Oklahoma Senate Bill SB356

Oklahoma 2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/6/23
• Refer: 2/7/23

Caption

Funeral Services Licensing Act; requiring funeral establishments to provide notice of subcontractors or agents hired for services. Effective date.

Impact

If enacted, SB356 would strengthen the standards for transparency within the funeral service industry. By making it a requirement for funeral establishments to disclose subcontractor information at the outset, the bill aims to empower consumers and enable informed decision-making. This could potentially lead to greater accountability in funeral services, as families would have knowledge of who is handling specific aspects of the care for their loved ones.

Summary

Senate Bill 356 is a legislative proposal aimed at amending the Funeral Services Licensing Act in Oklahoma. This bill mandates that funeral establishments provide clear notification to consumers regarding any subcontractors or agents they hire to perform services such as transporting, embalming, or cremating human remains. The requirement for this notice is intended to enhance consumer awareness from the initial inquiry about services and through the finalization of arrangements, thereby ensuring that individuals are informed of all parties involved in the funeral process.

Contention

There may be some points of contention surrounding the implementation of this bill, particularly regarding how funeral establishments will handle the logistics of providing this information. Concerns might arise about the extra administrative burden it places on smaller funeral homes and whether they can accommodate these additional requirements without incurring significant operational challenges. Additionally, there could be discussions regarding whether the measure sufficiently addresses potential gaps in consumer protections or if further provisions are necessary to safeguard against any unethical practices in the industry.