Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB559 Compare Versions

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3		-	ENGR. S. B. NO. 559 Page 1 1
	3	+	SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB559 SFLR Page 1
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28		-	ENGROSSED SENATE
29		-	BILL NO. 559 By: Bergstrom, Daniels, Jett,
30		-	Murdock, and Hamilton of
31		-	the Senate
	29	+	SENATE FLOOR VERSION
	30	+	February 13, 2025
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33		-	and
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35		-	Kendrix and Banning of the
36		-	House
	33	+	SENATE BILL NO. 559 By: Bergstrom and Daniels
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42	39		An Act relating to funeral services licensing;
43	40		amending 59 O.S. 2021, Section 396.2, which relates
44	41		to definitions; modifying definition; permitting
45	42		sales of merchandise without license; updating
46	43		statutory language; and providing an effective date .
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52	49		BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
53	50		SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 396.2, is
54	51		amended to read as follows:
55	52		Section 396.2. As used in the Funeral Services Licensing Act:
56	53		1. “Embalmer” means a person who disinfects or preserves dead
57	54		human remains, entire or in part, by the use of chemical substances,
58	55		fluids or gases in the remains, or by the introduction of the same
59	56		into the remains by vascular or hypodermic injection, or by direct
60	57		application into organs or cavities;
61	58		2. “Funeral director” means a person who:
62	59		a. is engaged in or conducts or represents themselves as
63	60		being engaged in preparing for the burial or dispos al
	61	+	and directing and supervising the burial or disposal
	62	+	of dead human remains,
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65		-	ENGR. S. B. NO. 559 Page 2 1
	64	+	SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB559 SFLR Page 2
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90		-	and directing and supervising the burial or disposal
91		-	of dead human remains,
92	90		b. is engaged in or conducts or represents themselves as
93	91		being engaged in maintaining a funeral establishment
94	92		for the preparation and the disposition, or for the
95	93		care of dead human remains,
96	94		c. uses, in connection with the name of the person or
97	95		funeral establishment, the words “funeral director” or
98	96		“undertaker” or “mortician” or any other title
99	97		implying that the person is engaged as a funeral
100	98		director,
101	99		d. sells funeral service mer chandise to the public, or
102	100		e. is responsible for the legal and ethical operation of
103	101		a crematory;
104	102		3. “Funeral establishment ” means a place of business used in
105	103		the care and preparation for burial, commercial embalming, or
106	104		transportation of dead human remain s, or any place where any person
107	105		or persons shall hold forth and be engaged in the profession of
108	106		undertaking or funeral directing;
109	107		4. “Apprentice” means a person who is engaged in learning the
110	108		practice of embalming or the practice of funeral directing, as the
111	109		case may be, under the instruction and personal supervision of a
112	110		duly licensed embalmer or a duly licensed funeral director of and in
113	111		the State of Oklahoma this state, pursuant to the provisions of the
	112	+	Funeral Services Licensing Act, and who is duly r egistered as such
	113	+	with said the Oklahoma Funeral Board;
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140		-	Funeral Services Licensing Act, and who is duly registered as such
141		-	with said the Oklahoma Funeral Board;
142	141		5. “Board” means the Oklahoma Funeral Board;
143	142		6. “Directing a funeral” or “funeral directing” means directing
144	143		funeral services from the time of the first call until final
145	144		disposition or release to a common carrier or release to next of kin
146	145		of the deceased or the designee of the next of kin;
147	146		7. “First call” means the beginning of the relationship and
148	147		duty of the funeral director to take charge of dead human remains
149	148		and have such remains prepared by em balming, cremation, or
150	149		otherwise, for burial or disposition, provided all laws pert aining
151	150		to public health in this state are complied with. First call does
152	151		not include calls made by ambulance, when the person dispatching the
153	152		ambulance does not know whethe r or not dead human remains are to be
154	153		picked up;
155	154		8. “Personal supervision ” means the physical presence of a
156	155		licensed funeral director or embalmer at the specified time and
157	156		place of the providing of acts of funeral service;
158	157		9. “Commercial embalming establ ishment” means a fixed place of
159	158		business consisting of an equipped preparation room , and other rooms
160	159		as necessary, for the specified purpose of performing preparation
161	160		and shipping services of dead human remains to funeral
162	161		establishments inside and outside this state;
	162	+	10. “Funeral service merchandise or funeral services ” means
	163	+	those products and services normally provided by funeral
	164	+	establishments and required to be listed on the General Price List
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189		-	10. “Funeral service merchandise or funeral services ” means
190		-	those products and services normally provided by funeral
191		-	establishments and required to be listed on the General Price List
192	192		of the Federal Trade Commission, 15 U.S.C., Section 57a(a),
193	193		including, but not limited to, the sale of burial supplies and
194	194		equipment, but excluding the sale by a cemetery of lands or
195	195		interests therein, services incidental thereto, markers, memorials,
196	196		monuments, equipment, crypts, niches or outer enclosures . Any
197	197		person, organization, or business that sells funeral service
198	198		merchandise to the public without providing any other funeral
199	199		services shall not be subject to the Funeral Services Licensing Act ;
200	200		11. “Outer enclosure” means a grave liner, grave box, or grave
201	201		vault;
202	202		12. “Funeral director in charge ” means an individual licensed
203	203		as both a funeral director and embalmer designated by a funeral
204	204		service establishment, commercial embalming establishment, or
205	205		crematory who is responsible for the legal and ethical operat ion of
206	206		the establishment and is accountable to the Board;
207	207		13. “Authorizing agent” means a person legally entitled to
208	208		order the cremation or final disposition of particular human remains
209	209		pursuant to Section 1151 or 1158 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma
210	210		Statutes;
211	211		14. “Cremation” means the technical process, using heat and
212	212		flame, or heat and p ressure, that reduces human remains to essential
	213	+	elements, including bone fragments. The reduction takes place
	214	+	through heat and evaporation. Cremation shall include, but n ot be
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239		-	elements, including bone fragments. The reduction takes place
240		-	through heat and evaporation. Cremation shall include, but not be
241	242		limited to, the processing and pulverization of the bone fragments,
242	243		or through alkaline hydrolysis;
243	244		15. “Crematory” means a structure containing a furnace or
244	245		alkaline hydrolysis vessel used or intended to be used for the
245	246		cremation of human remains. The term includes a facility that
246	247		cremates human remains through alkaline hydrolys is; and
247	248		16. “Alkaline hydrolysis” means the reduction of human remains
248	249		to bone fragments and essential elements in a licensed crematory
249	250		using heat, pressure, water and base chemical agents.
250	251		SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
251		-	Passed the Senate the 24th day of March, 2025.
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253		-
254		-
255		-	Presiding Officer of the Senate
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258		-	Passed the House of R epresentatives the ____ day of __________,
259		-	2025.
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261		-
262		-
263		-	Presiding Officer of the House
264		-	of Representatives
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	252	+	COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS AND INSURANCE
	253	+	February 13, 2025 - DO PASS