Texas Funeral Service Commission ratifies termination of executive director Scott Bingaman, cites communication and licensing failures

The Texas Funeral Service Commission voted unanimously on July 21 to ratify its June 18 decision to terminate Executive Director Scott Bingaman, making the termination effective the day of the vote.

The action came after commissioners said litigation that had been pending in June was resolved and allowed the commission to revisit and publicly explain its earlier decision. Scott Bingaman had requested that the deliberation be public under the Texas Government Code §551.074(b), which governs personnel deliberations; the transcript shows Bingaman did not appear in person or by representative for the public comment period.

Commissioners said their concerns centered on a pattern of poor communication and a lack of candor. One commissioner said the executive director had represented to them that the governor's office supported a proposal to remove the Attorney General's Office as the agency's counsel; commissioners said later verification showed that was not the case. Commissioners told the panel they had received notice of threatened litigation and, in some cases, copies of attorney letters without timely explanation from agency leadership.

Several commissioners described a persistent failure to provide routine updates and to respond to phone calls and email. One commissioner said he had not received regular reports after Bingaman's hire and had been locked out of his commission email for nearly two weeks in May. Commissioners said those communication failures undermined their ability to oversee the agency.

Commissioners also focused on licensing processing delays. Commissioners reported that, at the time of the prior meeting, the agency showed 192 individual licenses, 31 crematory licenses and 11 pages of establishment licenses listed as delinquent online despite, in many cases, background checks and fees having been completed. Commissioners said delinquent status harmed licensees' businesses and led some cemeteries to refuse services because the establishment appeared not to be in good standing.

Multiple commissioners said the anatomical program and providers who work with the agency had received little or no outreach from the agency's leadership and asked that communication improve. Commissioners also acknowledged the role licensed funeral service professionals played responding to the recent Hill Country floods, including mobile morgue operations, and expressed appreciation for those efforts.

After a brief discussion, a motion to ratify the commission's June 18 termination of Scott Bingaman, effective July 21, 2025, was moved and seconded and carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned with no further business recorded.

Votes at a glance

- Motion: Ratify termination of Scott Bingaman (termination originally voted 06/18/2025; ratified with effective date 07/21/2025). Outcome: approved unanimously.