Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law SB 469 last weekend.  It’s a bill that will enable family members of qualified veterans to ensure a proper burial for their loved ones.  Spearheaded by state senator Sam Aanestad, it will allow the California Department of Veterans Affairs to waive the required $500 charged for burial at any veterans cemeteries run by the state when family members cannot afford to pay it.

According to Bill Baird, the senator’s press secretary, the legislation was drafted after the governor became aware that some dependents of honorably discharged veterans were turned away from the Northern California Veterans Cemetery because their relatives could not pay the fee.

Funding for the measure will be covered by private donations.