45.60 Military funeral honors.

(1) Program.

(a) The department shall administer a program to coordinate the provision of military funeral honors in this state to all of the following:

1. Military personnel on active duty.

2. Former military members who served on active duty and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.

3. Members of the selective service.

4. Former members of the selected reserve and national guard who served at least one term of enlistment or period of initial obligated service and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.

5. Former members of the selected reserve or national guard who were discharged due to a service-connected disability or for a disability subsequently adjudicated to have been service-connected.

(b) Military funeral honors may be provided by local units of member organizations of the council on veterans programs, by local units of veterans organizations certified by the department to provide military funeral honors, by members of the Wisconsin national guard activated under s. 321.04 (2) (e), or by staff of the department.

(2) Stipends. From the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (sm), the department shall reimburse a local unit of a member organization of the council on veterans programs or a local unit of a veterans organization certified by the department to provide military funeral honors for the costs of providing military funeral honors in this state to a person described in sub. (1). The reimbursement may not exceed $50 for each funeral for which military honors are provided.

(3) Tuition voucher.

(a) The department shall create a tuition voucher form to be used by funeral directors under par. (b). The department shall distribute copies of the tuition voucher form, plus an explanation of the form's use, to every operator of a funeral establishment. The department may not charge a fee for the tuition voucher form or for the distribution of the form.

(b) A funeral director may issue a tuition voucher in the amount of $25 to an individual who sounds “Taps" on a bugle, trumpet, or cornet during each funeral for which military honors are held in this state for a person described in sub. (1) and who is a student in grades 6 to 12 or at an institution of higher education, as defined under s. 895.515 (1) (b). The tuition voucher may be used at any time for the payment of tuition and required program activity fees at a University of Wisconsin System institution as provided under s. 36.27 (3r) or a technical college as provided under s. 38.24 (6). The department shall encourage private institutions of higher education to accept the vouchers. The vouchers are not transferable.

History: 2005 a. 22, 25; 2007 a. 200; 2013 a. 20; 2015 a. 55.