Texas Funeral Service Commission ratifies termination of executive director Scott Bingaman

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

Commission members said they revisited the June action now that related litigation has been resolved and that Bingaman had requested public deliberation under Texas Government Code §551.074(b); the executive director did not appear at the July 21 meeting.

Commissioners who spoke in support of the ratification cited several reasons for upholding the earlier termination. One commissioner said Bingaman had been "not candid" in communications, including telling a commissioner the governor's office supported replacing the attorney general as the agency's general counsel — a representation the commissioner later verified was untrue. That speaker also said commissioners received notice of threatened litigation and letters from attorneys only shortly before meetings, which raised concerns about the agency's exposure and the executive director's communication practices.

Another commissioner described minimal contact with Bingaman since his hiring, noting one brief 2024 phone call and sporadic outreach in early 2025, followed by unreturned messages in May. That commissioner also said an internal email listed a staff attorney as "general counsel," raising questions about reporting lines and client-attorney privilege.

Industry-facing commissioners pressed the commission on licensing processing delays they said have harmed licensees and establishments. One speaker reported that at the time of the last meeting 192 individual licenses, 31 crematory licenses and 11 pages of establishment licenses appeared delinquent in the system, with many reportedly paid but not processed; that speaker said cemeteries had in some cases refused services because an establishment's online status showed delinquency.

Commission Chair John Sapanski reiterated concerns about the loss of routine communication — which he said had previously included weekly status reports — and tied those communication failures to operational problems, saying the combination was "unacceptable." The commission proceeded with a motion to ratify the prior termination; the motion was seconded and called to a voice vote. The chair declared the motion carried unanimously.

Because Bingaman was not present, the commission recorded no response from him during the public deliberation. The commission did not adopt any additional directives on implementation or replacement during the meeting, and no timeline for hiring or interim staffing was announced. The meeting adjourned after the vote.

Actions recorded: the commission ratified its earlier decision to terminate Executive Director Scott Bingaman (original termination date 06/18/2025), with the ratification effective 07/21/2025. The vote was recorded as unanimous.