The state of Missouri has budgeted money to begin the process of building a news veterans' home and to upgrade two veterans' cemeteries.
Gov. Jay Nixon announced Friday that state Legislature had budgeted $500,000 for the veterans' home project.
State officials haven't chosen a site for the new veterans' home. Nixon said in a news release that 494,000 veterans live in Missouri and more than 1,900 are on waiting lists for state facilities.
Lawmakers also approved $6.3 million to build walls to hold cremated remains at the state veterans' cemeteries in Springfield and Higginsville.