Wisconsin SB 721: Relating to: reimbursement for the provision of military funeral honors. (FE)

Bill Text

2025 - 2026  LEGISLATURE
LRB-4760/1
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2025 SENATE BILL 721
December 2, 2025 - Introduced by Senators HESSELBEIN, HABUSH SINYKIN, DRAKE, 
RATCLIFF, ROYS, L. JOHNSON, DASSLER-ALFHEIM, SMITH, JACQUE, CARPENTER, 
LARSON  and SPREITZER,  cosponsored  by  Representatives BROWN, SINICKI, 
RIVERA-WAGNER, TENORIO, SNODGRASS, MIRESSE, PRADO, JOERS, MADISON, 
STUBBS, KAUFERT, PHELPS, UDELL, ROE, MCCARVILLE, HONG, BARE, ARNEY, 
NEUBAUER  and STROUD.  Referred  to  Committee  on  Natural  Resources, 
Veteran and Military Affairs.
AN ACT to amend 45.60 (2); to create 45.60 (1) (a) 6. of the statutes; relating 
to: reimbursement for the provision of military funeral honors.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under  current  law,  the  Department  of  Veterans  Affairs  coordinates  the 
provision of military funeral honors to deceased members or former members of the 
military.  If the provision of military funeral honors is conducted by a local unit of a 
member  organization  of  the  council  on  veterans  programs  or  a  local  unit  of  a 
veterans  organization  certified  by  the  department  to  provide  military  funeral 
honors, the department is required to reimburse the organization an amount not to 
exceed $50 for its cost in providing the military funeral honors.  
This  bill  increases  the  reimbursement  amount  to  $85,  and  requires  the 
department to annually adjust the reimbursement amount to reflect adjustments 
to the U.S. consumer price index.
This bill also expands the list of qualifying veterans to whom military funeral 
honors may be provided to include a Hmong person who was naturalized pursuant 
to the federal Hmong Veterans’ Naturalization Act of 2000, which means that the 
person was admitted to the United States as a refugee from Laos and that the 
person served with a special guerilla unit, or irregular forces, operating from a base 
in Laos in support of the U.S. military during the period beginning February 28, 
1961, and ending September 18, 1978.
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2025 - 2026  Legislature
SENATE BILL 721
- 2 -
LRB-4760/1
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SECTION 1
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be 
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do 
enact as follows:
SECTION 1.  45.60 (1) (a) 6. of the statutes is created to read:
45.60 (1) (a) 6.  A person who was naturalized pursuant to section 2 (1) of the 
federal Hmong Veterans’ Naturalization Act of 2000, P.L. 106-207, and who was 
residing in this state at the time of death.
SECTION 2.  45.60 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
45.60 (2)  STIPENDS.  From the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (sm), the 
department shall reimburse a local unit of a member organization of the council on 
veterans  programs  or  a  local  unit  of  a  veterans  organization  certified  by  the 
department to provide military funeral honors for the costs of providing military 
funeral honors in this state to a person described in sub. (1).  The reimbursement 
may not exceed $50 $85 for each funeral for which military honors are provided, 
except that the department shall annually adjust this amount on July 1 to reflect 
any changes in the U.S. consumer price index for all urban consumers, U.S. city 
average, as determined by the U.S. department of labor, for the 12-month period 
ending on the preceding December 31.
(END)
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