March 11, 2008

FTC Closes Regulatory Review of Funeral Rule

Selected Independent Funeral Homes has learned that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced yesterday it has approved the publication of a Federal Register notice closing the regulatory review of the Trade Regulation Rule on Funeral Industry Practices (the Funeral Rule) and retaining the Rule in its current form. The complete announcement is available on the FTC website at http://ftc.gov/opa/2008/03/funeral.shtm.

The FTC, which recently publicized results of its law enforcement “test shopping” sweeps conducted last year to monitor compliance with the Funeral Rule, has determined that the benefits the Rule provides consumers continue to outweigh the cost it imposes on industry to comply with its requirements and prohibitions. The FTC will continue to accept comments from the public regarding the funeral industry.

In December 2007, the FTC announced law enforcement sweeps of 174 funeral homes in nine states found significant violations of the Funeral Rule at 26 funeral homes and minor compliance deficiencies at 66 others. The full announcement is available at www.ftc.gov/opa/2007/12/funeral.shtm.

In its January-February 2008 issue, The Bulletin of Selected Independent Funeral Homes interviewed FTC Funeral Rule Coordinator Craig Tregillus about the sweeps and funeral home compliance. That issue is available online at http://www.selectedfuneralhomes.org/news/backissues.html. Refer to pages 12-13.

Selected Independent Funeral Homes
500 Lake Cook Road, Suite 205
Deerfield, Illinois 60015
Toll-Free: 1-800-323-4219
Fax: 847-236-9968
Email: info@selectedfuneralhomes.org
Web: www.selectedfuneralhomes.org