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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
HOUSE BILL 2174 By: Pfeiffer
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to professions and occupations;
creating the assistant funeral director license;
establishing qualifications and regist ration for the
license; establishing rules and regulations;
providing for codification; amending 59 O.S. 2021,
Section 396.4, which relates to fees; establishing
the assistant funeral director license fee; and
providing an effective date .
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 396.3b of Title 59, unless there
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
Section 396.3b. A. The term "Assistant Funeral Director " as
used herein means a person who assists a duly Oklahoma license d
funeral director in one or more of the principal functions of
funeral directing and is actively engaged in such work. An
assistant funeral director must be an employee of the funeral
director-in-charge under whom the employee is registered, and shall
be a person to whom the funeral director -in-charge delegates the
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responsibility of conducting funeral services, making funeral
arrangements, and making interments.
B. The State Board may, in its discretion, license assistant
funeral directors to each Oklahoma licensed Funeral Director -in-
Charge. The Funeral Director -in-Charge shall have only one
assistant funeral director. Licensure as an assistant funeral
director shall be separate and distinct from registratio n as an
apprentice funeral director and/or embalmer. The Board may issue an
assistant funeral director license on successful completion of the
Oklahoma Funeral Board law examina tion, the manner and form of which
is to be determined by the Board, and upon the payment of the
application fee, which shall include the license fee for the current
year or portion thereof, and such application and registration and
renewal fee shall be in the amount fixed by the Board in accordance
with the provision of Section 396.4 of Title 59 of the Oklahoma
Statutes. Before issuing a license to an applicant for an assistant
funeral director's license, the Board shall require satisfactory
proof that the applicant is capable and trustworthy to act as such
and that the applicant is a person of good moral character, has good
standing in the community , and is qualified to engage in the
business. In determining the moral character of any such applicant,
the Board shall take into consideration any felony conviction of
such person, but such conviction shall not automatically operate as
a bar to licensure. Each person applying for an assistant funeral
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director's license shall make application and be recommende d in
writing on forms provided by the Board. The application shall show
that the applicant is at least eighteen (18) years of age and shall
have at least sixty (60) semester hours of study earned, measured in
quarter or clock hours, from a regionally accr edited college or
university before such license can be issued to the applican t. Upon
issuing a license to an assistant funeral director as herein
provided, the Board shall cause the licensee to be registered in
under the supervision of the Oklahoma licen sed funeral director by
whom such licensee is employed and under whom such licensee is
registered. The funeral director under whom the assistant funeral
director has been registered must immediately notify the Board when
the licensee has left the director 's employ. Upon the reemployment
of the licensee by any other funeral directo r-in-charge, such
licensee shall be reinstated by the Board. The work of an assistant
funeral director shall at all times be under the supervision and
control of the Oklahoma li censed funeral director under whom the
licensee is registered. Licenses of assistant funeral directors may
be suspended or revoked, or the Board may refuse to issue or renew
the same, for any of the reasons and in the manner stated herein for
funeral directors' licenses.
C. The expiration date of each license shall be December 31
annually. Subject to the provisions of this section, each license
shall be renewable on an annual basis upon the filing of a renewal
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application prior to the expiration date of the license and upon
payment of the renewal fee.
D. The funeral director assistant shall complete continuing
education in accordance with the provision of Section 396.5b of
Title 59 of the Oklahoma Statutes .
SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 396.4, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 396.4. A. 1. The Oklahoma Funeral Board shall set
fees pursuant to rule for all licenses, registrations, examinations
and renewals required by the Funeral Services Licensing Act.
2. Until the Oklahoma Funeral Board sets fees pursuant to rule,
the following shall be the fees charged for the licenses,
registrations, and examinations required by the Funeral Services
Licensing Act:
Funeral Director License or Renewal $75.00
Embalmer License or Renewal $75.00
Registration for Funeral Director/Embalmer Apprentice $150.00
Extension of Funeral Director/Embalmer Apprentice $150.00
Funeral Director Assistant $250.00
Embalmer Examination $100.00
Funeral Director Examination $100.00
State Law Examination $100.00
Funeral Establishment License or Renewal $250.00
Commercial Embalming Establishment License or Renewal $250.00
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Reciprocal License for Funeral Director or Embalmer $150.00
Change of Funeral Director in Charge $150.00
Crematory License or Ren ewal $250.00
B. The Oklahoma Funeral Board shall assess Three Dollars
($3.00) for each disposition performed by the licensed funeral
establishment or commercial embalming establishment. The
disposition fee shall be payable upon renewal of the license as
provided in subsection E of this section and shall be calculated
from November 1 of the preceding calendar year to October 31 of the
current calendar year for each licensee. For purposes of this
subsection, "disposition" means each time the licensed estab lishment
files an original death certificate pursuant to Section 1 -317 of
Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
C. Fees for funeral director, embalmer, and state law
examinations shall be paid prior to the scheduled examination. An
examination fee shall not be refundable.
D. The Oklahoma Funeral Board is authorized to determine and
fix special administrative service fees. Each such fee shall not be
in excess of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00).
E. If any renewal fee required by this section is not paid on
or before December 31 of each year, the amount of the fee shall be
doubled and if the fee is not paid on or before April 30 of the
subsequent year, the licensee shall be in default and the license
shall terminate automatically.
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F. All examinations of the Ok lahoma Funeral Board shall be
exempt from the Oklahoma Open Records Act in order to maintain the
integrity of the examination process. Copies of completed
examinations shall only be released upon receipt of a court order
from a court of competent jurisdic tion.
SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
60-1-11051 TKR 01/03/25