On June 11th, Senator Delbert Scott met with a number of death care industry members and regulators to begin mapping out the direction for preneed reform in Missouri. From that meeting, it was decided that the state’s death care regulators would form review committees that would facilitate a dialog on the issues, and help formulate recommendations for the Missouri Legislature’s Joint Committee on Preneed Funeral Contracts. The Joint Committee is expected to begin hearings in September.
The State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors has formed its Chapter 436 Review Committee, with the first meeting scheduled for July 8th. The Office of Endowed Care will defer formation of its review committee until later in July. The Chapter 214 Review Committee will not meet until August, after the Chapter 436 review committee meetings are concluded.
To provide some structure for the Chapter 436 meetings, the State Board is circulating a survey on 67 issues. The review committee meetings will have to maintain tight schedules in order to adequately address those issues. The review committee meetings will provide public attendees an opportunity to provide comments.
It will be crucial that consumers, funeral directors, cemeterians, fiduciaries and vendors contribute to the discussions that will take place at these meetings.