HB1237
Cemeteries; maintenance of abandoned or neglected graveyards, owner unknown.
Status:
In Senate
Latest Action:
Feb. 5, 2026
Senate: Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
Chief Patron:
Briana Sewell (D)
Session:
2026 Regular Session
Summary
As Introduced. Cemeteries; maintenance of abandoned or neglected graveyards; owner unknown.
Permits the owner of adjacent land or an incorporated nonprofit entity to petition the circuit court for an exclusive license to maintain a graveyard that has been abandoned, is unused and neglected by the owner, and the owner of such graveyard is unknown, or cannot with reasonable diligence be found. ... (More) The bill requires the petitioner to (i) demonstrate a good faith effort to identify and contact an owner of record of the graveyard and (ii) publish, in a newspaper having general circulation in the locality in which the graveyard is located once a week for two consecutive weeks, notice that a petition for a maintenance license has been filed. The bill allows a court to grant a petitioner an exclusive license for the maintenance of an abandoned graveyard not to exceed five years. Such petitioner may, by petition of the court, renew such license indefinitely. After the court grants a petitioner a license to maintain the property, the owner of such graveyard may petition the circuit court of the county or city in which the graveyard is located to terminate the license. (Less)-
Bill History
- 01/14/2026 - House: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102487D
- 01/14/2026 - House: Referred to Committee on General Laws
- 01/26/2026 - House: Assigned HGL sub: ABC/Gaming
- 01/26/2026 - House: Placed on General Laws Agenda
- 01/27/2026 - House: Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 0-N)
- 01/28/2026 - House: Placed on General Laws Agenda
- 01/29/2026 - House: Reported from General Laws (21-Y 0-N)
- 02/02/2026 - House: Read first time
- 02/03/2026 - House: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1237)
- 02/03/2026 - House: Read second time and engrossed
- 02/04/2026 - House: Passed House Block Vote (98-Y 0-N 0-A)
- 02/04/2026 - House: Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House
- 02/04/2026 - House: Read third time and passed House Block Vote (97-Y 1-N 0-A)
- 02/05/2026 - Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- 02/05/2026 - Senate: Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
