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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3755 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2360
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
James Arciero
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to the operation of crematories by funeral establishments.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:James Arciero2nd Middlesex1/17/2025Kimberly N. Ferguson1st Worcester1/17/2025James Dolan1/17/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3755 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2360
By Representative Arciero of Westford, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2360) of
James Arciero, Kimberly N. Ferguson and James Dolan relative to the operation of crematories
by funeral establishments. Public Health.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2218 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act relative to the operation of crematories by funeral establishments.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Chapter 114 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 6, as
2appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
3 Section 6. Such corporation may cremate bodies of the dead, and may provide necessary
4buildings and appliances therefor and for the disposition of the ashes of the dead on any land
5within its cemetery which the department of environmental protection determines is suitable
6therefor, subject to the provisions of section 43D, and such buildings and appliances shall be a
7part of the cemetery or a Licensed Funeral Establishment, as the case may be, and be dedicated
8to the burial of the dead, and shall be held by said corporations or Licensed Funeral
9Establishments, subject to the duties, and with the privileges and immunities, which they now
10have by law. 2 of 2
11 Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, a person, partnership,
12corporation, association or other organization owning a licensed funeral establishment may own
13and operate a crematory, and a funeral director licensed pursuant to section 83 of chapter 112
14may serve as an elected commissioner on a cemetery board for the municipality in which the
15licensed funeral director is a resident of; provided, however, that a person, partnership,
16corporation, association or other organization owning a licensed funeral establishment may not
17own or operate a cemetery and a person, partnership, corporation, association or other
18organization owning a cemetery may not own a licensed funeral establishment.
19 For the purposes of this section, “licensed funeral establishment” shall mean a fixed place
20or establishment privately owned or maintained by a person, partnership, corporation, association
21or other organization which has been duly registered by the board of registration in embalming
22and funeral directing pursuant to section 83 of chapter 112 and which is located, constructed,
23equipped and operated for the purpose of providing sanitary handling, preparation, disposition
24and care of dead human bodies.