The Missouri Senate Committee assigned the task of preneed funeral reform posted a substitute bill to the Legislature’s website on February 6th: SCS SB1. For those who participated in the Chapter 436 Working Group meetings last summer, this bill may seem vaguely familiar. During those meetings, the Division of Professional Registration circulated a 41-page draft proposal for discussion with industry representatives. However, discussions regarding the proposal bogged down when industry members could not agree over several issues. Eventually, the Working Group issued a “Recommendations” statement.

Turning back to the Division staff, the Senate committee has dusted off that earlier draft proposal and added provisions based on the Chapter 436 Working Group Recommendations. This approach is sure to revive the disagreements that derailed last summer’s meetings.

With the NPS failure as a backdrop, the Missouri legislature will have little patience for the internal bickering that has marred prior reform efforts. While SCS SB1 has some legitimate flaws, the status quo is no longer an option.