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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 11, 2021 03:47 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Wayne Langerholc, Jr. |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Increasing the Burial and Cremation Services Payment |
| In the near future, I plan on introducing legislation that will assist our local funeral directors and county coroners. We have a duty to provide for a decent burial for those who die without any means. Currently, our counties are meeting this demand, but costs have risen sharply. Under current law, all counties of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth classes provide no more than $300 to funeral directors to bury or cremate indigent residents. The amount has not been increased since 1965. Due to the increase in costs and demand, many funeral directors have reduced the number of indigents they will bury or cremate from county coroners. This has placed county coroners in a difficult situation. In order to properly compensate our funeral directors and assist our county coroners, my legislation will establish a minimum payment of $400 per indigent and increase the maximum payment to $800 per indigent. By setting a minimum and maximum amount, counties will have the ability to work with their local funeral directors to determine the appropriate amount. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation that will ensure our residents receive a timely and proper service following their passing. |
Introduced as SB456