# Georgia HB 53: Georgia veterans; allow certain persons to be buried in Georgia veterans cemeteries

Georgia HB 53, Georgia veterans; allow certain persons to be buried in Georgia veterans cemeteries, is a 2025-2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Bethany Ballard (Republican), Josh Bonner (Republican), Chas Cannon (Republican) and 3 others; status signed, last action 2025-07-01 (Effective Date); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB53-2025-2026
- As of: 2026-10-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Georgia HB 53
- State: Georgia
- Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
- Title: Georgia veterans; allow certain persons to be buried in Georgia veterans cemeteries
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-01-14
- Last action: 2025-07-01, Effective Date
- Sponsors: Bethany Ballard (Republican), Josh Bonner (Republican), Chas Cannon (Republican), David Clark (Republican), Noelle Kahaian (Republican), Brian Prince (Democrat)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Defense & Veterans Affairs, Veterans, Military, and Homeland Security, General Bill
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 3 (381 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 3

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Burial access for Guard, Reserve, families: benefit, low. Georgia veterans cemeteries allow burial for more people. Members of the National Guard or other reserve components qualify if they completed a full term. Their service must have ended under honorable conditions, and they must have died on or after August 1, 1990. ROTC members who died under honora…
- State can build and run veterans cemeteries: benefit, low. The Georgia Department of Veterans Service can establish, operate, and maintain state veterans cemeteries. The cemetery in place on July 1, 2002, is named the Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery. This authority helps the state add and manage burial sites.
- New burial fees at state veterans cemeteries: cost, low. The Georgia Department of Veterans Service can charge a fee for each burial in a state veterans cemetery. The fee may match the national cemetery burial allowance or another amount set by the commissioner. Families or others who handle burial costs may have to pay this fee.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Bethany Ballard (Republican), House
- Sponsor: Josh Bonner (Republican), House
- Sponsor: Chas Cannon (Republican), House
- Sponsor: David Clark (Republican), House
- Sponsor: Noelle Kahaian (Republican), House
- Sponsor: Brian Prince (Democrat), House
- Cosponsor: Rick Williams (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-03-27 | House | Agree to Senate Substitute | pass | 163 | 0 | 4 |
| 2025-03-25 | Senate | PASSAGE BY SUBSTITUTE | pass | 54 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025-02-20 | House | PASSAGE | pass | 164 | 0 | 13 |

## Actions (16)

- 2025-07-01: Effective Date
- 2025-05-13: House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- 2025-05-13: Act 179
- 2025-04-07: House Sent to Governor (House)
- 2025-03-27: House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
- 2025-03-25: Senate Third Read (Senate)
- 2025-03-25: Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
- 2025-03-21: Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- 2025-03-20: Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- 2025-02-21: Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- 2025-02-20: House Third Readers (House)
- 2025-02-20: House Passed/Adopted (House)
- 2025-02-12: House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- 2025-01-16: House Second Readers (House)
- 2025-01-15: House First Readers (House)
- 2025-01-14: House Hopper (House)

## Bill text

- HB 53/AP* (v5): [PDF](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/237715)

## Related bills

- SB 160: Reckless Stunt Driving; a motor vehicle involved in a second offense of reckless stunt driving; replace the forfeiture penalty (signed)
- SB 384: Motor Vehicle; optional five-year motor vehicle registration and revalidation for certain motor vehicles; provide (signed)
- SB 76: License Plates; specialty license plate benefitting the Georgia Veterans Service Foundation; establish (signed)
- SB 406: "Georgia Property Owners' Bill of Rights Act"; enact (signed)
- HB 1391: Specialty license plates; honor public safety officers; establish (signed)
- HB 1344: Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act; enact (signed)

## Sources
- [HB 53/AP* (v5) (PDF)](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/237715)

## Related
- [SB 160: Reckless Stunt Driving; a motor vehicle involved in a second offense of reckles…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB160-2025-2026)
- [SB 384: Motor Vehicle; optional five-year motor vehicle registration and revalidation f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB384-2025-2026)
- [SB 76: License Plates; specialty license plate benefitting the Georgia Veterans Servic…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB76-2025-2026)
- [SB 406: "Georgia Property Owners' Bill of Rights Act"; enact](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-SB406-2025-2026)
- [HB 1391: Specialty license plates; honor public safety officers; establish](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB1391-2025-2026)
- [HB 1344: Georgia Insurance Affordability and Claims Integrity Act; enact](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB1344-2025-2026)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/GA-HB53-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-19).