Bill > SB1055

This bill amends the Virginia Code to expand interment rights for immediate family members and descendants of deceased individuals buried in family cemeteries. Currently, only family members of those buried on private property owned by someone else could petition for interment rights, but the bill now extends this to family cemeteries located on public property owned by a locality or held in trust for a locality. The bill defines "immediate family member or descendant" broadly to include spouses, children, parents, siblings, grandchildren, grandparents, and parents-in-law of the deceased. To obtain interment rights, a family member must petition the circuit court of the county or city where the cemetery is located, and the court will grant rights upon satisfactory proof of kinship. Acceptable proof can include official documentation, family Bibles, obituaries, photographs, or other reliable evidence. The property owner and petitioner will share equally in the cost of surveying the cemetery's perimeter. The bill specifically excludes cemeteries on church or religious property and does not prevent property owners from seeking removal of remains from unidentified or abandoned graveyards. The legislation is designed to provide more flexibility and access to family burial sites for descendants.

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https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/SB1055