HB 1826 Summary

• Amends the Funeral Services Licensing Act to redefine "funeral director in charge" as an individual licensed as both a funeral director and embalmer, rather than just a funeral director.

• Requires funeral directors in charge of commercial embalming establishments to hold a current dual funeral director and embalmer license, while grandfathering in existing funeral directors at funeral service establishments and crematories.

• Allows dead human remains to be picked up or transferred by a registered apprentice without direct personal supervision of a licensed funeral director or embalmer, provided contact with family members is limited to identifying the employer and arranging appointments.

• Adds two new grounds for license denial, revocation, or suspension: intentional interference with Board investigations or failure to produce records (item 21) and failure to discharge financial obligations as established by Board rule (item 22).

• Clarifies that crematories must be licensed in conjunction with a funeral service or commercial embalming establishment and establishes the effective date as November 1, 2013.