Legislation
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Advocacy

Home Advocacy  Legislation

Legislation to Support the Profession

NFDA's Advocacy team works hard to make a positive impact on the laws and regulations that directly affect funeral service professionals and small business at the national level. 

We are here to support you! Please contact NFDA's Advocacy team if there are additional issues you are concerned about. 

NFDA will advocate for two bills in the 116th Congress:

  • H.R. 497/S. 597: The BRAVE ACT – Burial Rights for America’s Veterans’ Efforts Act of 2019
  • H.R. 1835: The Consensual Donation and Research Integrity Act of 2019

Why is the BRAVE Act so important? Meet Bill and Bob.

H.R. 497/S. 597: The BRAVE ACT – Burial Rights for America’s Veterans’ Efforts Act of 2019 to ensure that all non-service-connected veteran deaths are treated equally, regardless of where a veteran’s death occurs or the circumstances at their time of death.

The Consensual Donation & Research Integrity Act

H.R. 1835: The Consensual Donation and Research Integrity Act of 2019 to ensure the consensual donation and respectful disposition of human bodies and non-transplantable human body parts donated for education, research and the advancement of medical, dental and mortuary science for research purposes by amending the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 301 et seq.).

Current Legislative & Regulatory Issues

NFDA Position:
NFDA will continue its active involvement with all relevant federal or state departments, agencies, and private organizations to ensure that the role of funeral service in any natural or man-made mass-fatality disaster is clearly defined and adequately reflected in their policies.

Background:
NFDA has been in the forefront of advocating that the federal government and all federal agencies recognize the need and importance of funeral service and a national policy for the orderly recovery, identification, processing, and the conduct of funeral services and final dispositions for those who died from and during a natural or man-made mass-fatality event. 

NFDA Position:
NFDA will initiate and support legislation, rules and regulations that improve funeral and burial benefits for Veterans and their families, and will continue to work with Congress, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, individual service branches, veterans service organizations and other interested parties to improve funeral and burial benefits available to veterans and their families. 

Background:
Currently, there are numerous funeral and burial benefits available to veterans and their families including burial in national cemeteries, headstones and markers, memorial plots, presidential certificates, burial flags, reimbursement of burial expenses, life insurance, and other related benefits.

NFDA Position:
NFDA will initiate, support and/or advocate for legislation, rules and regulations that recognize the unique needs of small and family-owned businesses. 

Background:
Funeral directors are the typical small business; they are community-rooted and provide a valuable and necessary service to their neighbors. As a result, it is vital that NFDA remain active and involved in supporting and advocating for all bills, rules and regulations that benefit small businesses and oppose those that do not. 

NFDA Position:

NFDA will enhance its efforts to address environmental health and safety issues related to funeral directors and the operation of funeral homes and crematories, and (to educate the public on) the safety of the embalming process, embalming chemicals, preparation room, alkaline hydrolysis, crematory equipment, waste generated by funeral homes and crematories, and crematory emissions. 

To that end, NFDA will:

  • Undertake proactive communications and education initiatives
  • Assist funeral directors with complying with environmental health and safety laws, regulations and best practices, and establishing green funeral homes end-of-life practices
  • Promote laws and practices consistent with these objectives


Background:

Funeral homes are subject to environmental requirements regulating (1) the discharge of funeral home wastewater to municipal treatment works and septic systems, (2) crematory emissions, particularly mercury, and the siting and permitting of crematories; (3) the appropriate handling, disposal and recycling of waste, including medical waste, and (4) the potential toxicity and adverse impact of such discharges and releases on the environment and public health.  Funeral homes also are subject to OSHA requirements, including hazard communication.   The relationship between formaldehyde exposure and cancer in funeral directors and embalmers is an important focus as formaldehyde is widely used in embalming products and subject to both environmental and OSHA restrictions.

As always, NFDA will actively monitor these issues, educate members and engage regulators and legislators if or when they arise.

Updated: January 9, 2019

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About NFDA

NFDA is the world's leading and largest funeral service association, serving more than 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C.

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