You may need to hire a Long Island funeral home neglect attorney if your loved one’s remains were mishandled. In New York, only licensed funeral directors can arrange burial or cremation. The state also requires that all funeral directors and embalmers pass a law exam and complete an apprenticeship.
Licensing requirements vary by state, so it is important to research your options carefully. The following information will help you make an informed decision.
California Cemetery & Funeral Bureau
The Bureau licenses, regulates, inspects and investigates funeral establishments, cemetery managers, embalmers, apprentice embalmers, cremated remains disposers, and the nearly 200 licensed private cemeteries in California. The Bureau also administers the State’s pre-need funeral trust fund statutes and regulations.
Consumers are protected by laws that require funeral homes to provide an itemized price list during the initial consultation and on their website, as well as prevent funeral home owners from imposing undue pressure to purchase unnecessary services or products. In addition, burial rights laws ensure consumers receive accurate and complete information regarding funeral costs.
Consumers may choose to keep ashes at a private home, inter them in a cemetery plot or scattering garden, place them in a columbarium, or donate them to a public institution. They may also hire a person or firm licensed to dispose of ashes, known as a “cremated remains disposer.” The Bureau maintains 4 cubic feet of textual records in this collection that date from 1949 to 1978.
New York State Department of Health
The New York State Department of Health is responsible for public health in the state of New York. It provides a wide range of services, including food safety inspections, disease control and prevention, epidemiology, and more. It also licenses and regulates Certified Home Health Agencies, Long Term Home Health Care Programs, Hospices, and Limited Licensed Home Care Services Agencies. It conducts regular inspections of these facilities to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations. It also monitors reported complaints.
Georgia State Board of Funeral Service
In Georgia, all funeral homes must be licensed and insured. They must be members of the National Funeral Directors Association, and they must adhere to strict ethical and professional standards. The association also provides a network of resources for professionals. Lord & Stephens is an active member, and its staff has served in various positions from treasurer to president.
The state of Georgia has laws governing caskets, burial and cremation. In addition, the funeral industry must disclose prices by providing an itemized General Price List at the beginning of a visit to the funeral home. The funeral home must also show consumers separate casket and outer burial container prices.
The State Board of Funeral Service also regulates the practice of funeral directing and embalming. It is a member of the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards, which addresses licensing qualifications, examination, state-to-state reciprocity and other issues that impact the missions of its members. Its website contains licensure-related applications, renewals and affidavits & verifiable documents.
Nevada Funeral & Cemetery Services Board
The Nevada Funeral & Cemetery Services Board is committed to protecting the health, safety and welfare of consumers by regulating the funeral service profession. It is funded by licensing fees and does not receive funds from the State General Fund. It is composed of seven members appointed by the Governor. Southwest Medical Hospice Care bereavement coordinator Jeff Long was recently appointed to the board.
Under Nevada law, a funeral home must offer a printed or typewritten price list to people who inquire in person about casket offerings or prices. The list must contain the retail prices for all outer burial containers that are available, the name of the manufacturer or supplier, and be effective as of the date of the inquiry.
You must also include on your GPL the fee you will charge for basic professional services of a funeral director and staff. This includes embalming. If you have a problem with a funeral or cremation home, you should try to solve it with the funeral director first. If that fails, you can lodge a complaint with the State Board of Funeral Directors, Embalmers& Operators of Cemeteries and Crematories.