North Carolina SB 857: GSC Update Funeral Board and DOI Licensing.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025

SESSION LAW 2026-48
SENATE BILL 857

*S857-v-4*
AN ACT TO UPDATE THE BOARD OF FUNERAL SERVICE STATUTES AND TO
AMEND VARIOUS LICENSING PROGRAMS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF
INSURANCE, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE GENERAL STATUTES COMMISSION.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

PART I. UPDATE FUNERAL BOARD STATUTES
SECTION 1. The catch line to G.S. 90-210.22 reads as rewritten:
"§ 90-210.22. Required meetings of the Board.Board of Funeral Service."
SECTION 2. G.S. 90-210.19 is recodified as G.S. 90-210.22(b).
SECTION 3. G.S. 90-210.18A(b), (c), and (d) are recodified as G.S. 90-210.22(a),
(f), and (g), respectively.
SECTION 4. G.S. 90-210.23(b) and (c) are recodified as G.S. 90-210.22(c) and (e),
respectively.
SECTION 5. G.S. 90-210.18A, as amended by Section 3 of this act, reads as
rewritten:
"§ 90-210.18A. Board of Funeral Service created; qualifications; vacancies; removal.State
policy on the practice of funeral service.
(a) The General Assembly declares that the practice of funeral service affects the public
health, safety, and welfare and is subject to regulation and control in the public interest. The
public interest requires that only qualified persons be permitted allowed to practice funeral
service in North Carolina and that the profession merit the confidence of the public. This Article
shall be liberally construed to accomplish these ends.
(b) through (d) Recodified."
SECTION 6. G.S. 90-210.25(c)(3) is recodified as G.S. 90-210.20(22).
SECTION 7. G.S. 90-210.20, as amended by Section 6 of this act, reads as rewritten:
"§ 90-210.20. Definitions.
Unless a different meaning is required by the context, the The following definitions apply to
this Article and Articles 13D and 13F of this Chapter:
The following definitions apply in this Article:
(1) Advertisement. ‒ The publication, dissemination, circulation circulation, or
placing before the public, or causing directly or indirectly to be made,
published, disseminated disseminated, or placed before the public, any an
announcement or statement in a newspaper, magazine, or other publication,
or in the form of a book, notice, circular, pamphlet, letter, handbill, poster,
bill, sign, placard, card, label label, or tag, or over any radio, television station,
or electronic medium.
(2) Alkaline hydrolysis. ‒ The technical process that reduces dead human bodies
human remains to bone fragments using heat, water, and chemical agents.
(3) Board. ‒ The North Carolina Board of Funeral Service.

Page 2 Session Law 2026-48 Senate Bill 857
(4) Branch establishment. ‒ A funeral establishment that serves as an ancillary
facility to a principal funeral establishment, which is not required to contain a
preparation room pursuant to G.S. 90-210.27A(a).establishment.
(5) Burial. ‒ Includes Interment in any form, cremation and the transportation of
the dead human body as necessary.
(6) Chapel. ‒ A facility separate from the a funeral establishment premises that
meets all of the following requirements:
a. for the Its primary purpose of is the reposing of dead human bodies,
human remains, visitation, funeral ceremony, or memorial service
service.
b. that It is owned, operated, or maintained by a principal funeral
establishment under this Article, and establishment.
c. that It is not staffed on a full-time basis, basis.
d. in which or on the premises of which, there is not displayed any
caskets or other funeral merchandise; in which or on the premises of
which there is not located any business office or preparation room; and
which no owner, operator, employee, or agent thereof represents the
chapel to be a funeral establishment. A Caskets and other funeral
merchandise are not displayed on its premises; however, a funeral
establishment may utilize a chapel use it to make funeral arrangements
and to sell funeral merchandise to the public by photograph or digital
presentation, and to make financial arrangements related to the sale,
provided that such so long as these uses are secondary and incidental
to and do not interfere with the reposing of dead human bodies,
visitation, funeral ceremony, or memorial service.its primary purpose.
e. A business office or preparation room is not located on its premises.
f. No owner, operator, employee, or agent of it represents that it is a
funeral establishment.
(7) Dead human bodies. ‒ Includes The body of a decedent, regardless of its stage
of decomposition, and includes fetuses beyond the second trimester and the
ashes, bone fragments, or human materials produced as a result of cremation
or alkaline hydrolysis.
(8) Embalmer. ‒ Any A person engaged in the practice of embalming.
(9) Embalming. ‒ The preservation and disinfection or attempted preservation
and disinfection of dead human bodies human remains by application of
chemicals externally or internally or both and the practice of restorative art
including the restoration or attempted restoration of the appearance of a dead
human body. Embalming