Georgia CommonsHouse · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 985: Veterans affairs; revise terms of eligibility for persons to be buried in Georgia veteran cemeteries
Last action July 1, 2026 · Effective Date
House Bill 985 rewrites who qualifies for burial in Georgia's veterans cemeteries, adding Hmong Laotian Vietnam War guerrilla fighters and updating rules for reservists, ROTC members, and their families.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Enrolled version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Georgia law currently sets eligibility rules for burial in state veterans cemeteries, largely mirroring federal rules for national cemeteries. This bill rewrites O.C.G.A. § 38-4-70 to update those rules. It aligns Georgia's eligibility for reserve component members and ROTC members with the federal Burial Equity for Guards and Reserves Act of 2021, requiring at least 24 months of honorable service after January 1, 1973, and covering spouses and children of qualifying service members. The bill also adds a new eligibility category for Georgians who served honorably with a Hmong Laotian special guerrilla unit alongside American forces during the Vietnam War (between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975) and were lawfully admitted as permanent residents. Their families must submit an affidavit and supporting documents. The bill gives the Veterans Service Board discretion to admit people in substantial but not complete compliance with the rules, applies federal criminal-offense burial bans to Georgia cemeteries, and directs burial fees to the state's general fund.
What the bill does
- Adds a new eligibility category letting Georgians who served in a Hmong Laotian special guerrilla unit during the Vietnam War be buried in Georgia veterans cemeteries, with required affidavits and documents.
- Updates eligibility for reserve component and ROTC members and their families to match the federal Burial Equity for Guards and Reserves Act of 2021, requiring 24 months of honorable service after January 1, 1973.
- Gives the Veterans Service Board or its designee discretion to approve burial for people who substantially, though not fully, meet the eligibility rules.
- Applies federal rules barring burial in national cemeteries for certain criminal offenses (38 U.S.C. § 2411) to Georgia veterans cemeteries as well.
- Directs that fees collected for burial services in Georgia veterans cemeteries be sent to the state's general fund instead of another account.
- Clarifies the definition of 'full term of service' to include a minimum 24 consecutive months for conscripted service members.
Who it affects
Veterans and their spouses, minor children, and unmarried adult children seeking burial in Georgia veterans cemeteries; members of military reserve components and ROTC; Hmong Laotian Vietnam War veterans living in Georgia and their surviving family members; and the Department of Veterans Service, which verifies eligibility and collects burial fees.
Why it matters
The bill would let a specific group of Vietnam War-era allies, Hmong Laotian guerrilla fighters who later became Georgia residents, be buried in state veterans cemeteries for the first time, while also tightening and clarifying documentation and service-length rules for reservists and ROTC members seeking the same benefit.
Key provisions
- Section 1 states legislative findings recognizing Hmong Laotian special guerrilla unit veterans of the Vietnam War and citing the federal Hmong Veterans Service Recognition Act of 2018.
- Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 38-4-70(a) to redefine 'full term of service' to include conscripted service of at least 24 consecutive months.
- Section 2 updates eligibility under paragraph (c)(2) for reserve component and ROTC members to require honorable service after January 1, 1973 and at least 24 months, per the federal Burial Equity for Guards and Reserves Act of 2021.
- Section 2 adds a new paragraph (c)(3) allowing burial for Hmong Laotian special guerrilla unit veterans who were Georgia residents, served between 1961 and 1975, and were lawfully admitted permanent residents, subject to submitting an affidavit, corroborating evidence, and naturalization documentation.
- Section 2 adds paragraph (c)(4) giving the Veterans Service Board discretion to approve burial for people in substantial but incomplete compliance with eligibility rules.
- Section 2 adds subsection (d) applying federal bans on burial for certain criminal offenses (38 U.S.C. § 2411) to Georgia veterans cemeteries.
- Section 2 revises the fee provision so that fees collected for burial services go to the state's general fund.
- Section 3 repeals conflicting laws.
From the bill
“served honorably with a Hmong Laotian special guerrilla unit in support of the United States Armed Forces at any time during the period beginning on February 28, 1961, and ending on May 7, 1975”
“Such other deceased person whose circumstances are in substantial but not complete compliance with the eligibility requirements of this Code section, if the Veterans Service Board or its designee decides to allow such person to be buried at a Georgia veterans cemetery.”
“All such moneys collected shall be sent to the general fund of this state.”
Discussed in meetings (15)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House Defense & Veterans Affairs Committee, January 27, 2026
From 0:21:55 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 985 builds on last year's expansion of veterans cemetery eligibility. The Department of Veterans Service commissioner said it would add eligible Hmong Laotian Special Guerrilla Forces members, replace a difficult-to-document full-enlistment requirement with at least 24 consecutive months of Guard or Reserve service, move the qualifying service date from August 1990 to January 1973, retain honorable-service requirements, and align child eligibility with federal definitions. Asked about the Hmong forces, the sponsor described their CIA-supported service alongside Americans in Vietnam and Laos. Asked about other allied groups, the commissioner said federal law had added only this group and that Georgia could not use broader eligibility while retaining VA funding. The sponsor and commissioner described existing community contacts for outreach; another member recommended notifying funeral homes. Asked about automatically following future federal changes, the sponsor cited differing benefits among groups. The commissioner said the bill authorizes charges to cover burials the VA does not fund, including eligible Hmong, Guard and Reserve members and family members. The commissioner also confirmed Georgia could retain narrower eligibility or delay future expansions. The committee approved the bill unanimously.
House Rules Committee, February 2, 2026
From 0:33:18 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 985 came from the Department of Veterans Service and would clarify legislation passed the previous year concerning state veterans cemeteries. The sponsor said it would also extend burial eligibility to Hmong fighters from Laos who fought alongside U.S. personnel in Vietnam. No questions or calendar action followed.
House floor session, February 5, 2026 (legislative day 13)
From 1:33:48 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 247
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 985 clarifies earlier changes allowing certain National Guard and Reserve members to be buried in Georgia veterans cemeteries and adds federally recognized Hmong fighters who served alongside U.S. forces in Laos. The sponsor described the fighters' wartime service and said federal recognition of national cemetery burial eligibility came in 2018. One member thanked the sponsor and emphasized the lives saved by these fighters. A second member asked whether about 5,000 Hmong people live in Georgia and whether their children contribute in professions such as medicine, education and law enforcement. The sponsor agreed. Other members expressed support, with no opposition voiced. A member speaking in favor, drawing on experience as a funeral home owner, said the bill lets the board address complicated service records or missing documents and allows the Department of Veterans Services to set burial fees based on federal allowances or operational needs. The House passed the bill 173 to 0.
Senate Veterans, Military, and Homeland Security Committee, March 17, 2026
From 0:29:26 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 985 would clarify cemetery eligibility language adopted the previous year for National Guard and Reserve members and extend state veterans cemetery burial eligibility to certain Hmong veterans. The sponsor described their service assisting U.S. forces in Laos during the Vietnam War and said federal cemetery eligibility already recognized that service. The sponsor estimated the Hmong population at roughly 30,000 nationally and 3,000 in Georgia, with only a handful in Georgia likely qualifying through wartime service. Asked about general burial requirements, a Department of Veterans Services representative identified honorable discharge and Georgia residency, tentatively recalling a two-and-a-half-year residency requirement but saying another criterion did not immediately come to mind. The representative also agreed when a member asked about any service branch, Reserve service and a two-year service requirement. Another member supported acting promptly because the affected veterans were aging. The committee approved the bill by voice vote without audible opposition.
Senate Rules Committee, March 19, 2026
From 0:14:34 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The presenter said the bill would clarify eligibility for burial in Georgia's veterans cemeteries and extend eligibility to a federally recognized Hmong special forces group. No separate vote or scheduling decision was recorded.
Senate Rules Committee, March 20, 2026
From 0:17:20 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill would clarify and expand eligibility for burial in Georgia veterans cemeteries. The sponsor said the Department of Veterans Service requested the change. No questions or calendar decision followed.
Senate Rules Committee, March 23, 2026
From 0:15:50 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 985 would clarify and expand eligibility for burial in Georgia's veterans cemeteries. No questions or vote followed.
Senate Rules Committee, March 25, 2026
From 0:33:09 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The presenter said HB 985 was requested by the Department of Veterans Service and would expand eligibility for burial in Georgia veterans’ cemeteries. The bill was later included in the calendar package approved unanimously.
Senate floor session, March 27, 2026 (legislative day 38)
From 7:28:26 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Tabled)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 985 would align eligibility at Georgia's state veterans cemeteries with national cemetery rules, including eligibility for Hmong and Laotian special guerrilla unit veterans who fought in Vietnam and people who served in reserve or National Guard components. Asked whether it applied to veterans' sections in other cemeteries, the sponsor said it covered only state-operated veterans cemeteries. In response to another question, the sponsor said a proposed Augusta cemetery would also be covered if it became part of the state system. The Senate passed the bill 48-0.
- Read aloud: House floor session, January 16, 2026 (legislative day 5), 0:50:58
- Read aloud: House floor session, January 27, 2026 (legislative day 7), 0:38:46
- Read aloud: House floor session, January 28, 2026 (legislative day 8), 0:48:03
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 6, 2026 (legislative day 14), 0:36:46
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 18, 2026 (legislative day 33), 0:34:53
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 19, 2026 (legislative day 34), 0:44:57
Status timeline
- Effective Date
- Act 441
- House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- House Sent to Governor (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
- Senate Tabled (Senate)
Show full history (17 actions)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Josh Bonner (R, HD-73)
- Bill Hitchens (R, HD-161)
- Bill Werkheiser (R, HD-157)
- Danny Mathis (R, HD-133)
- Sandy Donatucci (R, HD-105)
- Brian Prince (D, HD-132)
- Rick Williams (R, SD-25)
Votes
- House voteFebruary 5, 2026
173 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 2 excused)
- Senate voteMarch 27, 2026
26 yea, 22 nay (3 not voting, 3 excused)
- Senate voteMarch 27, 2026
48 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 5 excused)
Topics
- veterans cemeteries
- veterans affairs
- Hmong Laotian veterans
- military burial eligibility
- Georgia Department of Veterans Service