GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) – Colorado does not have many regulations for the funeral home industry. You may not know it, but Colorado was one of the few states without requirements for who could become a funeral director. Before recent legislation, the last time the state had laws like these was back in 1983—over 40 years ago. Those regulations were lost after the state legislature did not renew legislation.
Recent laws like Senate Bill 24-173, House Bill 24-1335, and House Bill 24-1254 were created to close the gaps that existed in Colorado’s funeral and death care industries—especially in light of recent tragedies that occurred at Penrose Funeral Home and Sunset Mesa.
Matt Soper, Colorado State Representative of District 54 (R), said, “We never want to be the embarrassment of the nation again. Those who lost their license in other states or were reprimanded came to Colorado.”
SB24-173 requires funeral directors, embalmers, creationists, and related professionals to be licensed and qualified by January 2027. HB24-1335 sets standards for funeral homes and crematories and will allow the state to inspect them. HB24-1254 removes the profit motive for funeral homes working with body banks. It also gives you a say and protection if you were to donate your body after death.
For victims of tragedies like the Sunset Mesa body-selling scheme, these laws are a step in the right direction. Judy Cressler told us, “This has been a hard journey. With this legislation they are working on, I hope it makes a difference. If there are no harsh penalties, it cannot do much.” “…Instead of handing over our loved ones to complete strangers and asking no questions, we need to know the right questions to ask. We also need our government to help us with transparency.”
Lawmakers are working with the public and stakeholders on rulemaking. These are the fine details like education requirements, necessary training, and other areas. To sign up and get involved: Rulemaking Updates
The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies has a consumer guide to death care and these recent laws. For information, follow this link.
Copyright 2024 KJCT. All rights reserved.
Source link : http://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=66b932b177b6404ba25be8990b1372a9&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kjct8.com%2F2024%2F08%2F11%2Fnew-laws-will-regulate-funeral-homes-colorado%2F&c=1145306075433261869&mkt=en-us
Author :
Publish date : 2024-08-11 09:48:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
