AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND A CONNECTICUT VETERANS CEMETERY.

HB 5293 transfers specific land parcels in Middletown to the Veterans' Home and Hospital Commission for use as a Connecticut Veterans Cemetery, replacing an older land transfer provision. It requires the Commissioner of Veterans Affairs to designate additional state-owned land for a new veterans' cemetery by July 1, 2027, in addition to the existing cemetery. The bill expands burial eligibility to include Connecticut National Guard veterans with 20+ years of service, those killed in action (including Hmong Laotian veterans who served in the Vietnam War), and veterans entitled to retirement pay under federal law. Requests for burial in these cemeteries, submitted by veterans or their next of kin, must be granted. This law directly affects Connecticut veterans and their families seeking burial options.