Posted: | October 3, 2014 09:35 AM |
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From: | Representative Jerry Knowles |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Coroner or Deputy Coroner who are funeral directors (etc.) not able to perform services of a funeral director upon body of any person whose death is investigated – unless there was a prepaid funeral contract |
In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation to add a new section to the act of August 9, 1955 (P.L. 323, No. 130) known as “The County Code”. Since a Coroner or Deputy Coroner may be an owner, operator, or employee of a funeral establishment, this creates a conflict of interest. Coroners and Deputy Coroners have the ability to use their position to refer families to their particular funeral establishment. My legislation would state that no coroner or deputy coroner who is a funeral director, an owner or operator of a funeral establishment, or an employee of a funeral establishment, and no funeral establishment with which a coroner or deputy coroner is associated, shall perform any of the services of a funeral director upon the body of any person whose death is required by law to be investigated by the coroner or his or her deputy. An exception would be allowed for those individuals who already had a prepaid funeral contract with the funeral establishment with which the coroner or deputy coroner is associated. Please consider co-sponsoring this legislation that would ensure equality for funeral establishments throughout the Commonwealth. |