Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Cfb Connect topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
CFB Connect expands online applications; bureau urges combined payment to speed licenses
Summary
The Cemetery and Funeral Bureau said CFB Connect has released several online licensure applications and recommended applicants submit exam and license fees together to accelerate issuance; staff cautioned temporary processing slowdowns during the transition.
Deputy Chief Sandra Patterson told the advisory committee on Oct. 23 that the bureaus business modernization effort (CFB Connect) has moved multiple license application types online since the database went live in May 2023 and that additional releases are planned.
Patterson said the system now supports initial licensure for funeral director and original funeral establishment and more recently launched cemetery manager, crematory manager and cemetery salesperson applications. The bureau expects forthcoming releases to include change-of-manager, corporate officer/trustee changes, quarterly reporting and a consumer complaint form.
Patterson acknowledged expected and unexpected issues during transition—data transfers from the PSI exam vendor that affected exam eligibility, duplicate profiles, and missing tabs that prevented document uploads—but said those issues have been resolved. She warned that while staff work in both the old system and CFB Connect during conversion, processing times (including enforcement time frames) may temporarily increase before returning to target performance measures once migration is complete.
Both Patterson and Chief Gina Sanchez recommended applicants pay application, examination and license fees together online to speed issuance. As an example, Patterson said the funeral director application and exam fees total $190 and the license fee is $380, for a combined $570; paying the combined amount, she said, allows a license to issue faster than staggered or partial payments.
Committee members praised the increased efficiency. Committee member Jolina Grande asked whether the payment guidance appears on the website; Patterson said it is not yet posted but welcomed the suggestion and the bureau agreed to add clearer instructions and incorporate the guidance into applicant instructions and outreach.
What happens next: The bureau will continue staged "soft" releases for new Connect features and will announce availability to stakeholders after verifying functionality. Staff will track processing time impacts and report performance measures at future advisory committee meetings.
Sources: Remarks by Sandra Patterson and Gina Sanchez at the CFB Advisory Committee meeting, Oct. 23, 2024.
