§15-1B-23. American flag for burial of deceased members of the National Guard; presentation of flag to parent or spouse.

(a) The Adjutant General shall pay the necessary expenses for the presentation of a flag of the United States with care to the person designated to direct disposition of the remains of a deceased person who served a federally recognized unit of National Guard of this state, upon request of such designated person, if the deceased member of the National Guard has not been dishonorably discharged from service as provided for in section nine of this article, and if such deceased person is not otherwise eligible to receive such flag under any other provision of the laws of this state or federal law. Such flag shall be provided in order that the casket of the deceased person may be draped in a flag of the United States.

(b) After the burial of the deceased member, the flag so furnished pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be given to the parent or parents or to the spouse of the deceased person. If no claim is made by a parent or spouse for the flag furnished under subsection (a), the flag may be given, upon request, to a close friend or associate of the deceased member.

(c) For the purposes of this section, the term "parent" includes a natural parent, a step-parent, a parent by adoption or a person who for a period of not less than one year before the death of the decedent stood in loco parentis to him and preference under this clause shall be given to the persons who exercised a parental relationship at the time of, or most nearly before, the death of the decedent.