CALL TO STOP more Burr Oak Cemetery Scandals!-Your Funeral Guy

THIS IS  CALL TO STOP FUTURE BURR OAK CEMETERY SCANDALS-July 19, 2010-special posting!

Congressman  BOBBY RUSH has been working  very hard to have this important Legislation considered again after he withdrew it on May 5, over his disagreement on exempting religious cemeteries. The Energy & Commerce Committee has scheduled the Rush bill for a vote this Wednesday, July 2ist 2010.

There is an entire website devoted to this legislation here

An in depth anaylisis of the current situation can be found here.

The Bereaved Consumers Bill Of Rights Act is moving through Congress.

H.R. 3655, the Bereaved Consumers  BILL of Rights Act—
BACK for Vote by Energy & Commerce

“YOU HAVE 30 HOURS TO ACT!”DO NOT LET MORE AMERICAN CONSUMERS BE TAKEN IN THEIR  MOMENT OF GREATEST GRIEF ANY MORE. Support cemetery reform!

Your Funeral Guy asks you to IMMEDIATELY do three things:1.) Phone the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee at 202-225-2927 and 202-225-3641—you need to call BOTH numbers—to express emphatic support of  H.R. 3655.

2.) Phone friends and relatives and ask them to IMMEDIATELY call the two phone numbers listed above to express their emphatic SUPPORT to H.R. 3655.

3.) Phone your Congressman and tell him/her to contact the Energy & Commerce Committee to express SUPPORT for H.R. 3655. (Contact info for your Congressman is easily found at www.house.gov at upper left hand corner at “Enter Your Zip Code.”

There are Funeral and Cemetery Scandals Every day in The USA. Many of them have been Covered at Your  Funeral  BLOGS. PLEASE TAKE THE ACTIONS OUTLINED ABOVE SO THE Bereaved Consumers bill of Rights Act CAN BE SENT TO THE FULL HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR A VOTE!

FUNERAL INDUSTRY, FUNERAL NEWS FUNERAL BLOG BY YOUR FUNERAL GUY.

Taking action on this now will prevent more tragedies like BURR OAK CEMETERY, EDEN MEMORIAL PARK, and the recent Arlington NATIONAL CEMETERY SCANDAL!

Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Act could Have prevented Arlington National Cem Scandal|Your Funeral Guy

If the Bereaved Consumers Bill Of Rights Act  of 2009, Hr 3655 would have been in place the last several years the Scandal revealed at Arlington National Cemetery may have been prevented.

If accurate records were maintained  and submitted to an independent  governmental authority, mistakes  made with veterans bodies may have been avoided.

The bill also requires cemeteries to retain all records and make them available to federal, state and local governments.

via www.bereavedconsumersprotectionact.com

It was recently reported that 200 remains were mishandled at Arlington National Cemetery according to the Department of the army.

Funeral Industry|Funeral News Funeral Blog By Your Funeral Guy, R. Brian Burkhardt

Illinois Cemetery Oversight Board comes into existence-Your Funeral Guy

Parts of the Illinois  Cemetery Oversight Act  take effect today. To sum up The Cemetery Oversight Board comes into existence today. This is part  the Legislation that the Illinois Governor Quinn signed into law before the election in February.

The cemetery Oversight Task Force was set up in response to the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal of  July 2009. The center of the legislation is to move cemetery regulation into the Illinois Department of  Financial and Professional Regulation, and the Cemetery Oversight Board.

This new board is an integral part of a wider, more comprehensive regulatory framework enacted to protect families in their dealings with cemeteries, funeral directors, and embalmers,” IDFPR Secretary Brent E. Adams said.

The creation of a nine-member Cemetery Oversight Board was a major component of the law that resulted from the many reforms and recommendations of the Cemetery Oversight Task Force.

via cbs2chicago.com

Funeral Industry|Funeral News| Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy

Funeral Industry Websites ignoring New National Industry Legislation-YourFuneralGuy

ConnectingDirectors.com did not do a story this past week on Funeral and Cemetery Legislative reform.

Several Funeral Industry Websites are ignoring the Funeral and Cemetery Reform hearing that took place in Congress this past week. Connecting Directors.com did not do a story or even post a news article.   FuneralWire.com has no article on the current story,only a mention of the NFDA support letter of 11/13/09. The Bereaved Consumers Bill of rights Act

Now to ignore the biggest story on the  Funeral and Cemetery Reform legislation since the revision of the Funeral rule(law) in 1992 is flat out bias. Even Financial trading companies are reporting on the hearings-research.scottrade.com

Congressman Bobby Rush held hearings last Wednesday on Funeral and Cemetery reform- This Legislation  will help the Funeral Consumer.

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

Rush Bill Expands Funeral Consumer Protection-FTC|YourFuneralGuy

Cemeteries may soon be covered under federal law

A bill Proposed in Congress will expand consumer protection for those who buy a funeral. That includes most everybody. The FTC put out a statement saying ” FTC Tells House Subcommittee it will Help Identify Ways to Strengthen Consumer Protections in the Funeral Industry“

The hearing on 1/27/10 was led by Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush.

The Bill expands the FTC “Funeral Rule” to cover everything Funeral and Cemetery. The bill takes on problems brought into the light by the “Horriffic” Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal outside Chicago.

In the Consumers mind funeral and cemetery mean the same thing but cemeteries have never been brought in under the federal law.

The Federal Trade Commission today told the U.S. House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection of the Committee on Energy and Commerce that the FTC will use its expertise to help the Subcommittee address the problems highlighted by last year’s horrific events at the historic Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois.

The testimony presented by Charles Harwood, Deputy Director in the agency’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, also expressed strong support for the goals of H.R. 3655, to give consumers greater protection against fraud and abusive practices in the funeral industry.

via www.ftc.gov

This bill goes a step further than the recent Illinois Cemetery Oversight Act in that it covers religious  cemeteries. Those cemeteries are not covered under the recent Illinois Law.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT BEREAVED CONSUMERS PROTECTION ACT.COM  FOR ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ON THIS BILL.

It appears that the funeral rule may soon regulate cemeteries. Maybe the cemetery industry will begin to follow basic rules.

Funeral Industry|Funeral News|Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy

Illinois:Burr Oak Cemetery reform legislation passes-YourFuneralGuy

Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal brought cemetery reform to Illinois

In Illinois State wide Cemetery reform passed the Illinois Legislature and went to the Governor this past week. This  is  a significant step toward stopping Funeral and Cemetery Scandal in the State of Illinois.

The governor of the State Pat Quinn praised the  legislation in his State of the State address.

When it becomes law there will be changes to help the funeral and cemetery consumer in Illinois.

Here area few of the changes that will take place in Illinois when the bill becomes law:

1.Cemetery owners, managers and customer service employees would have to be licensed,

2.Regulatory agency will conduct audits

3.Regulatory agency will issue fines of up to $10,000 for violations such as poor grounds upkeep or failing to keep burial maps.

In the aftermath of a widely publicized scandal at Burr Oak Cemetery, the Illinois House voted Wednesday to toughen regulation and improve oversight of state cemeteries.

Gov. Quinn all but signed the legislation during his State of the State speech, applauding the act as important reform…..

Under the bill sparked by Burr Oak, all cemetery workers will be required to register with the state, and owners, managers and customer service employees would have to be licensed. The bill also places cemetery oversight under the governor’s authority, taking it away from the state comptroller’s office.

via m.suntimes.com

The Citizens of the State of Illinois have spoken. No Burr oak Cemetery Scandal ever again.

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

Illinois Proposes Cemetery Reform-YourFuneralGuy

Illinois has proposed Cemetery Reform. Legislation has passed the Illinois House of Representatives Executive Committee. The Legislation is set to go to the full Illinois House. The legislation was developed in reaction to the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal near Chicago.

The legislation introduces background checks, licensing and registration  at cemeteries. The proposed law requires cemeteries to have maps and burial records. Cemeteries must be properly maintained.  Managers are to provide key info to state database that will keep track of who is buried where.

House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, unveiled the legislation as proponents contended it would “put teeth” in lax state oversight laws that contributed to the Burr Oak tragedy, where graves were desecrated. Several Burr Oak workers were charged in a scheme to dig up as many as 300 bodies and resell burial plots…..via newsblogs.chicagotribune.com

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog By Your Funeral Guy

Name Change|Game Changer|Bereaved Consumer Bll of Rights-YourFuneralGuy

The Bereaved Consumers Bill Of Rights has been introduced in Congress

The Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights went through a name change in the last week.  In a press release and News Conference Congressman Bobby Rush introduced the “NEW LEGISLATION” as the Bereaved Consumers Protection Act.

On Friday September 25th 2009 the Legislation  was introduced as the Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights

The Game changing Funeral and Cemetery Legislation requires cemeteries, crematories, and  monument companies to follow  the Funeral Rule.

Click Here to View the” BEREAVED CONSUMERS BILL OF RIGHTS”

It requires Funeral Directors to be clear in the presentation of  “Funeral Packages” the age old ploy to take advantage of funeral consumers in their Grief,

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

Bereaved Consumers Protection Act-Details next week-YourFuneralGuy

There is legislation in Congress on funeral and cemetery reform

Detail of the proposed  legislation reforming cemeteries and funerals will not be available till next week. The United States Congress will put the legislation in print and on the internet by then.

At the time of this blog post the Bill  proposed in the US  House was not available. There is more on the Bereaved Consumers Protection Act here.

Congressman Bobby Rush has stated that the legislation contains both a Cemetery and FUNERAL BILL OF RIGHTS©

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Cemetery| Funeral Bill of Rights©-YourFuneralGuy

Cemetery and Funeral Bill of Rights© needs to pass Congress.

Congressman Bobby Rush has announced a Cemetery and Funeral Bill of Rights© in the proposed Bereaved Consumers Protection Act.

This is an effective response to the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal(near Chicago) discovered in July: Over Three hundred graves were desecrated.

In the Eden Memorial Park Scandal discovered in Mission Hills California last week over 500 graves were desecrated.

There has never been nationwide Cemetery Legislation and as of now there is generally no way to file a complaint against a cemetery to get resolution.

Today you can file a complaint against a funeral home and get resolution. This is done under the Funeral Rule.

There is no place to file a complaint for cemeteries.

This is why the legislation makes sense. The bad guys can be stopped,if the cemetery and funeral  bill of rights is enacted-proposed Bereaved Consumers Protection Act.

Snippet from NBCchicago.com

“Legislation being introduced by U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush would establish a national bill of rights for consumers of cemetery and funeral home services.

The Chicago Democrat unveiled the Bereaved Consumers Protection Act during a news conference Monday.

The act would amend the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule. The rule prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the funeral operations industry.”

Cemetery|Funeral| Industry Blog by Your Funeral Guy.