Funeral directors and embalmers.

Existing law, the Funeral Directors and Embalmers Law, creates the Cemetery and Funeral Bureau within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law requires a funeral director to obtain a separate license for each funeral establishment the director operates. Existing law allows the assignment of a funeral establishment's license upon payment of a fee and submission of an audit report performed by an independent certified public accountant or public accountant licensed in this state that verifies the accuracy of the establishment's trust fund balances and reports the establishment's compliance with certain provisions of the Funeral Directors and Embalmers Law. Existing law requires any shortages in the trust funds to be funded in order for a funeral establishment's license to be assigned. This bill would require a completed application to be filed in addition to payment of the fee and submission of the audit report in order to assign a funeral establishment's license. If an applicant for assignment of a funeral establishment's license is not able to submit the audit report due to specified circumstances, the bill would authorize the applicant to submit a signed request, for approval from the bureau to secure a bond guaranteeing the payment of any shortages in the establishment's trust funds, as specified. The bill would subject an applicant who knowingly provides false or misleading information pursuant to the bill's provisions to an administrative citation, which may include an order of abatement and a fine not to exceed $5,000 per violation. The bill would require an assignee to maintain the bond after assignment of the funeral establishment's license by the bureau.