Bipartisan Roberts Bill to Ensure Regular Inspections of Funeral Homes and Crematories Clears Committee
DENVER, CO – Legislation sponsored by Senator Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, that would ensure Colorado’s funeral homes and crematories are regularly inspected by a state agency cleared the Senate Business, Labor, & Technology Committee today.
HB24-1335, also sponsored by Senator Bob Gardner, R-Colorado Springs, would extend and expand regulations of the Mortuary Science Code, improving regulation and helping avoid future tragedies caused in part by a lack of oversight by the state.
“Coloradans should be able to trust in the services being provided during the most difficult moments of their families’ lives - but too often in Colorado, our state’s lack of oversight results in tragedy instead,” Roberts said. “We’re working hard this session to correct that. This bill will put in place stronger oversight that will ensure funeral homes and crematories are held to a high standard, and combined with SB 173 which will finally license the folks who work in the industry, we'll make sure that Coloradans’ remains are handled with the care, dignity, and respect they deserve.”
The bill expands and continues certain portions of the Mortuary Science Code in the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), which is scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2024. The bill also:
Requires inspection of funeral homes and crematories on a routine basis, including after businesses have ceased operations;
Allows inspections to occur outside business hours;
Expands rulemaking authority for DORA;
Adds failure to respond to complaints as grounds for discipline; and
Authorizes DORA to suspend the registration for persons who do not comply with orders following a complaint or investigation.
Roberts is also a sponsor of SB24-173, which would align Colorado with the 49 other states that already require education, certification and licensure of those who work as funeral directors, mortuary scientists, cremationists, and embalmers.
HB24-1335 will now move to the Senate Finance Committee for further consideration. Track the bill’s progress HERE.