All Roll Calls
Yes: 213 • No: 1
MarylandSB 04132026 Regular SessionSenate
State Board of Morticians and Funeral Directors - Board Operations and Regulation of Crematories and Reduction Facilities
Sponsored By: Pamela Beidle (Democratic)
Signed by Governor
Health OccupationsBusiness RegulationPublic HealthAccountantsAddressesApplicants and ApplicationsArbitration -see also- MediationAttorneysCemeteriesCertificationsCircuit CourtsCommerce and Business -see also- ElectrComm; ForeignTr; etc.Committee ChangesCommittees and CommissionsComplaintsConsumer ProtectionContracts -see also- ProcurementCorporations -see also- Municipal Corps; Public Corps & InstCourt CostsCourt OrdersCremationCrimes and Punishments -see also- Penalties and Sentnc; etc.DisciplineDisclosureElectronic CommunicationEthicsEvidenceFees -see also- Attys' Fees; Devt Fees & TaxesFines -see also- Penalties and SentencesFormsFraud -see also- ForgeryFuneralsGoods and Services -see also- Retail Sales; TermnSvc; TrfGdsHazardous and Toxic Substances -see also- Asbestos; RadiatnHealth -see also- COVID19; EnvHlth; MedCon; etc.Health Occupations -see also- (specific health occupations)HearingsInspections -see also- Motor Vehicle InspectionInvestigations and Inquiries -see also- Crim Bckgrnd InvestJob Training -see also- Continuing Ed; Vocational RehabLaboratoriesLabor, Department ofLiabilityLimited Liability CompaniesMedical Conditions -see also- AIDS; COVID-19; rabiesMorticiansNamesNoticesOathsPartnershipsPenalties and Sentences -see also- Death PenaltyPermits -see also- Building PermitsPersonal Identifying InformationPostal ServicePrivacyPublic InformationRecords -see also- Land Records; Vital RecordsRegistration -see also- Motor Vehicle RegistrationReportsRevenue and Taxes -see also- (specific tax)Rules and RegulationsSafety -see also- Occupational SafetySettlement ProceduresStandards and Best PracticesSubpoenasTimeVeteransWeights and Measures
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
15 provisions identified: 7 benefits, 1 costs, 7 mixed.
Current permits stay valid, easy reinstatement
Existing crematory or reduction registrations and permits from the Office remain valid and can be renewed under the new law. If your permit expired, you can get it reinstated if you meet renewal rules, pay the reinstatement fee, and sign an affidavit that you did not operate while it was expired.
Who must register and hold permits
You may not operate or offer cremation or reduction services unless you are a registered operator. Most businesses must be a corporation, LLC, or partnership and hold a permit; a registered sole proprietor is the exception. You may not use titles like crematory operator or reduction operator unless you are registered. The law defines a “registered crematory operator” and what counts as operating a crematory or a reduction facility. Selling burial or pre‑need goods at the facility counts; funeral direction and unrelated services do not.
Stronger inspections and discipline for funeral homes
The Board can inspect crematories and reduction facilities after a written complaint or on its own. Funeral home inspections are unannounced; the Board may give up to 14 days notice without a date or time. If there is a complaint or probation, staff must give immediate access to prep or storage areas, and results go out within 24 hours. The Board must give notice and a hearing chance before final discipline; if the action stands, you must pay hearing costs. A funeral home can be disciplined for an employee’s failure to follow Health §5‑513. The Board must employ at least two inspectors, and starting in fiscal year 2028, it adds a full‑time inspector position. Board records are mostly confidential, with limited allowed sharing. The Board will also adopt a code of ethics for operators.
Higher fines and updated court powers
The Board can fine up to $10,000 per violation and up to $1,000 per day for ongoing violations. Beginning July 1, 2026, the Board can ask a court to stop a licensee from working and can seek a receiver to run an establishment during a serious case. The law also removes a prior power to get an immediate restraining order or receiver in some situations. These changes raise risk for violations and update how fast and how far court actions can go.
New registration rules for cremation and reduction
The Board now regulates crematories and natural organic reduction facilities. You must register before you operate, be at least 18, be of good moral character, hold a recognized crematory operator certification, be affiliated with a permitted facility, and complete any Board training. You apply on the Board’s form with a nonrefundable fee; your registration lets you operate while it is current and cannot be transferred to another person. Registrations renew every two years; the Board sends a renewal notice at least 90 days before expiration, and there is a path to reinstate after a lapse with a fee and affidavit. You must post your registration at your business and report responsible‑party and affiliation changes within one week. Entity permit applicants must provide a recent SDAT good‑standing certificate, and permit holders also get 90‑day renewal notices.
Safety and testing rules for reduction
Natural organic reduction is banned for embalmed remains or for diseases and conditions like Creutzfeldt–Jakob, Ebola, tuberculosis, and radioisotopes. Operators must give written notice to the authorizing agent before starting reduction. Facilities must record that equipment hit Board‑set temperatures for the required time for each run. Each production must pass third‑party lab tests before soil remains are released, including staying below 0.01 mg/kg dry weight for the listed contaminants. The Board sets training standards and can add more safety rules. The law defines “soil remains,” the material returned after reduction.
State Board now regulates cremation
Maryland moves oversight of crematories and natural organic reduction facilities to the State Board of Morticians and Funeral Directors. The governing rules now sit in the Health Occupations laws, and Title 5 no longer applies to running or owning these facilities. The Office of Cemetery Oversight no longer handles these operators, and references in Business Regulation are removed. The Advisory Council keeps working, but one seat is cut and the crematory seat is removed.
Perpetual care for pet burial lots
If you buy a burial lot or burial right for a pet, the perpetual‑care duty still applies. This keeps protections for pet owners who buy cemetery space.
Clear lines for funeral vs cremation work
Running a crematory or a reduction facility is not treated as funeral direction or mortuary science. Operators may use crematory and reduction titles in ads. The law defines a reduction facility as a place that holds the equipment for natural organic reduction. These rules make it clearer which licenses and titles apply to your work.
Less paperwork and fewer discipline risks
Permit applicants no longer need to submit two‑year sales‑contract counts. The Board cannot discipline you only for not following a settlement from binding arbitration. This trims paperwork and narrows one discipline trigger.
Board oversight and reporting get stronger
On July 1, 2026, regulation of crematories and reduction facilities moves to the State Board. The Board must start yearly complaint reports in 2028. A stakeholder workgroup reviews the new rules, with a report due by December 31, 2026. Board governance shifts: a quorum is a majority of serving members, actions pass by simple majority, and the Governor can remove members for repeated absences or any just and reasonable cause. Health care professionals may appeal certain Board decisions directly to court. All collected fees go to the Board’s fund.
Defines alkaline hydrolysis and remains
The law defines “alkaline hydrolysis” as reducing remains with water, alkaline chemicals, and heat in a sealed vessel. It also defines “hydrolyzed remains” as the bone fragments produced when that process is complete.
Protection for unclaimed veteran cremains transfers
Funeral homes and crematories that in good faith transfer unclaimed cremated remains of a veteran or eligible dependent to a veterans service group are not civilly liable. The veterans service group is also protected when it accepts the remains in good faith.
Changes to pre-need contracts and sellers
Crematory and reduction operators are removed from the statute’s list of named parties to pre‑need contracts. The law clarifies that pre‑need goods are burial goods sold before death and do not include burial space. Definitions change so pre‑need services are tied to burial, and more types of sellers can be treated as pre‑need sellers. A prior bar that named crematory property in preneed trust investment limits is removed, while other cemetery limits remain.
Fee rules for crematories and reduction
The Board can set reasonable fees to cover its costs. The Board may not charge a fee for each cremation. A prior ban on the Office Director charging per‑cremation fees is removed because the Director no longer regulates these facilities.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Pamela Beidle
Democratic • Senate
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 4/9/2026
Third Reading Passed
Yes: 42 • No: 0 • Other: 1
House vote • 4/8/2026
Third Reading Passed
Yes: 132 • No: 1 • Other: 3
Senate vote • 3/20/2026
Third Reading Passed
Yes: 39 • No: 0 • Other: 3
Actions Timeline
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 187
4/28/2026Passed Enrolled
4/9/2026SenateThird Reading Passed (42-0)
4/9/2026SenateSenate Concurs House Amendments
4/9/2026SenateThird Reading Passed (132-1)
4/8/2026HouseSecond Reading Passed with Amendments
4/3/2026HouseFavorable with Amendments {263525/1 Adopted
4/3/2026HouseFavorable with Amendments Report by Health
4/3/2026HouseHearing 4/01 at 1:00 p.m.
3/23/2026HouseReferred Health
3/21/2026HouseThird Reading Passed (39-0)
3/20/2026SenateSecond Reading Passed with Amendments
3/19/2026SenateFloor Amendment {553427/1 (Senator Simonaire) Adopted
3/19/2026SenateFavorable with Amendments {713627/1 Adopted
3/19/2026SenateMotion Laid Over (Senator Simonaire) Adopted
3/19/2026SenateFavorable with Amendments {713627/1
3/19/2026SenateMotion Special Order until Later Today (Senator Beidle) Adopted
3/19/2026SenateFavorable with Amendments {713627/1
3/19/2026SenateFavorable with Amendments Report by Finance
3/19/2026SenateHearing 2/19 at 1:00 p.m.
2/4/2026SenateFirst Reading Finance
1/29/2026Senate
Bill Text
Enacted
4/28/2026
Enrolled
4/9/2026
Third Reading
3/19/2026
First Reading
1/29/2026
Related Bills
SB 0496, Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Coverage for the Treatment of Obesity - Authorization
SB 0366, Motor Vehicles - Intelligent Speed Assistance System Pilot Program - Establishment
SB 0244, Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program
SB 0148, Income Tax - Credit for 9-1-1 Specialist Retirement Income (Supporting Our 9-1-1 Specialists Act)
SB 0016, Child Support - Earnings Withholdings Limits
HB 0529, Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program