(a) The Government of the Virgin Islands shall pay $5,000 to a funeral home or a mortuary business that prepares the body of a veteran of the United States Armed Forces for burial, interment, or renders other services connected with the death upon the funeral home or mortuary business submittal of a certified copy of the death certificate and an invoice for services performed to the Office of Veterans Affairs.
(b) The Director of the Office of Veterans Affairs shall develop the procedures for the implementation of the direct payment to the mortuary business or funeral home.
(c) The benefits provided by subsection (a) of this section shall be provided for the burial of only those veterans who were domiciliaries of the Virgin Islands at the time of death, and who entered the armed services in the Virgin Islands or who were domiciliaries of the Virgin Islands but entered the armed services in another jurisdiction while temporarily residing in that jurisdiction. Burial in all Virgin Islands cemeteries, with spaces set aside for veterans, shall be made available to all members of the Armed Forces and veterans discharged under conditions other than dishonorable who completed the required periods of service, as well as their spouses, minor children, and under certain conditions, unmarried adult children. Also eligible are members of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine and Coast Guard Reserves and the Army and Air Force National Guard with 20 years of qualifying service or who die while on active duty for training, active duty, or territorial active duty, as well as members of the Reserve Officer Training Corps of the Army, Navy or Air Force who die on active duty for training. If a surviving spouse of an eligible veteran marries a nonveteran, and the remarriage is terminated by death of or divorce from the nonveteran, the spouse is eligible for burial in the designated burial site set aside for veterans. Only veterans who were bona fide residents of the Virgin Islands at the time they were either drafted or enlisted, whether residing in the Territory or attending college, are eligible for burial in the burial site set aside for veterans.
(d) There is hereby authorized to be appropriated to the Veterans Emergency and Mainland Transportation and Burial Expenses Account such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.