into the Alaska veterans' cemetery fund at the 16 end of the fiscal year for which it was appropriated. 17 (e) Nothing in this section exempts money deposited into the Alaska veterans' 18 cemetery fund from the requirements of AS 37.07 (Executive Budget Act) or dedicates 19 that money for a specific purpose. 20 * Sec. 3. AS 44.35 is amended by adding a new section to read: 21 Sec. 44.35.035. Alaska veterans' cemeteries. (a) The department shall 22 establish and maintain Alaska veterans' cemeteries in Fairbanks and elsewhere in the 23 state to serve state veterans and spouses and eligible dependents of state veterans. 24 (b) The department may accept gifts, donations, and grants, including land, 25 under AS 26.10.030 for the purpose of establishing and maintaining Alaska veterans' 26 cemeteries. Land received by the department for an Alaska veterans' cemetery shall 27 be owned by the state. 28 (c) The department shall 29 (1) adopt regulations for determining individuals eligible for burial in 30 an Alaska veterans' cemetery; 31 (2) receive the plot or interment allowance on behalf of the state under 01 38 U.S.C. 2303; 02 (3) comply with all requirements for a state veterans' cemetery grant 03 established by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs under 38 U.S.C. 04 2408; and 05 (4) apply to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for state 06 veterans' cemetery grants under 38 U.S.C. 2408. 07 (d) The department may 08 (1) adopt regulations necessary to administer Alaska veterans' 09 cemeteries; 10 (2) enter into agreements for the maintenance and operation of Alaska 11 veterans' cemeteries with political subdivisions of the state and other persons; and 12 (3) solicit gifts, donations, and grants in addition to a state veterans' 13 cemetery grant in (c) of this section that may be designated for the establishment and 14 maintenance of an Alaska veterans' cemetery and received by the department under 15 AS 26.10.030. 16 (e) In this section, "department" means the Department of Military and 17 Veterans' Affairs.