Senator Williams describes bill to protect family cemeteries; judge to decide disputes if negotiations fail

Senator Williams outlined Senate Bill 146 as a measure intended to protect cemeteries and allow heirs or descendants to access and maintain family burial sites even when those sites are located on private property. "This is, a bill to protect our cemeteries and to make sure that heirs or descendants of cemeteries have access to be able to maintain and keep up a family cemetery even though it might be on private land," Williams said.

During the exchange Senator Robertson sought clarification about the meaning of "consideration" under the bill’s procedures, asking, "Consideration means negotiation between the 2 parties?" Williams replied that it does, adding that if the parties cannot reach an agreement "a superior court judge will hear it, and he will make the... decision." The transcript records this explanation as the mechanism for resolving disputes when negotiation fails.

The discussion recorded in the meeting transcript was brief and mainly explanatory. No formal motion or vote on SB146 is recorded in the transcript excerpt; the bill was listed on the consideration calendar to be discussed the following day. The transcript does not record any amendments, numeric vote counts, or additional stakeholder testimony on the measure during this session.

Next procedural step in the transcript: SB146 is on the calendar and scheduled for further consideration at the next session, per the chair’s remarks.