WHEREAS, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War was a nationwide veterans' organization incorporated in 1881 under the laws of the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The national organization in 1884 chartered a Rhode Island Department of Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War; and

WHEREAS, On February 13, 1954, Grand Army of the Republic submitted to the U.S. District Court, District of Columbia, for inspection, a confirmatory deed conveying property to Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War; and

WHEREAS, By an act of Congress, Public Law 605, passed on August 20, 1954 a new corporation was formed, also called Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War; and was authorized to acquire the assets of the corporation formed under the laws of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, On February 25, 1956 Grand Army of the Republic submitted a second deed to U.S. District Court in order to correct an error in the 1954 deed, and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, the corporation created by P.L. 605, filed a motion representing that it was the successor of Commander-In-Chief Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, the Illinois corporation; and

WHEREAS, On June 15, 1956, the court entered a judgment stating that Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War was the successor and confirming the February 25, 1956 deed. The court ordered that the property covered by the 1954 and 1956 deed be vested in Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, the corporation created by the 1954 act of Congress; and

WHEREAS, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War did not exist as a Rhode Island corporation until 1930, at which time a corporation entitled Rhode Island Division, Sons of Veterans, United States of America, originally incorporated in 1893, filed for a name change; and

WHEREAS, Rhode Island Department, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War is legally incorporated under the laws of Rhode Island; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That Rhode Island Department, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War be deemed heir and successor of the Rhode Island posts of the Grand Army of the Republic; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the State Adjutant General, to the State Archives, and to Greg A. Mierka, Commander, Rhode Island Department, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.

RESOLVED, That the report and recommendations of the special house commission (93-H 7587) was accepted by the Rhode Island general assembly.