CS/HB 527 Summary

• Defines "direct supervision" (physical presence required) and "general supervision" (reasonably available via phone/electronic communication) for funeral directors and embalmers

• Requires full-time funeral director in charge of funeral establishments to hold active embalmer license or combination license effective October 1, 2010, with grandfather clause for existing directors

• Authorizes licensing authority to require online electronic license applications and renewal, with option to charge up to $25 fee for paper submissions

• Prohibits issuance or renewal of licenses to applicants with specified criminal records unless they demonstrate the license does not create danger to public

• Establishes funeral director intern licenses with educational requirements, direct supervision initially, and transition to general supervision after completion of mortuary science coursework and passage of laws-and-rules examination

• Allows cemetery companies and preneed licensees to charge administrative fees for processing contracts, which must be disclosed and are exempt from trust deposit requirements

• Extends communicable disease training completion deadline from 10 to 30 days and repeals mandatory HIV/AIDS course requirement