ARTICLE 16

RELATING TO VETERANS AFFAIRS

     SECTION 1. Section 30-24-10 of Chapter 30-24 of the General Laws entitled “Rhode

Island Veterans Home” is hereby amended to read as follows:

     30-24-10. Admissible to home – Fees.

     (a) Any person who has served in the army, navy, marine corps, coast guard, or air force

of the United States for a period of ninety (90) days or more and that period began or ended during

any foreign war in which the United States shall have been engaged or in any expedition or

campaign for which the United States government issues a campaign medal, and who was

honorably discharged from it, and who shall be deemed to be in need of care provided at the Rhode

Island veterans' home, may be admitted to that facility subject to such rules and regulations as shall

be adopted by the director of human services to govern the admission of applicants to the facility.

Any person who has served in the armed forces of the United States designated herein and otherwise

qualified, who has served less than the ninety-day (90) period described in this section, and who

was honorably discharged from service, and who, as a result of the service, acquired a service-

connected disability or disease, may be admitted. No person shall be admitted to the facility unless

the person has been accredited to the enlistment or induction quota of the state or has resided in the

state for at least two (2) consecutive years next prior to the date of the application for admission to

the facility.

     (b)(1) The director shall, at the end of each fiscal year, determine the net, per-diem

expenses of maintenance of residents in the facility and shall assess against each resident who has

"net income", as defined in this section, a fee equal to eighty one-hundred percent (80 100%) of the

resident's net income, provided that fee shall not exceed the actual cost of care and maintenance for

the resident; and provided that an amount equal to twenty one-hundred percent (20 100%) of the

maintenance fee assessed shall be allocated to, and deposited in, the veterans' restricted account.

For the purposes of this section, "net income" is defined as gross income minus applicable federal

and state taxes and minus:

     (i) An amount equal to one hundred fifty dollars ($150) three hundred dollars ($300) per

month of residency and fifty percent (50%) of any sum received due to wounds incurred under

battle conditions for which the resident received the purple heart; and

     (ii) The amount paid by a resident for the support and maintenance of his or her spouse,

parent(s), minor child(ren), or child(ren) who is/are blind or permanently and totally disabled as

defined in title XVI of the Federal Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1381 – 1383d, subject to a

maximum amount to be determined by rules and regulations as shall be adopted by the director.

     (2) The fees shall be paid monthly to the home and any failure to make payment when due

shall be cause for dismissal from the facility. Prior to dismissal, the resident shall be afforded

administrative due process.

     (c) Admissions to the veterans' home shall be made without discrimination as to race, color,

national origin, religion, sex, disability, marital status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or

expression, assets, or income.

     (d) Laundry services shall be provided to the residents of the Rhode Island veterans' home

at no charge to the residents, with such funds to cover the cost of providing laundry services for

residents of the Rhode Island veterans' home derived from monies appropriated to the department

of human office of veterans services.

SECTION 2. Section 30-25-14 of the General Laws entitled “Burial of Veterans” is hereby

amended to read as follows:

     30-25-14. Rhode Island veterans' memorial cemetery.

     (a) The Rhode Island veterans' memorial cemetery, located on the grounds of the Joseph

H. Ladd school in the town of Exeter, shall be under the management and control of the director of

the department of human office of veterans services. The director of the department of human office

of veterans services shall appoint an administrator for the Rhode Island veterans' memorial

cemetery who shall be an honorably discharged veteran of the United States Armed Forces and

shall have the general supervision over, and shall prescribe rules for, the government and

management of the cemetery. He or she shall make all needful rules and regulations governing the

operation of the cemetery and generally may do all things necessary to ensure the successful

operation thereof. The director shall promulgate rules and regulations, not inconsistent with the

provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 2402, to govern the eligibility for burial in the Rhode Island veterans'

memorial cemetery. In addition to all persons eligible for burial pursuant to rules and regulations

established by the director, any person who served in the army, navy, air force, or marine corps of

the United States for a period of not less than two (2) years and whose service was terminated

honorably, shall be eligible for burial in the Rhode Island veterans' memorial cemetery. The director

shall appoint and employ all subordinate officials and persons needed for the proper management

of the cemetery. National guard members who are killed in the line of duty or who are honorably

discharged after completion of at least twenty (20) years' of service in the Rhode Island national

guard and their spouse shall be eligible for interment in the Rhode Island veterans' memorial

cemetery. For the purpose of computing service under this section, honorable service in the active

forces or reserves shall be considered toward the twenty (20) years of national guard service. The

general assembly shall make an annual appropriation to the department of human office of veterans

services to provide for the operation and maintenance for the cemetery. The director shall charge

and collect a grave liner fees per interment of the eligible spouse and/or eligible dependents of the

qualified veteran equal to the department's cost for the grave liner. equal to the U.S. Department of

Veterans Affairs burial plot allowance as set forth annually on October 1, for the burial of an

eligible veteran in a state veterans cemetery.

     (b) No domestic animal shall be allowed on the grounds of the Rhode Island veterans'

memorial cemetery, whether at large or under restraint, except for seeing eye guide dogs, hearing

ear signal dogs or any other service animal, as required by federal law or any personal assistance

animal, as required by chapter 9.1 of title 40. Any person who violates the provisions of this section

shall be subject to a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500).

     (c) The state of Rhode Island office of veterans' affairs services shall bear the cost of all

tolls incurred by any motor vehicles that are part of a veteran's funeral procession, originating from

Aquidneck Island ending at the veterans' memorial cemetery, for burial or internment. The

executive director of the turnpike and bridge authority shall assist in the administration and

coordination of this toll reimbursement program.

     SECTION 3. This article shall take effect upon passage.