July 21, 2010 at 7:08 pm

HR 3655 Passes Committee-Details-Bereaved Consumers Bill of rights Act

Your Funeral Guy Has reported that the Bereaved Consumers Protection Act has made it through the Energy and Commerce Committee and has been Marked up for consideration of a vote in the full House Of Representatives.

Your Funeral Guy Reports this in a snippet:

“The Bereaved  Consumers Bill of Rights Act, HR 3655  Land Mark Cemetery legislation has made it through the House Energy Commerce Committee by a vote of 15-12.

This is a significant step forward to ending Future Scandals like those that occurred at Burr Oak Cemetery, Eden Memorial Park, in 2009.

Amendments to the legislation where allowed for religious and non profit cemeteries.

This legislation  if Passed  by the United States House of Representatives will require that the large cemetery corporations like Service Corporation International and Stewart Enterprises will have to disclose Their prices to customers asking for cemetery and crematory services.

H. R. 3655, the “Bereaved Consumer’s Bill of Rights Act”

(ordered favorably reported to the House, amended, by voice vote)

via http://energycommerce.house.gov/

This is good news for the funeral and Cemetery Consumers  for the enactment of Funeral Rule 2.

via www.yourfuneralguy.com

Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Act, HR 3655 by Bereaved Consumers Protection Act.


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July 20, 2010 at 8:58 am

Committee Vote 7.21.10-Bereaved Consumers Protection act

Congressman Bobby Rush will be putting the Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Act up for a vote in he Energy Commerce Committee. on  July 21st 2010. Rush pulled the the bill from consideration on May 5th.

Rush Bill coming to avote in Committe in Congress

This is important legislation( Hr 3655) because it essentially keeps cemeteries honest requiring that they disclose prices in advance and  keep track of graves in a database.What essentially will happen is that cemeteries will be regulated by the rules that regulate.Funeral Homes on the FTC”s Funeral Rule! the legislation has been reffered to as Funeral Rule 2.

The  Rush bill is appropiate because it levels the playing field for cemeteries and funeral homes.

The Funeral Consumers Alliance and The National  Funeral Directors Association, organizations with quite different agenda’s support this bill.

Your Funeral Guy has issued a call for action on this vote.

The ICCFA and  State Cemetery Associations are calling for opposition to this bill!

At the last Committee Meeting Congressman Joe Barton Of Texas voiced his opposition to the bill. He may be muted this time because oh his comments on the BP Oil Spill.

If this bill would have been in place, The Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal, Eden Memorial Park Scandal, and the recent Arlington National Cemetery Scandal May not have taken place.

Funeral industry News posted  By Admin in the Bereaved Consumers Protection Act


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July 3, 2010 at 3:08 pm

Burr Oak Cemetery or Arlington National Cemetery|BereavedConsumersProtectionAct

If you looked at these words about a year ago you would think that they were talking about Burr Oak Cemetery outside of Chicago- Not Arlington National Cemetery.

“….. said Wednesday that officials were prepared to dig up graves, open caskets and take DNA samples from the deceased if it is necessary to sort out the record-keeping chaos at …..”

In July of 2009 this was the story of the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal outside of Chicago. In July of 2010 it may be the story of Arlington National Cemetery.

In July of 2009 words like these came from the Cook County Sheriff. In 2010 we are hearing them from the Secretary of the Army concerning Arlington National Cemetery!

The secretary of the Army said Wednesday that officials were prepared to dig up graves, open caskets and take DNA samples from the deceased if it is necessary to sort out the record-keeping chaos at Arlington National Cemetery.

“If we are so authorized, and if it is necessary, we have not ruled out the possibility of actually opening caskets,” said Army Secretary John McHugh, noting that it would be an extreme measure, “and should it thereafter become necessary for DNA \u2026 that would be something we would contemplate.”

McHugh spoke at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee called to look into recent revelations of mismanagement, mishandling of remains and extensive record foul-ups at the nation’s most hallowed cemetery.

via www.statesman.com

This is all the more reason we need The Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Act AKA: The Bereaved Consumers Protection Act, HR 3655.

Funeral Industry |Funeral News | Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.


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May 6, 2010 at 1:30 pm

Barton Amendment delays Bereaved Consumers Protection Act

Yesterday an amendment was proposed to the The Bereaved Consumers Protection Act. The amendment Proposed by Republican Joe Barton of Texas received enough support to bring the Democratic Sponsor Congressman  Bobby Rush to pull the bill from current consideration from the House Energy and Commerce Commmitte.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE AMENDMENT.

The amendment would exempt NON PROFIT CEMETERIES from the FTC Funeral Rule 2, and direct the Federal Trade Commission to study state regulations of cemeteries.

This is not a death blow to the legislation, only a delay. The Republicans have stopped quick National Cemetery Reform. This situation allows for more Burr Oak Cemetery and Eden Memorial Park Scandals to happen across the USA.

Funeral Industry|Cemetery Industry | funeral Blog by Bereaved Consumers Protection Act.COM


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at 12:21 am

Is the Bill For Funeral Rule 2 Killed|BereavedConsumersProtectionAct

Is HR  3655  The Bill For Funeral Rule 2 dead? It appears that on May 5th 2010 Congressman Bobby Rush pulled the bill from Further Consideration From the House Energy and Commerce Committee because of his opposition to an Amendment for religous organizations to be exempt from the law.

From YourFuneralGuy:

Congressman Bobby Rush(Sponsor) has asked that HR 3655 Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Act  of 2009  be pulled from consideration By The House Energy and Commerce Committee.  Rush opposes an amendment to the bill that would allow exemption for religious cemeteries.

The Federal Legislation was initially Drawn up because of The Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal.

The legislation was NOT Marked up to The Full House for a vote on May 5th, 2010. Details on Further consideration of cemetery reform legislation is not known at this time.

READ MORE via yourfuneralguy.wordpress.com

Funeral Industry|Funeral & Cemetery Reform Blog by Bereaved ConsumersProtectionAct.Com


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May 5, 2010 at 4:25 pm

ICCFA hit HR 3655 Hard(BereavedConsumersProtectionAct)

The ICCFA (International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association has hit the Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Hard. Here is a bit of their E-Mail Campaign.

The International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association issued a call to action for its members to have funeral service practitioners call their representatives to vote no on the proposed measure. The association’s email blast urged members to:

“Phone the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee “to express emphatic opposition to H.R. 3655.”

Phone your industry friends, colleagues and tell your employees and ask them to immediately call the two phone numbers listed above to express their emphatic opposition to H.R. 3655.

Phone your Congressman and tell him/her to contact the Energy & Commerce Committee to express opposition to H.R. 3655.”

via memorialbusinessjournal.wordpress.com

Funeral Industry|Funeral News|Funeral Blog by BereavedConsumersProtectionAct.com

Clearly the ICCFA does not think the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal is all that serious of a disaster.

Funeral Rule 2 would bring changes to the Cemetery Industry


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at 10:34 am

Rep.Barton R-TX-Opposes HR3655(BereavedConsumersProtectionAct)

Texas Republican Representative Joe Barton op0ses HR 3655

The  Texas Republican Joe Barton is opposing the Bereaved Consumers Protection Act, AkA  Bereaved consumers Bill of Rights Act of 2009 From The Republican Committee Press Release His opposition is Stated To Be “Strong”

The Bill HR 3655 provides only basic Cemetery and third party regulation  By Setting up Funeral Rule2

“On the other bill, Mr. Chairman, H.R. 3655, I understand Subcommittee Chairman Rush’s strong personal interest in this. I understand you have a similar interest and I respect that, Mr. Chairman. I sincerely do. Having said that, my family is involved with a small volunteer cemetery association in Texas. I have family members who have been buried there for more than 70 years. The cemetery itself is more than 100 years old. There is absolutely no way on God’s green earth that that small cemetery should be subject to Federal Trade Commission regulation. It’s run entirely by volunteers. It’s run on a shoestring budget. The total expenses of the cemetery on an annual basis in a normal year are less than $3,000. It will require them to report things to the FTC, keep certain records and hire accountants they’d have to have just doesn’t make sense.

We know there have been some charlatan cemetery operators in the country, one obviously in Chairman Rush’s home state of Illinois. But in that case, once it came to the attention of the Illinois governor and Illinois legislature, prompt action was taken. There’s been a task force created that made recommendations. It is not one of that task force recommendations that there be a federal law on cemeteries.

“With all the problems facing this country, Mr. Chairman, all of the issues facing this committee, federalization of cemetery regulation has got to go down as one of least cost-effective, least desirable, least necessary bills, certainly in the last five or six years of this committee.

“I cannot tell you how strongly I oppose the cemetery bill and will continue to do so.via republicans.energycommerce.house.gov

Funeral Industry| Cemetery & Funeral Reform blog By Bereaved Consumers Protection Act.com


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May 4, 2010 at 3:40 pm

They’re weighing in on HR 3655-Bereaved Consumers Protection Act

It is the Day before the Full Congressional Committee  Hearing on the Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights act Act. The Bill wiil  placed  for markup to the full  US  House of Representatives for vote.

Full Congressional Committee hearing on the Bereaved Consumers Bill Of Rights Act in Congress May 5th 2010

Here is the way things are playing out. The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) and  the Funeral Consumers Alliance(FCA) are supporting the legislation. The International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA )is opposing the HR 3655.Your Funeral Guy is supporting it, ConnectingDirectors.com is refusing to take sides.

The basics of this law are that everyone follows the same rules, funeral home, cemeteries, cremation facilities and sellers of funeral goods and services. And there is one  place to file a complaint, The Federal Trade Commission.

This is not as the other legislation we have seen.  The Congress and the Obama Administration are not taking over death care. This is the most basic regulation to stop abuse. We Need no more Burr Oak Cemetery Scandals.

Funeral Industry, Funeral News, Bereaved Consumers Protection Act Blog.


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May 3, 2010 at 11:18 pm

Bereaved Consumer Bill Of Rights Act-Hearing 5-5-2009(bereavedconsumersprotectionact)

The Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Act Of 2009 will be the subject of the  US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee  Hearing (Mark up) on 5/05/2010. The legislation is known as the Rush Bill after the Bill Sponsor, Congressman Bobby Rush. The Bill in is also known as  FTC  Funeral Rule 2 . The bill HR 3655 was introduced in response to the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal Of July 2009.

Funeral Industry|Funeral News|Funeral blog by Bereaved Consumers Protection Act


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April 23, 2010 at 6:16 pm

Creator of Funeral Rule #2 to speak at FCA convention|bereavedconsumersprotectionact

Congressman Bobby Rush(D-IL) will be a Speaker at the The Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA)2010 Conference. Congressman Rush is the sponsor of the Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Actof 2009-Funeral and Cemetery and Reform Legislation written in response to the tragic Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal.of  July 2009.  The conference is scheduled for June 2010.

Congressman Bobby Rush

Early in March 2010, Congressman Rush spoke at the NFDA Advocacy Summit a meeting of Funeral Industry Lobbyists in Washington DC. Interestingly,  both the Funeral Consumers Alliance and the National Funeral Directors Association support the Funeral and Cemetery Reform  legislation, which will set up a second “Death Care” Industry Rule(AKA Funeral Rule 2) regulating Cemeteries and Third parties that sell Funeral Goods and Services to the public-READMORE

Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Act Blog|Bereaved Consumers Protection Act blog


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