Senate Bill 24-173 Summary

• Establishes individual licensing requirements effective January 1, 2027 for five mortuary science professions: funeral directors, mortuary science practitioners, embalmers, cremationists, and natural reductionists.

• Creates new Parts 5-9 of Article 135 requiring applicants to pass criminal background checks, meet education/experience standards, pass national board examinations, and complete ongoing continuing education (minimum 6 hours annually).

• Introduces provisional licenses for workers practicing before January 1, 2027 who lack formal credentials but have 4,000+ hours of work experience, expiring January 1, 2031.

• Establishes grounds for discipline including fraud, malpractice, failure to report criminal convictions, discriminatory practices, and violations of consumer protection standards, with fines up to $5,000 per violation.

• Appropriates $121,166 for fiscal year 2024-25 to the Department of Regulatory Agencies for implementation, including 1.0 FTE for the Division of Professions and Occupations.