During the summer following NPS’ collapse, the Missouri Division of Professional Registration provided crucial leadership to building the consensus required for Senate Bill No. 1. Rushed efforts to re-write the Missouri preneed law had failed, and the Legislature then turned to the Division. Represented by Connie Clarkson, Becky Dunn and Kim Grinston, the Division prepared
The Missouri Funeral Board: Was There a 2014 Warning?
Starting with its 2014 fiscal year, the Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors has initiated 334 complaints against Missouri funeral homes. That is an average of 11 complaints per month. During the four years that preceding 2014, the State Board filed only 77 complaints against funeral homes, or an average of 1.5 complaints
The MFT Complaint: Rollovers and Sellers
In our prior post, we looked at Paragraphs 39 through 52 of the Complaint filed against the Missouri Funeral Trust, and the implications of Missouri’s Common Trust Fund law. In this post we will look at paragraphs 79 through 95 of the State Board Complaint, and what exposures rollover funeral homes could have.
The Complaint
Missouri Preneed Seller Records: Trying to Get Everyone on a Similar Page
As reported in several prior posts, the preneed examination process in Missouri has been a work in progress for the past five years. Funeral homes in that state have been selling preneed for more than 30 years without much oversight or recordkeeping guidelines. When the law was re-written in 2009 in response to the NPS
Missouri’s Next Round of Preneed Examinations: Drilling Deeper?
When the Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors meets this week, their staff will be seeking input regarding the scope of the second round of preneed audits. Each preneed seller is to be audited at least once every five years, and the first round of audits was ‘concluded’ this year. Included on
Missouri Preneed Tax Cut: The Contract Fee
Using its emergency rulemaking authority, the Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors reduced the state preneed contract fee from $36 to $25. The change is to go in effect on September 1, 2015, the first day of the next reporting period.
Missouri Audits: What’s in store for round 2?
The Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors will meet August 4th and 5th to discuss legislation, regulation drafts and changes to the examination process. The State Board examiners are completing the first audit of each preneed seller, and the scope and procedures for the next round of preneed audits will be discussed. Use
Missouri Funeral Trust: Seeking a Gag Order
On July 27th, a Missouri court will consider a motion filed by the Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors to be dismissed from the lawsuit filed by the Missouri Funeral Trust. One of the allegations made by the Missouri Funeral Trust was that confidential information obtained by a state auditor regarding the program’s
Preneed Trust Shortages: Deposit Plus Accounting
During its state convention, the executive director for the Missouri Funeral Director and Embalmers Association stated that their master trust program would have a $3 million dollar surplus if all preneed contract beneficiaries were to die that day. If the Missouri program were being administered pursuant to common trust fund rules, there should not be
The Missouri Agenda: a few clean up provisions
The Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors will meet to July 21st to discuss “a short slate” of legislation and regulation proposals. While many of the proposals have been previously discussed, some, such as the preneed shortage funding requirement, are new. We also note regulation proposals regarding when forms and reports