KANSAS STATE BOARD OF MORTUARY ARTS

700 SW JACKSON, SUITE #904

TOPEKA, KANSAS 66603-3733

Thursday, January 10, 2008

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

FORMAT OF MINUTES:

 

On each motion there appear the names of two board members in a parenthesis. The first named made the motion, and the second named made the second. Ayes and Nays will be recorded at a voter’s request.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Thursday, January 10, 2008:

 

I.        The regularly scheduled meeting of the Kansas State Board of Mortuary Arts (KSBMA) was called to order by President Barry W. Bedene.

 

Roll call by Executive Secretary Mack Smith with the following board members in attendance: President Barry W. Bedene, Arma, licensee; Vice President Fred G. Holroyd, Topeka, licensee; Board Member Melissa A. Wangemann, Topeka, consumer; Board Member Charles R. Smith, Overland Park, consumer, and William H. “Bill” Young, Lake Quivira, licensee. The board’s Executive Secretary, Mack Smith and Assistant Attorney General Camille Nohe were in attendance.

 

The board noted this meeting’s tentative agenda that is displayed on the agency’s website at: http://www.kansas.gov/ksbma/ under the heading of Agency Information and Tentative Board Agenda.

 

(Young-Holroyd) To approve a final agenda for this meeting as amended. Carried.

 

(Holroyd-Smith) To adopt the October 11, 2007 regularly scheduled board meeting minutes as amended. Carried. Now that they have been approved by the board, these minutes will be displayed on the board’s website.

 

The board reviewed results of the written funeral directors’ examination administered on October 11, 2007 noting that 100% (six of six applicants) were successful. The board reviewed information provided by one examinee on the “Exit” application from this funeral director’s examination (which allows an opportunity for applicants to express their thoughts on the examination and examination process) along with the agency’s response to the applicant with no additional action taken.

 

The board reviewed the ‘List of Licensure Applicants’ scheduled to interview with the board at this meeting, noting the following applicants scheduled to meet with the board: four (4) embalmer-funeral directors, one (1) embalmer and one (1) reciprocal embalmer. A total of four (4) applicants are scheduled to be administered the written funeral directors' examination in conjunction with this meeting.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

II.       The board reviewed individual applications for embalmer and funeral director licensure along with the executive secretary’s summations of the applicant’s apprentice and supervising licensee progress reports. Applicants for licensure will be interviewed later in this meeting. Funeral director applicants will be administered the written funeral directors' examination by Funeral Home/ Crematory Inspector Francis Mills at 1:30 p.m. later this afternoon in the Florentine Room of the Jayhawk Tower.

 

All quarterly progress reports of embalmer/funeral director apprentices and supervising licensees were summarized by the executive secretary and discussed by the board with copies of the individual reports available for review.

 

The board reviewed information from former apprentice/assistant funeral director and funeral establishment owner Shawn L. Parcells. His Caney funeral home and crematory were closed in October of 2007. Mr. Parcells did not complete his funeral directing apprenticeship, and he has not sent back the funeral establishment or crematory licenses as he had agreed to do several times.

 

The board reviewed the fourth quarter apprentice funeral directing progress reports of Heather M. Schmalz. After reviewing the third quarter progress reports of Ms. Schmalz at the October meeting, the board advised Ms. Schmalz that she needed to spend considerably more time in the preparation room during her fourth quarter of apprenticeship. Ms. Schmalz has since decided not to apply for an embalmer license. She is scheduled to meet with the board to apply for a funeral director license later this meeting.

 

The board reviewed the second quarter report of an apprentice embalmer-funeral director who was concerned with wanting more responsibility during an apprenticeship. After reviewing both the apprentice and supervising licensee’s progress reports, it was determined that no action was necessary at this time.

 

The board reviewed the second quarter progress reports of another apprentice embalmer-funeral director based on comments made by supervising licensees. After reviewing all reports, it was determined that no action was necessary at this time.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
 

 lII.      Legal Discussion: Individual Complaints/investigations are listed numerically. The board did not necessarily take action in the order listed below:

 

Complaint and correspondence information and discussion:

 

The board reviewed correspondence involving complaints resulting from action taken at the meeting of October 11, 2007.

 

Information on open complaints:

 

          The Board’s Investigative Committee, which is composed of Board Members

Young and C. Smith with legal assistance provided by Assistant Attorney General (litigation) Steve Phillips and administrative assistance by Executive Secretary Smith, met Wednesday, January 9, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. to discuss all open complaints. Investigative Committee recommendations are included with the individual complaints.

 

#06-09–No action necessary at this time. This civil lawsuit has apparently been dismissed, but appropriate paperwork has not been submitted to the board at this time.

 

#06-34–No action necessary at this time.

 

#07-20–This file was reopened due to new information. No action necessary at this time.

 

#07-21–(Holroyd-Bedene) To close the file. Carried. An advisory letter was sent to the supervising funeral director who was issued the funeral establishment license that better communication and understanding of the solicitation laws may have avoided the situation from occurring. A copy of the letter was sent to the preneed salesman. The complaint involves at-need solicitation, providing misleading information in order to transfer prefinanced funeral agreements from one funeral home to another and selling prefinanced funeral agreements without authorization of the funeral home.

 

#07-23–(Holroyd-Wangemann) To approve a Summary Order issued by the Investigative Committee and close the file. Carried. A Summary Order of public censor in the form of publication on the KSBMA web site and a $100.00 fine for failing to obtain an out-of-state transit permit was sent to the licensee. The complaint involves failure to obtain an out-of-state transit permit prior to transferring a body out of state from the state of Kansas and failure of an apprentice to receive authorization from a supervising licensee prior to removing, embalming and transporting a dead human body. The licensee has paid the $100 fine with information published to the KSBMA Board Action section of their web site.

 

#07-24–(Holroyd-Bedene) To close the file. Carried. The complaint involves failure of the funeral home to verify the existence of two prefinanced funeral agreements in a timely manner.

 

#07-25–(Holroyd-Bedene) To close the file. Carried. The complaint involves the displeasure of the family not being allowed to make at-need funeral arrangements with the funeral director of their choice.

 

#07-26–(Holroyd-Bedene) To close the file. Carried. The Oklahoma licensee was advised that a Kansas funeral director should have been in charge of the funeral service. A copy of the letter was sent to the Oklahoma Funeral Board. The complaint involves failure of an Oklahoma funeral home to have a Kansas licensed funeral director present at a funeral service in the State of Kansas.

 

#07-27–(Holroyd-Bedene) To close the file. Carried. The complaint involves unprofessional conduct and concerns with at-need funeral charges.

 

#07-28–(Holroyd-Bedene) To close the file. Carried. The licensee was advised that better communication may have avoided the situation from occurring. The complaint involves unprofessional conduct and concerns with at-need funeral charges. The civil case between this consumer and the funeral home has been settled.

 

#07-29–(Smith-Young) To adopt the recommendations of the Investigative Committee to close the file. Carried. This assistant funeral director was initially facing several charges but was convicted of standard loitering.

 

#07-30–(Holroyd-Bedene) To close the file. Carried. The complaint involves unprofessional conduct.

 

#07-32–(Holroyd-Bedene) To close the file. Carried. Both licensees were advised that better/clearer communication with better attention and clarity to details in the preparation of material would have avoided the situation from occurring. The complaint involves unprofessional conduct.

 

#07-33–(Holroyd-Bedene) To close the file. Carried. The licensee was notified to review a related statute although there were no violations. The complaint involves inappropriate solicitation/advertising. The licensee has since revised the business card and informational brochure in question.

 

#07-34, #07-35 & #07-37–(Holroyd-Bedene) To close the files. Carried. These complaints involve the failure of a funeral home to file the death certificate with the Office of Vital Statistics (OVS) in a timely fashion.

 

#07-36–No action necessary at this time.

 

#07-38–(Smith-Young) To adopt the recommendations of the Investigative Committee of no violations of laws regulated by the KSBMA. Carried. Both parties will be notified accordingly. The complaint involves the failure to file a death certificate in a timely manner.

 

#07-39–(Smith-Young) To adopt the recommendations of the Investigative Committee of no violations of laws regulated by the KSBMA. Carried. Both parties will be notified accordingly. The complaint involves uninvited solicitation.

 

#07-40–(Smith-Young) To adopt the recommendations of the Investigative Committee to close the file. Carried. The complaint involves unlicensed activity.

 

#07-41–No action necessary at this time.

 

#07-42–(Smith-Young) To adopt the recommendations of the Investigative Committee of no violations of laws regulated by the KSBMA. Carried. Both parties will be notified accordingly. The complaint involves unprofessional conduct.

 

#07-43–(Smith-Young) To adopt the recommendations of the Investigative Committee of no violations of laws regulated by the KSBMA. Carried. Both parties will be notified accordingly. Carried. The complaint involves failure to file the death certificate in a timely manner.

 

#07-44–(Smith-Young) To adopt the recommendations of the Investigative Committee of no violations of laws regulated by the KSBMA. Carried. Both parties will be notified accordingly. Carried. The complaint involves unprofessional conduct.

 

#07-45–(Smith-Young) To adopt the recommendations of the Investigative Committee to close the file. Carried. The complaint involves fraudulent/deceptive/misleading advertising.

 

#07-46–This assistant funeral director application will be reviewed later this meeting.

 

#07-47–(Smith-Young) To adopt the recommendations of the Investigative Committee of no violations regulated by the KSBMA. Carried. While no violations were noted, it appears that better communication and better attention to detail would have avoided the situation from occurring. The funeral home refunded $1,140.00 due to the family’s dissatisfaction of services provided. The complaint involves unprofessional conduct.

 

#07-48–(Smith-Young) To adopt the recommendations of the Investigative Committee to close the file. Carried. The complaint involves fraudulent/deceptive/misleading advertising that has since be amended.

 

#07-49–(Smith-Young) To adopt the recommendations of the Investigative Committee of no violations of laws regulated by the KSBMA. Carried. Both parties will be notified accordingly. Carried. The complaint involves unprofessional conduct by this licensee for not paying for funeral services provided by another funeral home on four separate occasions.

 

#07-50–(Smith-Young) To adopt the recommendations of the Investigative Committee to advise the licensee of the provisions contained in KAR 63-3-17 and KSA 16a-2-403. Carried. The funeral home has since refunded $100.51 to the family. The complaint involves unauthorized charges added on a consumer’s credit card.

 

(Holroyd-Wangemann) To authorize the Investigative Committee to issue summary and emergency orders, consent agreements and stipulations. Carried.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

IV.      Legislative/Legal Update

 

1.       Special Legislative Committee Study of the Kansas Administrative Procedures Act (KAPA) and the Act for Judicial Review of Agency Actions–Page five of the minutes from the committee’s Tuesday, September 18, 2007 meeting, states that: “It was moved by Representative O’Neal, seconded by Representative Rhoades, that a bill be drafted that

 

          •         Judicial review shall be on the entire record, including the record of any adjudicative hearing conducted by, or initial orders issued by, a presiding officer from the Office of Administrative Hearing within the Department of Administration in addition to the record of the trial order under review; and

          •         The burden of proof the agency should use where a substantial property right is affected, i.e., renewal or revocation of license or permit, is clear and convincing evidence. Motion carried.”

 

A proposed bill being requested by the Special Judiciary Committee was reviewed and discussed by the board.

 

2.       (Young-Holroyd) To approve the List of Board Actions. Carried. The list on the KSBMA web site has been appropriately updated.

 

3.       Assistant Funeral Directors–The KSBMA discussed information pertaining to the Assistant Funeral Director Examination including review of potential exam questions and updated examination applications. Adoption of KAR 63-2-26 and KAR 63-4-1 was considered by the board. The public hearing for the regulations was conducted at the Thursday, October 11, 2007 board meeting at 11:45 a.m. with no members of the public present. A copy of the regulations, economic impact statements, and correspondence from the Legislature’s Joint Committee of Administrative Rules and Regulations (JCARR) was made a part of the public record.

 

(Wangemann-Smith) To adopt K.A.R. 63-2-26 as presented. Carried.

          (Young-Holroyd) To adopt K.A.R. 63-4-1 as amended. Carried.

 

          Roll call vote:

 

                                           Bedene Holroyd     Wangemann   Smith         Young

K.A.R. 63-2-26Yes YesYes YesYes

K.A.R. 63-4-1Yes YesYes YesYes

 

Both regulations were passed as presented. A copy of the regulations is included as a part of these minutes. The regulations will be submitted along with the appropriate documentation to the Kansas Secretary of State for publication in the Kansas Register with copies of documentation provided to the Joint Committee of Administrative Rules and Regulations. The regulations will become law fifteen (15) days after publication in the Kansas Register.

 

The board reviewed additional questions for the written assistant funeral director examination as well as proposed related examination applications.

 

4.       Potential 2008 Legislation–Executive Secretary Smith discussed his meeting with the Kansas Funeral Directors and Embalmers Association’s Legislative Committee regarding the coroner’s permit to cremate as is defined in K.S.A. 65-2426a of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE.) Items discussed included the Permission to Cremate authorization form utilized by the Office of Armed Forces Medical Examiner as authorized by federal law (10 USC 1471.) No proposed legislation was recommended to be introduced at the request of the KSBMA at this time.

 

Executive Secretary Smith has contacted the Kansas Funeral Directors Embalmers and Funeral Directors Association (KFDA) to see if they were interested in pursuing a meeting with the KDHE to discuss current laws in place regarding the coroner’s authorization to cremate permit. It does not appear that the KDHE will introduce legislation in this area during the upcoming 2008 Legislative Session. At this time, the KFDA has not notified the KSBMA that they have made a decision regarding introduction of legislation of this kind.

 

Some cemetery legislation is being considered by Mount Hope Cemetery in Topeka, Kansas that apparently would allow the ability to sell land. Possible cemetery legislation being considered by the Kansas Secretary of State’s office would eliminate the ability to invest permanent maintenance/perpetual care funds in the erection of a mausoleum upon its grounds or for the partial expense for the erection thereof (as is currently allowed in KSA 17-1349) and to include costs for the opening and closing of a grave in KSA 16-301–which would require those costs to be trusted at 100%.

 

5.       Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS) Funeral Assistance Program–The board reviewed amendments to KAR 30-4-98 which went into effect January 1, 2008. These same amendments have been in effect since July 1, 2007 through SRS policies. The agency has amended their information regarding the program to include recent changes.

 

6.       Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS) Funeral Assistance Program Statistics for FY 2007-08–A total of $580,349 was spent in FY 2007 (July 1, 2006–June 30, 2007.) So far in FY 2008, from July 1, 2007–November 30, 2007 there have been 455 cases with $297,742 in expenditures with seven (7) months remaining in FY 2008.

 

7.       Funeral Picketing–The board reviewed some update information pertaining to House Substitute for Senate Bill 244. The Kansas Supreme Court is reviewing information and may have a decision as early as next month.

 

Assistant Attorney General Camille Nohe exited the meeting.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

V.    Board Interviews with Applicants for Licensure:

 

Embalmer Applicant: Mr. Jacob A. “Jake” Barnett

 

(Young-Wangemann) To grant an embalmer license upon payment of an initial license fee of $182.00. Carried. Mr. Barnett completed his apprenticeship at Barnett Chapel Oaks Funeral Home in Oskaloosa, Kansas on December 18, 2007. He was granted a Kansas funeral director license on July 16, 2007. Once issued, the renewal date for the embalmer license would be February 28, 2010. Mr. Barnett attended Highland Community College in Highland, Kansas and earned an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Mortuary Science at Kansas City Kansas Community College in Kansas City, Kansas.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Funeral Director Applicant: Heather M. Schmalz

 

(Bedene-Wangemann) To grant a funeral director license upon payment of an initial license fee of $38.00 and passing the written funeral director examination, which will be administered later today. Carried. Ms. Schmalz completed her funeral director apprenticeship at Chapel Hill-Butler Funeral Home in Kansas City, Kansas on January 10, 2008. Once issued, the renewal date for the funeral director license would be July 31, 2009. Ms. Schmalz earned an Associate of Science Degree at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, Kansas and an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Mortuary Science at Kansas City Kansas Community College in Kansas City, Kansas. Ms. Schmalz decided not to apply for an embalmer license at this time. The board reminded Ms. Schmalz of K.A.R. 63-1-3 (i) which requires embalming apprenticeships to be completed within two (2) years of passing the national examination (NBE.) Failing to complete the one-year embalming apprenticeship within two-years of passing the national examination will result in having to re-pass the national examination and re-serve an embalming apprenticeship from the beginning.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Embalmer-Funeral Director Applicant: Mr. Michael S. “Shawn” Shomaker

 

(Young-Wangemann) To grant an embalmer license upon payment of an initial license fee of $133.00 and to grant a funeral director license upon payment of an initial license fee of $38.00 and passing the written funeral director examination, which will be administered later today. Carried. Mr. Shomaker completed his apprenticeships at Amos Family Funeral Home in Shawnee, Kansas on December 22, 2007. Once issued, the renewal date for the licenses would be July 31, 2009. Mr. Shomaker attended Independence Community College in Independence, Kansas and earned an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Mortuary Science at Kansas City Kansas Community College in Kansas City, Kansas.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
 Embalmer-Funeral Director Applicant: Ms. Becca L. Connell

 

(Wangemann-Smith) To grant an embalmer license upon completion of apprenticeship and payment of an initial license fee of $182.00 and to grant a funeral director license upon completion of apprenticeship, payment of an initial license fee of $232.00 and passing the written funeral director examination, which will be administered later today. Carried. Ms. Connell is scheduled to complete her apprenticeships at Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home in Hoisington, Kansas on January 31, 2008. Once issued, the renewal date for the licenses would be March 31, 2010. Ms. Connell attended Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kansas, Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Kansas and earned an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Mortuary Science at Kansas City Kansas Community College in Kansas City, Kansas.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Embalmer-Funeral Director Applicant: Mr. David A. York

 

(Young-Wangemann) To grant an embalmer license upon completion of apprenticeship and payment of an initial license fee of $161.00 and to grant a funeral director license upon completion of apprenticeship and payment of an initial license fee of $46.00 and passing the written funeral director examination, which will be administered later today. Carried. Mr. York is scheduled to complete his apprenticeships at Rindt-Erdman Funeral Home in Arkansas City, Kansas on February 14, 2008. Once issued, the renewal date for the licenses would be December 31, 2009. Mr. York attended Cowley County Community College in Arkansas City, Kansas and earned an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Mortuary Science at Kansas City Kansas Community College in Kansas City, Kansas.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

          Reciprocal (Missouri) Embalmer Applicant: Melanie M. Mann

 

(Bedene-Holroyd) To grant a reciprocal (Missouri) embalmer license upon payment of an initial license fee of $91.00. Carried. Once issued, the renewal date for the license would be January 31, 2009. Ms. Mann attended Penn Valley Community College in Kansas City, Missouri, Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Missouri and earned an Associate in Applied Science degree in Mortuary Science at Kansas City Kansas Community College in Kansas City, Kansas. She passed the national examination on January 27, 2001 and was issued a Missouri embalmer license on April 23, 2002.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Board member Fred Holroyd exited the meeting.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

The board recessed for lunch at the Jayhawk Tower Restaurant.

At approximately 1:30 p.m. Executive Secretary Smith read instructions to the funeral director examinee applicants prior to the administration of the funeral director examination which was proctored by Inspector Francis Mills in the Florentine Room of the Jayhawk Tower. The results of that examination are a part of these minutes.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

 VI.      Assistant Funeral Director Applicant: Mr. Clyde A. Townsend

 

Assistant Attorney General Camille Nohe, assistant funeral director applicant Clyde A. Townsend and his attorney Wayman Favors entered the meeting. Mr. Townsend addressed the board regarding his assistant funeral director application.

 

(Young-Smith) To grant an assistant funeral director license upon payment of the initial licensure fee of $150.00. Carried. The expiration for the license will be August 30, 2009.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

VIl.     Board Business:

 

             1)     (Holroyd-Young) To approve the quarterly lists of continuing education (CE.) Carried. One list contains correspondence/home study programs. Both of these lists of approved continuing education programs are regularly updated and are available on the board’s web site on the internet and are mailed to licensees not having internet access on a quarterly basis. There are currently eighteen (18) approved programs on the CE list and 25 file providers offering approximately 300 correspondence/home study programs.

             2)     (Smith-Holroyd) To approve the list of lapsed licenses as amended. Carried. The list is a part of these minutes and contains the names of individuals whose license renewals are past due for longer than six months or who have requested that their licenses be dropped. Licensees who have died during the past quarter are also included on this list for informational purposes.

             3)     The board reviewed the list of automatically suspended licenses. This list contains the names of individuals who have not paid their license renewal fees by the appropriate due date and have not requested that their licenses be dropped. Once a license is six months in arrears, it is then automatically placed on the lapsed license list for purposes of being dropped.

             4)     (Wangemann-Young) To approve the FY 2008 second quarter (October 1-December 31, 2007) Inspection Report of the Funeral Home/Crematory Inspector, Francis F. Mills. Carried. The Inspector inspected 180 funeral homes this quarter traveling 6,284 miles. Nine (9) violations were noted: eight (8) preparation/embalming room violations and one (1) failure to display a license.

             5)     Reviewed the current roster of apprentice embalmers and funeral directors. A total of 31 apprentices are currently registered with the board at this time: twenty (20) embalmer-funeral directors, four (4) embalmers and seven (7) funeral directors.

             6)     Discussion of news articles relating to the funeral profession that have been provided to board members and legal counsel for their review. There was a wide range of subjects including crematory emission concerns in Colorado, green burials, preneed concerns expressed in the January-February edition of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Magazine . . . to mention a few.

             7)     Meeting dates for remaining 2008 Board meetings are: April 10, July 10 and October 9.

             8)     The board signed travel vouchers and licenses.

             9)     Update on changes/additions to licensed funeral establishments and branch establishments–The board reviewed a number of changes involving funeral establishment/branch establishment licenses.

           10)     The board reviewed the press release of Governor Sebelius reappointing Fred Holroyd to a second three-year term to the KSBMA board.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

VIlI. Executive Secretary's Report:

 

            1)      Budget Update

a) The budget for FY 2008 recommended by the Division of Budget is $284,058–which includes the approved budget amount of $267,421 plus $16,637 of KSIP funds carried over from FY 2007. KSIP funds are being used to replace an office computer and printer.

b) The budget for FY 2009 recommended by the Division of Budget is $271,079.

c) FY 2008 and FY 2009 budget amounts will be recommended by Governor Sebelius in her State of the State Address on Monday, January 14, 2008 followed by action of the 2008 Kansas Legislature.

            2)      Updated information regarding the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards (ICFSEB.)

a) Information in the 2007 Fall Report newsletter was discussed.

b) Mr. Smith will represent the KSBMA at the 104th Annual Convention to be held in San Antonio, Texas on February 27-29, 2008.

            3)      Updated information on the Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation (CLEAR) was discussed.

            4)      Updated information regarding the Federation of Associations of Regulatory Boards (FARB.)

a) Mr. Smith will represent the KSBMA at the 32nd Annual FARB Forum on January 25-27, 2008 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

            5)      Updated information on the Kansas Funeral Directors and Embalmers Association (KFDA.)

a) KFDA Legislative Committee–Executive Secretary Smith briefed the board on information discussed at this KFDA committee meeting.

b) 2008 Spring District Meetings–Mr. Smith will represent the board at these meetings as his schedule allows.

            6)      New/updated information located on the board’s Web Site, which can be found at: http://www.kansas.gov/ksbma/. New items include information on Funeral Planning and KPERS $4,000 Retiree Death Benefit provided by the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS.)

            7)      The board discussed information from the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA).

            8)      The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Funeral Rule

            9)      Updated information from the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE):

          10)     Updated information from the Cremation Society of North America (CANA).

          11)     Updated information from the Funeral Ethics Association (FEA).

a) The board reviewed the October 2007 newsletter.

          12) Updated information from the Funeral Consumer Alliance (FCA).

a) The board reviewed the Fall 2007 newsletter.

          13)     Updated information from the Funeral Consumer’s Alliance of Greater Kansas City.

          14)     Updated information from the Funeral Ethics Organization (FEO).

          15)     Updated information from the American Society of Embalmers (ASE):

          16)     Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), Office of Vital Statistics (OVS)

a) The board reviewed proposed changes to the Coroner’s Permit to Cremate.

b) Updated information regarding the Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS) was reviewed. The Steering Committee was informed that the bid was awarded to ManTech, which is the vendor used for their last re-engineering project, including the web-based system for entering birth certificates and the funeral home’s portion of death certificates. Additional updates will be provided to the steering committee in the near future. The new projected implementation date is June 2009.

c) The 2006 Annual Summary of Vital Statistics–Information on death statistics was noted.

          17)     Updated information from the Kansas City Kansas Community College Mortuary Science Advisory Board

a) Mr. Smith attended the November 12, 2007 Advisory Board Meeting which was held in conjunction with a visit from the ABFSE Accreditation Committee.

          18)     Mass Fatality Planning Task Force

a) Mr. Smith was unable to attend the November 8, 2007 Tabletop Exercise. KFDA Executive Director Pam Scott was able to attend.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

lX.      New/Old/Remaining Business/Adjournment

 

(Young-Smith) To adjourn–subject to recall by the president, vice president or executive secretary. Carried. The date of the next regularly scheduled board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 10, 2008.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                Respectfully submitted:

                                               
 

Mack Smith, Executive Secretary
Barry W. Bedene, President

April 10, 2008