An Act To Facilitate the Issuance of a Gravestone for a Deceased Veteran with No Next of Kin
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0378
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: ALFOND, LUCHINI, CUSHING, DILL, MASON, PATRICK, VALENTINO, LONGSTAFF, TURNER
Amends: 22 MRSA §2843-A, 22 MRSA §2900, 37-B MRSA §515

Legislative Document 
No. 378 
S.P. 146 
In Senate, February 12, 2015 
An Act To Facilitate the Issuance of a Gravestone for a Deceased 
Veteran with No Next of Kin 
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator ALFOND of Cumberland. 
Cosponsored by Representative LUCHINI of Ellsworth and 
Senators: CUSHING of Penobscot, DILL of Penobscot, MASON of Androscoggin, PATRICK 
of Oxford, VALENTINO of York, Representatives: LONGSTAFF of Waterville, TURNER of 
Burlington. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §2843-A, sub-§1, ¶D, as amended by PL 2009, c. 159, §1, is 
further amended to read: 
D.  "Next of kin" means a person having the following relationship to the subject, in 
the following order of priority: 
 (1)  The spouse; 
 (1-A) A domestic partner.  For purposes of this section, "domestic partner" 
means the partner of the subject who: 
(a)  Is a mentally competent adult; 
(b)  Had been legally domiciled with the subject for at least 12 months 
immediately preceding the death of the subject; 
(c)  Is not legally married to or legally separated from another individual; 
(d)  Was the sole partner of the subject; and 
(e)  Was jointly responsible with the subject for each other's common welfare 
as evidenced by joint living arrangements, joint financial arrangements or 
joint ownership of real or personal property; 
(2)  An adult son or daughter; 
(3)  A parent; 
(4)  An adult brother or sister; 
(5)  An adult grandchild; 
(6)  An adult niece or nephew who is the child of a brother or sister; 
(7)  A maternal grandparent; 
(8)  A paternal grandparent; 
(9)  An adult aunt or uncle; 
(10)  An adult first cousin; or 
(11)  Any other adult relative in descending order of blood relationship.; or 
(12)  If the subject is a veteran and has no known living spouse or adult relative, 
the Adjutant General. For purposes of this paragraph, "veteran" has the same 
meaning as in section 2900, subsection 1, paragraph B. 
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §2900, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 318, §1, is amended 
to read: 
3.  Sharing information.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a funeral 
director, the Adjutant General or other authorized person under subsection 2 may share 
information concerning cremated remains in the funeral director's or other authorized 
person's possession with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the Adjutant 
General, a veterans' service organization or a national cemetery to determine whether the 
cremated remains are those of a veteran. 
Sec. 3.  37-B MRSA §515 is enacted to read: 
§515.  Adjutant General as next of kin 
If the Adjutant General is next of kin to a veteran under Title 22, section 2843-A, the 
Adjutant General shall ensure that the veteran receives all benefits to which the veteran is 
entitled, including a grave marker or other death benefit from the United States 
Department of Veterans Affairs. 
SUMMARY 
This bill makes the Adjutant General the next of kin to a deceased veteran who has 
no known living spouse or adult relatives and directs the Adjutant General to ensure the 
veteran receives all death benefits, including a grave marker from the United States 
Department of Veterans Affairs.