In August 2009, the members and staff of the Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors put in a lot of overtime to keep the preneed industry operating. Senate Bill 1 established brand new licensing requirements for preneed sellers. Without a license, a seller’s preneed contracts could be voided. However, the State Board lacked authority
Missouri - SB1
Missouri’s New Preneed Reporting Requirements: Provider Renewal
By Bill Stalter on
Posted in Missouri - SB1
License renewal packets mailed to Missouri funeral homes in August are a little thicker than what has been sent out in prior years. The new renewal forms include five new preneed reporting forms: a Preneed Seller Annual Report, a Preneed Provider Renewal Form, a Report form for Trust Funded Pre-Need Contracts, a…
What is this going to cost me?
By Bill Stalter on
Posted in Legislation, Missouri - SB1
The Missouri State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors met June 15th and 16th to consider legislative proposals offered for technical corrections to SB1. In a prior post, this author took exception to one of the proposals made by a Board member to raise Missouri’s trusting requirement from 85% to 100%. However, a majority of…
Self Reporting: how deep will it go?
By Bill Stalter on
Posted in Missouri - SB1, Preneed
Missouri funeral homes will get their first glimpse of their State Board’s proposal for self reporting for preneed sales. Under the prior law, preneed sellers merely reported the number of contracts sold and their aggregate sales price.
For Missouri regulators to properly assess whether ‘old’ Chapter 436 trusts and joint accounts are properly funded, the…
Missouri’s 2010 Legislative Proposals: 100% Trusting
By Bill Stalter on
The next round of legislative proposals have been posted to the State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors website. At the top of the list is whether the trusting requirement should be raised from 85% to 100%. The proponent believes this will enhance consumer protections. He is not alone.
The Illinois Legislature heard the…
Missouri’s democratic process: June SB1 Hearings
By Bill Stalter on
Posted in Missouri - SB1
The State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors gave notice last week of hearings to be held in June regarding proposals made to correct or revise SB1.
If the Board follows the course taken in meetings held earlier this year, the proposals will likely be published to the Board’s website. These postings will provide Missouri…
Missouri’s 30 Day Notice
By Bill Stalter on
Missouri’s funeral industry has been given 30 days to submit proposals for revisions to the preneed law that went into effect last August 28th. By email, the State Board has provided the guidelines for submitting changes that will then be discussed by the Board at public hearings to be held in June. The Board has…
Missouri Legislation: a final expense trust
By Bill Stalter on
The General Laws Committee of the Missouri Senate will hold a hearing this Wednesday (April 7th) on SB 1025. This bill provides hope to many small, rural funeral directors who would rather avoid the preneed transaction and the regulatory morass of SB1.
The bill would add a new Section 208.010.5 whereby individuals seeking to…
Missouri Cemetery Preneed Law: zero to eighty while blindfolded
By Bill Stalter on
The fear of SB1 drove the Missouri cemetery industry to push for Chapter 214 legislation in 2009, only to have the wheels come off at the stroke of midnight last May. While legislation was passed, the original bill was gutted, and the resulting changes were incoherent and confusing. It was no surprise that the industry…
Preneed Salesmen: How high a bar?
By Bill Stalter on
NPS salesmen had quite a reputation. Commission driven, some were reported to have earned a healthy six-figure salary. And, some had no prior experience in the funeral industry.
To curb the excesses committed by NPS salesmen, Missouri preneed reform bill requires preneed salesmen to be licensed, with a condition that they “have successfully passed the…