Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed two bills into law that overhaul state oversight of the funeral home industry after a series of gruesome discoveries, including 190 decomposing bodies in a facility, families being sent fake ashes, and the unauthorized sale of body parts. The cases put Colorado’s lax funeral home regulations in the spotlight and rocked hundreds of grieving families, some of whom had spread fake ashes or had nightmares about the condition of their loved ones. The new laws bring Colorado in line with most other states, requiring routine inspections of funeral homes and licensing for funeral directors and other workers in the industry.
The new laws require regulators to routinely inspect funeral homes and give them more power for enforcement. They also implement licensing for funeral directors and other workers in the industry, requiring them to pass background checks, a national exam, possess degrees, and have work experience. Previously, funeral home directors in Colorado were not even required to graduate from high school. While the funeral home industry was generally supportive of the changes, some expressed concerns that the strict requirements for funeral home directors could make it difficult to find qualified applicants.
The bill signings come after a rocky year for Colorado funeral homes, including the discovery of 190 decomposing bodies in a facility in Penrose. Almost two dozen bodies dated back to 2019, with some from 2020. Families who had received ashes learned that the cremains were not from their loved ones. The mother of one man found in the Penrose facility, who was killed by police during a mental health crisis, expressed her excitement about the new laws and hopes that they will ensure the proper identification and handling of remains at crematoriums. The owners of the funeral home where the bodies were found were arrested in November and face charges of abusing corpses.
In addition to the Penrose facility discovery, a woman’s body was found in the back of a hearse where a suburban Denver funeral home had left it for over a year. At least 30 sets of cremated remains were found stashed throughout the funeral director’s home. The new laws should address these issues by implementing regulations requiring crematoriums to verify the identity of remains independently and certify to the state that the remains were cremated. The cases of neglect and mishandling of bodies have prompted Colorado to strengthen its oversight of the funeral home industry and bring regulations in line with most other states.
The implementation of the new laws signals a significant change in Colorado’s funeral home industry, which previously had some of the weakest regulations in the nation. Families who have been affected by the mishandling of their loved ones’ remains hope that the new laws will prevent similar incidents in the future. By requiring routine inspections of funeral homes and licensing for funeral directors, Colorado aims to improve the trustworthiness and professionalism of those entrusted to care for the deceased. The new laws are seen as a positive step towards ensuring the dignity and proper handling of remains in the funeral home industry in Colorado.
