CCS SCS HCS HB 427 -- MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY, VETERANS, AND
THEIR FAMILIES

This bill changes the laws regarding members of the military,
veterans, and their families.  In its main provisions, the bill:

(1)  Designates May 1 of each year as "Silver Star Families of
America Day" to honor the wounded soldiers of this state and the
efforts of the Silver Star Families of America to honor the
wounded members of the United States armed forces;

(2)  Allows the Adjutant General to assign the number of
assistant adjutants general that are authorized by the rules and
regulations of the National Guard Bureau of the United States.
The assistants are required, if they qualify, to hold military
rank as may be authorized and approved for the positions by the
bureau.  Currently, the Adjutant General may only assign two
assistants;

(3)  Increases the membership of the Missouri Veterans'
Commission from five to nine.  Two members will be from the House
of Representatives, one appointed by the Speaker and one by the
Minority Floor Leader; and two members will be from the Senate,
one appointed by the President Pro Tem and one by the Minority
Floor Leader;

(4)  Authorizes the commission to establish rules and regulations
necessary for the management and administration of its veteran
service programs and cemeteries;

(5)  Revises the educational grant program for survivors of war
veterans by defining who is a qualifying military member and who
is a combat veteran;

(6)  Requires a dependent of an active duty military member, as
defined in federal law, who is residing in Missouri and whose
parent is assigned to permanent duty in the state to be eligible
for in-state tuition as long as he or she is continuously
enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program of a
Missouri higher education institution including any transfers
from one Missouri institution to another or from an undergraduate
to a graduate degree program;

(7)  Allows the unclaimed cremated remains of a veteran to be
collected by a veterans' service organization for the purpose of
interment if the remains have been in possession of a funeral
establishment for at least one year and the funeral establishment
has given written notice to the person who is entitled to the
remains and that person has not claimed the remains within the
specified time frame.  If the address of the person entitled to
the remains cannot be reasonably ascertained, notice must be
given in a newspaper of general circulation in the county of the
veteran's residence.  If the veteran's residence is unknown,
notice must be given in the county where the veteran died or, if
the death location is unknown, in the county in which the funeral
establishment is located.  If the remains are not claimed within
30 days of the mailing of the written notice or within four
months of the date of the first newspaper publication, the
remains may be given to a veterans' service organization for
interment.  A veterans' service organization is not liable for
simple negligence if it inters and does not scatter the cremated
remains and does not know or has no reason to know that the
remains do not satisfy the requirements of this section but must
take all reasonable steps to inter the remains in a veterans'
cemetery;

(8)  Establishes an interstate interchange designation program to
be known as the Heroes Way Interstate Interchange Designation
Program to honor fallen Missouri heroes who have been killed in
action while in active military duty with the armed forces in
Afghanistan or Iraq on or after September 11, 2001, and who were
residents of this state at the time of their death.  Any person
related by marriage, adoption, or within the second degree of
consanguinity to the military member who was killed may apply to
the Department of Transportation for a designation.  The
application and approval process is specified; and the Highways
and Transportation Commission is authorized to establish a fee to
cover, but not exceed, the costs of constructing and maintaining
the signs;

(9)  Designates the portion of the Poplar Bluff bypass located in
Butler County from State Highway 60 where it crosses over the
Black River to State Highway 67 where it crosses State Route M as
the "Veterans Memorial Highway";

(10)  Authorizes the Department of Revenue to provide one set of
"PURPLE HEART" specialized license plates free of charge other
than the regular registration fees to any person who has been
awarded the medal.  Any additional set of special license plates
may be obtained at the current fee for specialized plates but
will only be required to be paid once at the time of the initial
application;

(11)  Allows for a special license plate designated "Armed Forces
Expeditionary Medal" for any person who has been awarded this
military service award.  To obtain this plate, a person must make
application, furnish proof as a recipient of the Armed Forces
Expeditionary Medal, and pay a $15 fee to the department in
addition to the registration fee and any other documents required
by law;

(12)  Allows, upon the approval of a local authority's governing
body, a veteran displaying a Congressional Medal of Honor,
Prisoner of War, Silver Star, or PURPLE HEART special license
plate to park his or her motor vehicle without charge in a
metered parking space within the authority's jurisdiction if it
is less than 6,000 pounds gross weight.  A veteran who has been
awarded the Bronze Star may apply to the Director of the
Department of Revenue for a windshield placard which will allow
him or her to also park without charge in a metered parking space
if the placard is hung from the front, middle rearview mirror or
displayed on the dashboard on the driver's side if there is no
rearview mirror.  Certain vehicle and parking restrictions are
specified; and

(13)  Requires all court orders regarding child custody or
visitation or an ex parte order of protection issued or modified
while either party is in active military service and deployed
out-of-state to be temporary in nature unless the party in active
service knowingly and voluntarily signs a waiver to the right to
have the hearing upon his or her return.  Upon return from
deployment, the party will be given an opportunity to be heard on
the child custody and visitation order or the order of protection
before a permanent order is entered.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated November 17, 2009 at 9:24 am