HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1208        FILED ON: 1/20/2011

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1820

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

David B. Sullivan

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act protecting graves of veterans.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

David B. Sullivan

6th Bristol

1/20/2011

George T. Ross

2nd Bristol

2/3/2011

Ann-Margaret Ferrante

5th Essex

2/3/2011

James B. Eldridge

 

2/3/2011

Antonio F. D. Cabral

13th Bristol

2/4/2011

Carolyn C. Dykema

8th Middlesex

2/4/2011

John P. Fresolo

16th Worcester

1/24/2011

James E. Timilty

 

1/25/2011

Christine E. Canavan

10th Plymouth

2/3/2011

Anne M. Gobi

5th Worcester

2/2/2011

Bruce J. Ayers

1st Norfolk

2/3/2011


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1208        FILED ON: 1/20/2011

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1820

By Mr. Sullivan of Fall River, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1820) of David B. Sullivan and others for legislation to protect graves of veterans.  Veterans and Federal Affairs.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3404 OF 2009-2010.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Eleven

_______________

 

An Act protecting graves of veterans.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1: Chapter 115 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 9 the following section:-

Section 9A. The holder of a burial easement pertaining to the grave of Veteran shall have the right to place and maintain upon such grave a Veteran’s grave marker or metal plaque, and a flag of the United States of America.

Whenever any person, including a municipality or other subdivision of the commonwealth, a church, a religious or charitable society, a cemetery corporation, and a cemetery association or organization, whether or not acting under the color of law, interferes with the exercise and enjoyment by any other person or persons of the right described in paragraph (a) above, any person aggrieved thereby may bring a civil action for injunctive or other appropriate equitable relief in order to protect the peaceable exercise or enjoyment of the right secured.

The attorney general may bring such an action in the name of the commonwealth.

Said civil action may bring such an action shall be instituted either in the superior court for the county in which the conduct complained of occurred, or in the superior court for the county in which the person whose conduct complained of resides or has his principle place of business.

All national and state veterans cemeteries within the commonwealth shall be exempt from the provisions of this section.