MS HB390

Licensed funeral directors or funeral establishment employees may request information about a deceased person's life insurance by providing the insurer with a death notification, written authorization from those with legal authority over disposition, and group policy affiliation if applicable

Insurance companies must respond within 2 business days with information including policy existence, beneficiaries on record, outstanding liens or loans, benefits payable, and whether the policy was reinstated in the past 24 months

Failure by an insurer to respond within 2 business days allows the requestor to file a consumer complaint with the Attorney General's Office of Consumer Protection

Funeral service providers must make reasonable efforts to locate beneficiaries within 100 hours of receiving insurance information and must inform them in bold writing that they have no legal obligation to spend insurance money on the deceased's funeral or debts

Funeral licensees who make false information requests or fail to notify beneficiaries of their rights are deemed to have committed unprofessional conduct and are unfit to practice funeral service