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House committee approves updated morticians rules, board to raise fees and switch to biennial renewals
Summary
The House Business Committee approved IDAPA rule changes for the State Board of Morticians that delete duplicative provisions, clarify trainee supervision and inspections, align continuing education with neighboring states, and raise and convert licensing fees to a biennial structure to help the board's negative cash balance.
John Price, bureau chief for the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) Occupational Licensing Bureau, presented a redraft of the State Board of Morticians rules to the House Business Committee on Tuesday, describing changes made during negotiated rulemaking and public hearings.
Price said the rewrite removes language duplicative of statute, clarifies that resident trainees must complete 12 months of supervised practice within a three‑year period rather than 50 weeks in a single year, defines what “immediately available” supervision means (in person or remote), and requires inspections prior to initial licensure. The rewrite also deletes provisions rendered moot by statute and federal overlap and reorganizes the chapter for clarity.
On continuing education, the board moved from 8 hours annually to 10 hours every two years “consistent with Idaho code section ...” and to align with average requirements in contiguous states, Price said. The board also proposed raising fees roughly 20% and moving to biennial renewals; Price gave an example that an $85 annual funeral director license would convert to $170 biennial and, with the proposed increase, would be $200.
Committee members questioned the board’s fiscal position. Price said the morticians board was “just under $60,000 in the red” as of Sept. 30, 2024, and that a 20% increase would not immediately reach the division’s target cash balance; he estimated a roughly 135% increase would be needed to reach a 30% reserve by 2029. Lawmakers asked whether the board already inspected establishments annually and whether the continuing education change reduced substantive oversight; Price said inspections and practices would continue.
Representative Birch moved that the committee approve docket IDAPA 20.04.08‑2401; the committee approved the pending rule as final by voice vote.
Price told the committee the board sought the fee change because of division guidance following last year’s appropriation intent language and a continuing effort to keep boards fiscally sound.
