S479 Summary

• Reduces North Carolina Board of Funeral Service membership from 9 to 9 members with revised composition: decreases funeral director association appointees from 4 to 3 and morticians association appointees from 2 to 3, adds prohibition on multiple board members from the same funeral establishment.

• Modernizes licensing requirements for funeral directors, embalmers, and funeral service licensees by requiring standardized examinations from The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards and shortening residency traineeship timeline requirements to within three years.

• Increases professional liability insurance requirements to $1,000,000 minimum for funeral establishments, independent funeral service licensees, and body transporters; increases reinspection fees from $100 to $150.

• Authorizes alkaline hydrolysis as an alternative method for human remains disposition, with same licensing and regulatory requirements as cremation.

• Repeals provisions regarding burial associations, transfers their funds to the Preneed Recovery Fund, and modifies preneed funeral contract rules regarding administrative fee retention and contract cancellation conditions.