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HB0108 • 2022

Funeral service practitioner amendments.

AN ACT relating to funeral service practitioners; clarifying the definition of embalming; revising education requirements for funeral service practitioners; revising requirements for reciprocal licenses; providing applicability; and providing for an effective date.

Education
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Representative Hallinan
Last action
2022-03-09
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
7/1/2022

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary text does not provide specific details on how education obtained outside of the United States will be evaluated, leaving some uncertainty in that area.

Changes to Funeral Service Practitioner Rules

This law clarifies what embalming means, updates education requirements for funeral service practitioners, and changes rules for getting a reciprocal license.

What This Bill Does

  • Clarifies that 'embalming' includes using chemicals to prepare bodies but does not include setting features or disinfecting without arterial methods.
  • Requires funeral service practitioners to complete at least 60 college credits from an accredited program in the United States, including an associate's degree in mortuary science or equivalent experience.
  • Allows the board to issue licenses to people who have practiced funeral services for three years in another state with similar education requirements.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Funeral service practitioners in Wyoming
  • People applying for funeral service practitioner licenses in Wyoming

Terms To Know

Embalming
The process of preparing a body for final disposition using chemicals.
Reciprocal license
A license issued to someone who is already licensed in another state with similar requirements.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify how the board will evaluate education obtained outside of the United States.
  • The effectiveness date for these changes is July 1, 2022.

Bill History

  1. 2022-03-09 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 25

  2. 2022-03-09 Governor

    Governor Signed HEA No. 0017

  3. 2022-03-07 Senate

    S President Signed HEA No. 0017

  4. 2022-03-07 House

    H Speaker Signed HEA No. 0017

  5. 2022-03-04 LSO

    Assigned Number HEA No. 0017

  6. 2022-03-04 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 30-0-0-0-0

  7. 2022-03-03 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  8. 2022-03-02 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  9. 2022-03-02 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  10. 2022-03-02 Senate

    S10 - Labor:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  11. 2022-03-01 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S10 - Labor

  12. 2022-02-28 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  13. 2022-02-28 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 59-0-1-0-0

  14. 2022-02-25 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  15. 2022-02-24 House

    H COW:Passed

  16. 2022-02-22 House

    H Placed on General File

  17. 2022-02-22 House

    H10 - Labor:Recommend Do Pass 8-0-1-0-0

  18. 2022-02-18 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H10 - Labor 60-0-0-0-0

  19. 2022-02-15 House

    H Received for Introduction

  20. 2022-02-14 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 22LSO-0380
Bill No.:

HB0108

Effective:

7/1/2022 12:00:00 AM

LSO No.:

22LSO-0380

Enrolled Act No.:

HEA No. 0017

Chapter No.:

25

Prime Sponsor:

Hallinan

Catch Title:

Funeral service practitioner amendments.

Subject:

Funeral service practitioner amendments.

Summary/Major Elements:

This act revises the definition of "embalming" for purposes of what activity constitutes funeral service practice.

This act revises the education requirements for licensure as a funeral service practitioner.

This act revises the requirements for reciprocal licensure for applicants from other jurisdictions.
The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.

While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
22LSO-0380

ORIGINAL House

Bill No
.
HB0108

ENROLLED ACT NO. 17,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2022 Budget Session

AN ACT relating to funeral service practitioners; clarifying the definition of embalming; revising education requirements for funeral service practitioners; revising requirements for reciprocal licenses; providing applicability; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

W.S. 33
‑
16
‑
502(a)(xiv), 33
‑
16
‑
517(a)(iii) and 33
‑
16
‑
522(a)(intro) and (ii)(B) are amended to read:

33
‑
16
‑
502.

Definitions.

(a)

As used in this act:

(xiv)

"Embalming" means the disinfecting, preparing or preserving for final disposition of dead human bodies, in whole or in part, or any attempt to do so, by the use or application of chemical substances, fluids or gases on the body, or by the introduction of the same into the body by vascular or hypodermic injection or by direct introduction into organs or cavities, or by any other method or process
. "Embalming" does not include setting features for the purpose of identification of an unembalmed dead human body or disinfecting a dead human body through non
‑
arterial methods
;

33
‑
16
‑
517.

Funeral service practitioner; license required; qualifications.

(a)

Persons employed by a funeral establishment may assist funeral directors and funeral service practitioners in the area of funeral directing, under the supervision of a licensed funeral service practitioner.

To be licensed as a funeral service practitioner within the state of Wyoming,
an applicant shall apply to the board for a funeral service practitioner license, upon a form and in the manner prescribed by the board, accompanied by the appropriate fee and satisfactory evidence of the following:

(iii)

The applicant has
:
completed sixty (60) credit hours at an accredited college or university in the United States, and has separately obtained

(A)

Obtained
an associates'
or higher
degree in funeral service practice or mortuary science from an
American board of funeral service education accredited mortuary science program or an equivalent
accredited program of funeral service education
;
or
, in the alternative, the applicant has received a bachelor degree in funeral service practice or mortuary science.

The board may accept education obtained outside the United States on a case by case basis;

(B)

Obtained a mortuary science diploma from an institution accredited by the American board of funeral service education or an equivalent accreditation and can show evidence of five (5) years of experience in practicing funeral service in another jurisdiction, regardless of whether that jurisdiction has a formal licensing requirement for funeral service practice as defined by W.S. 33
‑
16
‑
502(a)(xvii).

33
‑
16
‑
522.

Out
‑
of
‑
state licensees; reciprocity; state of disaster or emergency; entities and individuals.

(a)

The board shall have the power to issue
a
reciprocal
licenses
license
to
applicants licensed in other states which have
an applicant from another jurisdiction
that has
equal or like educational requirements as required by this state or the board as follows:

(ii)

The board may issue an appropriate license without further apprenticeship to a resident of a state which has similar educational requirements necessary for reciprocity with this state, if the applicant:

(B)

Has been
:

(I)

A
n active funeral service practice licensee and has actually been engaged in funeral service practice for at least
five (5)
three (3)
years;
or

(II)

Practicing funeral service in another jurisdiction that does not have formal licensing requirements for funeral service practice as defined by W.S. 33
‑
16
‑
502(a)(xvii) for at least five (5) years and the applicant meets the education requirements specified by W.S. 33
‑
16
‑
517(a)(iii)(A) or (B).

Section 2
.

This act shall apply to license applications made on or after July 1, 2022.

Section 3
.

This act is effective July 1, 2022
.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.

Chief Clerk

1