CO HB1258

Summary of HB 26-1258: Changes to Practices Relating to Death

• Redefines funeral establishments to require a physical location that directly provides funeral services, excluding "brokers" who operate solely through subcontractors from qualifying for registration.

• Extends timelines for body disposition from 30 to 60 days after death for refrigerated or embalmed remains, and from 180 days to one year for disposal of unclaimed cremated remains.

• Creates new associate license pathway effective January 1, 2027, allowing individuals enrolled in or graduated from accredited mortuary science programs to practice under supervision of licensed professionals for up to three years.

• Expands criminal penalties for corpse abuse to include transporting human remains without adequate refrigeration/preservation or in a manner involving stacking of bodies, classified as a class 6 felony.

• Requires annual inspections of all funeral establishments by the director (or contracted private party) and mandates that funeral service contracts include the designee's license number and the Department of Regulatory Agencies complaint contact information.