Committee adopts amendments to funeral‑industry cleanup bill and advances it to Committee of the Whole

The House Business Affairs and Labor Committee on Monday completed the amendment phase for a bill that updates state rules for funeral service practitioners and related offenses and advanced the measure to the Committee of the Whole.

Sponsor amendments L001 and L002 were described by proponents as conforming edits to reflect newly added categories (for example, a mortuary science practitioner as a designated agent). Witnesses and the sponsor said the changes removed problematic statutory phrasing about remains being "not sanitary or dignified," and clarified transportation and post‑transport handling language.

A third amendment, L003, altered the penalty framework in the abuse‑of‑a‑corpse section; the sponsor described it as raising the grading for the worst acts to signal the legislature’s seriousness. "We wanted to make sure that the penalty for that kind of atrocious behavior is a stronger penalty," the sponsor said (speech during amendment debate).

After committee members moved and seconded the amendments and there were no objections, Ms. Arroggio called the roll: the motion to move the bill to the Committee of the Whole passed on a 12–0 vote.

The matter will return to the House floor process from the Committee of the Whole, where further floor consideration is possible.

The committee record shows the amendments were adopted in the amendment phase; the sponsor said work continues on definitions and additional cleanups before third‑reading consideration.