In a move to strengthen oversight of the funeral home industry, Colorado Governor Jared Polis has signed two bills into law. These bills stem from a series of gruesome discoveries that have rocked Colorado families, including the discovery of 190 decomposing bodies in a Penrose facility, families receiving fake ashes, and the unauthorized sale of body parts.
Previously, Colorado had some of the weakest funeral home regulations in the nation, but these new laws will bring the state in line with most others. One bill requires regulators to conduct routine inspections of funeral homes and gives them more enforcement power. The other bill implements licensing for funeral directors and other industry workers, requiring them to pass background checks, a national exam, and possess relevant degrees and work experience. Notably, funeral home directors in Colorado were not previously required to graduate from high school.
While the funeral home industry generally supports these changes, some have expressed concerns that the strict requirements for funeral home directors are unnecessary and may make it difficult to find qualified applicants. However, the bill signings follow a rocky year for Colorado funeral homes, marked by the Penrose incident and the discovery of a woman’s body left unattended in a hearse for over a year by a suburban Denver funeral home.
These new laws aim to strengthen regulations and ensure that grieving families can trust the professionalism and trustworthiness of those entrusted with caring for their loved ones.
