Connecticut General Statutes 20-222 – Funeral home license. Hearing; appeal. Record-keeping requirements
(a) No person, firm, partnership or corporation shall enter into, engage in, or carry on a funeral service business unless a funeral home license has been issued by the department for each place of business. Any person, firm, partnership or corporation desiring to engage in the funeral service business shall submit, in writing, to the department an application upon blanks furnished by the department for a funeral home license for a funeral service business for each place of business, and each such application shall be accompanied by a fee of three hundred seventy-five dollars and shall identify the manager. Each holder of a funeral home license shall, annually, on or before July first, submit in writing to the Department of Public Health an application for renewal of such certificate together with a fee of one hundred ninety dollars. If the Department of Public Health issues to such applicant such a funeral home license, the same shall be valid until July first next following, unless revoked or suspended.
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 20-222
- Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
- Board: means the Connecticut Board of Examiners of Embalmers and Funeral Directors. See Connecticut General Statutes 20-207
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Funeral service business: means the business, practice or profession of funeral directing. See Connecticut General Statutes 20-207
- Manager: means an individual who (A) is licensed as an embalmer or funeral director pursuant to this chapter and (B) has direct and personal responsibility for the daily operation and management of a funeral service business. See Connecticut General Statutes 20-207
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
- Person: means an individual or corporation, but not a partnership. See Connecticut General Statutes 20-207
(b) Upon receipt of an initial application for a funeral home license, the Department of Public Health shall make an inspection of each building or part thereof wherein a funeral service business is conducted or is intended to be conducted, and satisfactory proof shall be furnished the Department of Public Health that the building or part thereof, in which it is intended to conduct the funeral service business, contains an adequate sanitary preparation room equipped with tile, cement or composition flooring, necessary ventilation, sink, and hot and cold running water, sewage facilities, and such instruments and supplies for the preparing or embalming of dead human bodies for burial, transportation or other disposition as the Commissioner of Public Health, with advice and assistance from the board, deems necessary and suitable for the conduct and maintenance of such business.
(c) Any person, firm, partnership or corporation desiring to change its place of business shall notify the Department of Public Health thirty days in advance of such change, and a fee of twenty-five dollars shall accompany the application for the funeral home license of the new premises. Any person, firm, partnership or corporation desiring to change its manager shall notify the Department of Public Health thirty days in advance of such change, on a form prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Health.
(d) The building or part thereof in which is conducted or intended to be conducted any funeral service business shall be open at all times for inspection by the board or the Department of Public Health. The Department of Public Health may make inspections whenever it deems advisable.
(e) If, upon inspection by the Department of Public Health, it is found that such building, equipment or instruments are in such an unsanitary condition as to be detrimental to public health, the board shall give to the applicant or operator of the funeral service business notice and opportunity for hearing as provided in the regulations adopted by the Commissioner of Public Health. At any such hearing, the Commissioner of Public Health or his designee shall be considered a member of the board and entitled to a vote. The board, or the Department of Public Health or his designee acting upon the board’s finding or determination, may, after such hearing, revoke or refuse to issue or renew any such funeral home license upon cause found after hearing. Any person aggrieved by the finding of said board or action taken by the Department of Public Health may appeal therefrom in accordance with the provisions of section 4-183.
(f) Any of the inspections provided for in this section may be made by a person designated by the Department of Public Health or by a representative of the Commissioner of Public Health.
(g) Any person, firm, partnership or corporation engaged in the funeral service business shall maintain at the address of record of the funeral service business identified on the funeral home license the following:
(1) All records relating to contracts for funeral services, prepaid funeral service contracts or escrow accounts for a period of not less than six years after the death of the individual for whom funeral services were provided;
(2) Copies of all death certificates, burial permits, authorizations for cremation, documentation of receipt of cremated remains and written agreements used in making arrangements for final disposition of dead human bodies, including, but not limited to, copies of the final bill and other written evidence of agreement or obligation furnished to consumers, for a period of not less than six years after such final disposition; and
(3) Copies of price lists, for a period of not less than six years from the last date such lists were distributed to consumers.