Bill > SB146

This bill aims to strengthen regulations and protections for cemeteries and burial grounds in Georgia by revising procedures for obtaining permits related to human remains and burial sites. It clarifies definitions for terms like "human remains" and "licensed funeral director," and modifies the process for issuing permits for disinterment (moving human remains) and reinterment, requiring supervision by a licensed funeral director and specifying necessary application information. The bill also introduces new regulations for establishing family burial plots, outlining minimum requirements such as land size, perpetual access easements, and maintenance covenants, and establishes civil penalties for violations. Furthermore, it provides legal recourse for descendants who are denied access to land to visit, care for, or maintain ancestral grave sites, and for those seeking to discover such sites for genealogical research, allowing courts to grant specific entry rights while balancing landowner interests. The bill also revises procedures for disturbing abandoned cemeteries, requiring a "disturbance permit" and emphasizing the need to identify and notify descendants before any work can commence, while also clarifying the roles of local governments and the Department of Natural Resources in such matters.

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https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70211