FIRST REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 48
91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE RELFORD.
Pre-filed December 1, 2000, and 1000 copies ordered printed.
ANNE C. WALKER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal sections 333.041, 333.042, 333.061 and 333.081, RSMo 2000, relating to embalmers and funeral directors, and to enact in lieu thereof four new sections relating to the same subject.
Section A. Sections 333.041, 333.042, 333.061 and 333.081, RSMo 2000, are repealed and four new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 333.041, 333.042, 333.061 and 333.081, to read as follows:
333.041. 1. Each applicant for a license to practice funeral directing shall furnish evidence to establish to the satisfaction of the board that he or she is:
(1) At least eighteen years of age, and possesses a high school diploma or equivalent thereof;
(2) Either a citizen or a bona fide resident of the state of Missouri or entitled to a license [under] pursuant to section 333.051, or a resident in a county contiguous and adjacent to the state of Missouri who is employed by a funeral establishment located within the state of Missouri, to practice funeral directing upon the grant of a license to do so; and
(3) A person of good moral character.
2. Every person desiring to enter the profession of embalming dead human bodies within the state of Missouri and who is [entering] enrolled in an accredited institution of mortuary science education shall register with the board as a practicum student upon the form provided by the board. After such registration, a student may assist, under the direct supervision of Missouri licensed embalmers and funeral directors, in Missouri licensed funeral establishments, while serving his or her practicum for the accredited institution of mortuary science education. The [forms] form for registration as a [student and as a] practicum student shall be accompanied by a fee in an amount established by the board.
3. Each applicant for a license to practice embalming shall furnish evidence to establish to the satisfaction of the board that he or she:
(1) Is at least eighteen years of age, and possesses a high school diploma or equivalent thereof;
(2) Is either a citizen or bona fide resident of the state of Missouri or entitled to a license [under] pursuant to section 333.051, or a resident in a county contiguous and adjacent to the state of Missouri who is employed by a funeral establishment located within the state of Missouri, to practice embalming upon the grant of a license to do so;
(3) Is a person of good moral character;
(4) Has graduated from an institute of mortuary science education accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education, or any successor organization recognized by the United States Department of Education, for funeral service education. If an applicant does not appear for the final examination before the board within five years from the date of his or her graduation from an accredited institution of mortuary science education, his or her registration as a student embalmer shall be automatically canceled;
(5) Upon due examination administered by the board, is possessed of a knowledge of the subjects of embalming, anatomy, pathology, bacteriology, mortuary administration, chemistry, restorative art, together with statutes, rules and regulations governing the care, custody, shelter and disposition of dead human bodies and the transportation thereof or has passed the national board examination of the Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards. If any applicant fails to pass the state examination, he or she may retake the examination at the next regular examination meeting. The applicant shall notify the board office of his or her desire to retake the examination at least thirty days prior to the date of the examination. Each time the examination is retaken, the applicant shall pay a new examination fee in an amount established by the board;
(6) Has been employed full time in funeral service in a licensed funeral establishment and has personally embalmed at least twenty-five dead human bodies under the personal supervision of an embalmer who holds a current and valid Missouri embalmer's license or an embalmer who holds a current and valid embalmer's license in a state with which the Missouri board has entered into a reciprocity agreement during an apprenticeship of not less than twelve consecutive months. "Personal supervision" means that the licensed embalmer shall be physically present during the entire embalming process in the first six months of the apprenticeship period and physically present at the beginning of the embalming process and available for consultation and personal inspection within a period of not more than one hour in the remaining six months of the apprenticeship period. All transcripts and other records filed with the board shall become a part of the board files.
4. If the applicant does not appear for oral examination within the five years after his or her graduation from an accredited institution of mortuary science education, then he or she must file a new application and no fees paid previously shall apply toward the license fee.
5. Examinations required by this section and section 333.042 shall be held at least twice a year at times and places fixed by the board. The board shall by rule and regulation prescribe the standard for successful completion of the examinations.
6. Upon establishment of his or her qualifications as specified by this section or section 333.042, the board shall issue to the applicant a license to practice funeral directing or embalming, as the case may require, and shall register the applicant as a duly licensed funeral director or a duly licensed embalmer. Any person having the qualifications required by this section and section 333.042 may be granted both a license to practice funeral directing and to practice embalming.
7. The board shall, upon request, waive any requirement of this chapter and issue a temporary funeral director's license, valid for six months, to the surviving spouse or next of kin or the personal representative of a licensed funeral director, or to the spouse, next of kin, employee or conservator of a licensed funeral director disabled because of sickness, mental incapacity or injury.
333.042. 1. Every person desiring to enter the profession of funeral directing in this state shall make application with the state board of embalmers and funeral directors and pay the current application and examination fees. Applicants not entitled to a license [under] pursuant to section 333.051 shall serve an apprenticeship for at least twelve months in a funeral establishment licensed for the care and preparation for burial and transportation of the human dead in this state or in another state which has established standards for admission to practice funeral directing equal to, or more stringent than, the requirements for admission to practice funeral directing in this state. The applicant shall devote at least fifteen hours per week to his or her duties as an apprentice under the supervision of a Missouri licensed funeral director. Such applicant shall submit proof to the board, on forms provided by the board, that the applicant has arranged and conducted ten funeral services during the applicant's apprenticeship under the supervision of a Missouri licensed funeral director. Upon completion of the apprenticeship, the applicant shall appear before the board to be tested on the applicant's legal and practical knowledge of funeral directing, funeral home licensing, preneed funeral contracts and the care, custody, shelter, disposition and transportation of dead human bodies. Upon acceptance of the application and fees by the board, an applicant shall have twenty-four months to successfully complete the requirements for licensure found in this section or the application for licensure shall be canceled.
2. If a person applies for a limited license to work only in a funeral establishment which is licensed only for cremation, including transportation of dead human bodies to and from the funeral establishment, he or she shall make application, pay the current application and examination fee and successfully complete the [written] Missouri law examination [pursuant to subsection 1 of this section; however, he is]. He or she shall be exempt from the [six-month internship, six-month] twelve-month apprenticeship and the practical examination before the board. If a person has a limited license issued pursuant to this subsection, he or she may obtain a full funeral director's license if he or she fulfills the [internship,] apprenticeship and [practical knowledge test requirements of subsection 1 of this section] successfully completes the funeral director practical examination.
3. If an individual is a Missouri licensed embalmer or has graduated from an institute of mortuary science education accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education or any successor organization recognized by the United States Department of Education for Funeral Service Education, or has successfully completed a course of study in funeral directing offered by a college accredited by a recognized national, regional or state accrediting body and approved by the state board of embalmers and funeral directors, and desires to enter the profession of funeral directing in this state, the individual shall comply with all the requirements for licensure as a funeral director pursuant to subsection 1 of section 333.041 and subsection 1 of this section; however, the individual is exempt from the twelve-month apprenticeship required by subsection 1 of this section.
333.061. 1. No funeral establishment shall be operated in this state unless the owner or operator thereof has a license issued by the board.
2. A license for the operation of a funeral establishment shall be issued by the board, if the board finds:
(1) That the establishment is under the general management and the supervision of a duly licensed funeral director;
(2) That all embalming performed therein is performed by or under the direct supervision of a duly licensed embalmer;
(3) That any place in the funeral establishment where embalming is conducted contains a preparation room with a sanitary floor, walls and ceiling, and adequate sanitary drainage and disposal facilities including running water, and complies with the sanitary standard prescribed by the department of health for the prevention of the spread of contagious, infectious or communicable diseases;
(4) Each funeral establishment shall have available in the preparation or embalming room a register book or log which shall be available at all times in full view for the board's inspector and the name of each body embalmed, place, if other than at the establishment, the date and time that the embalming took place, the name and signature of the embalmer and [his] the embalmer's license number shall be noted in the book; and
(5) The establishment complies with all applicable state, county or municipal zoning ordinances and regulations.
3. The board shall grant or deny each application for a license [under] pursuant to this section within thirty days after it is filed[, and no prosecution of any person who has filed an application for such license for violation of this section shall be maintained unless it is shown that his application was duly denied by the board and that he was duly notified thereof]. The applicant may request in writing up to two thirty-day extensions of the application, provided the request for an extension is received by the board prior to the expiration of the thirty-day application or extension period.
4. Licenses shall be issued [under] pursuant to this section upon application and the payment of a funeral establishment fee and shall be renewed at the end of the licensing period on the establishment's renewal date.
5. The board may refuse to renew or may suspend or revoke any license issued [under] pursuant to this section if it finds, after hearing, that the funeral establishment does not meet any of the requirements set forth in this section as conditions for the issuance of a license, or for the violation by the owner of the funeral establishment of any of the provisions of section 333.121. No new license shall be issued to the owner of a funeral establishment or to any corporation controlled by such owner for three years after the revocation of the license of the owner or of a corporation controlled by the owner. Before any action is taken [under] pursuant to this subsection the procedure for notice and hearing as prescribed by section 333.121 shall be followed.
333.081. 1. Each license issued to a funeral director or embalmer [under] pursuant to this chapter shall expire unless renewed on or before the renewal date. The board may, however, provide for the renewal of licenses held by individuals who are not actively engaged in practice and who are over sixty-five years of age without fee. The board shall renew any such license upon due application for renewal and upon the payment of the renewal fee, except that no license shall expire during the period when the holder thereof is actively engaged in the military service of the United States. Any licensee exempted from the renewal of his or her license because of military service shall, before beginning practice in this state after leaving military service, apply for and pay the renewal fee for the current licensing period.
2. When renewing a funeral director's or embalmer's license the licensee shall specify the address of the funeral establishment at which he or she is practicing or proposes to practice and shall notify the board of any termination of his or her connection therewith. The licensee shall notify the board of any new employment or connection with a funeral establishment of a permanent nature. If the licensee is not employed at or connected with a funeral establishment he shall notify the board of his or her permanent address.
3. [The board shall not renew any license more than ninety days after the renewal date but shall notify the licensee that his license has expired.] The holder of an expired license shall be issued a new license by the board within two years of the renewal date after he or she has paid delinquent renewal fees. Any license not renewed within two years shall be void.
4. Failure of the licensee to receive the renewal notice shall not relieve the licensee of the duty to pay the renewal fee and
renew his or her license.
Missouri House of Representatives