Martha Marx

State Senator Martha Marx Leads Senate Passage To Evaluate Best Methods Of Preserving Veteran Gravesites

Today, State Senator Martha Marx (D-New London), Senate Chair of the Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee, led the Senate’s passage of legislation seeking to ensure veterans’ graves will receive proper care. The bill will create a working group to ensure family members of deceased veterans buried in Connecticut cemeteries can raise concerns regarding the upkeep of their loves ones’ graves.

“This bill is a direct response to calls from constituents defending their loved ones’ final resting places,” said Sen. Marx. “We need to honor our veterans for all of their sacrifices, and that includes ensuring they retain their dignity in death. I’m looking forward to the findings of this working group and building on its recommendations in years to come.”

Senate Bill 642, “An Act Establishing A Working Group To Address Concerns Regarding The Upkeep Of Veterans’ Graves,” would create a seven-member working group including representatives from the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Consumer Protection and Public Health; a representative of the funeral service industry; a representative of a municipal leader organization; a representative of small towns; and a member of the cemetery industry. This working group would develop a process for family members of deceased veterans buried in Connecticut cemeteries to address concerns regarding the veterans’ graves. That working group would operate in the latter half of 2023, reporting their findings to the legislature no later than the start of 2024.

This bill came after lawmakers received reports from constituents regarding the quality and condition of their loved ones’ gravesites at a number of cemeteries across the state. Family members say they have little recourse to see the conditions improved due to limited resources at many cemeteries and limited legal oversight, the Hartford Courant reported earlier this year; some volunteers work to clean and clear gravesites themselves. State Senator Christine Cohen introduced the bill in January.