(a)  Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as prohibiting any person from serving as a funeral director/embalmer intern. Before an internship begins, the person desiring to become an intern shall register with the division on any forms that it prescribes. No person under the age of eighteen (18) years shall be permitted to register as an intern. The division may make any rules and regulations that it deems advisable for the supervision of interns. All persons registering as an intern shall pay a fee as set forth in § 23-1-54 at the time of the registration. That intern is not permitted to advertise or hold himself or herself out to the public as a registered funeral director/embalmer. The term of internship shall be not less than one year; provided, that if an intern after having served his or her internship fails to pass the examination for a funeral director/embalmer’s license or fails to embalm fifty (50) human remains during his or her internship, he or she may continue his or her internship. The total term of internship must be completed within five (5) years from the date of original registration.

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Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 5-33.2-16

  • Division: means the division of professional regulation created under chapter 26 of this title. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-33.2-1
  • Embalming: means the practice, science, or profession of preserving, disinfecting, and preparing in any manner dead human bodies for burial, cremation, or transportation. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-33.2-1
  • Funeral: means a period following death in which there are religious services or other rites or ceremonies with the body of the deceased present. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-33.2-1
  • Funeral establishment: means a fixed place, establishment, or premises, licensed by the department, devoted to the activities that are incident, convenient, or related to the care and preparation, arrangement, financial and otherwise, for the funeral, transportation, burial, or other disposition of human dead bodies and including, but not limited to, a suitable room with all instruments and supplies used for the storage or preparation of dead human bodies for burial or other disposition. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-33.2-1
  • Person: includes individuals, partnerships, corporations, limited-liability companies, associations, and organizations of all kinds. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-33.2-1

(b)  The intern must have assisted in embalming at least fifty (50) bodies if the period for registered internship is to be satisfied in one year. If the internship is for more than one year, the applicant must embalm at least twenty-five (25) bodies for each year of his or her internship. Each licensed funeral establishment embalming up to one hundred fifty (150) human remains per year shall be allowed to register one intern at one time. Each establishment embalming more than one hundred fifty (150) but less than three hundred (300) human remains per year shall be allowed to register two (2) interns at one time. Each establishment embalming three hundred (300) or more human remains per year shall be allowed to register three (3) interns at one time.

History of Section.
P.L. 1995, ch. 255, § 2; P.L. 2001, ch. 77, art. 14, § 8; P.L. 2007, ch. 73, art. 39, § 6; P.L. 2012, ch. 241, art. 9, § 7.