HCS HB 264 -- MERCHANDISING PRACTICES

SPONSOR:  Schilling (Ransdall)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Consumer
Protection and Housing by a vote of 17 to 1.

This substitute prohibits the sale of certain funeral
merchandise without a valid preneed funeral contract, signed by
the seller and purchaser, with exceptions for immediate need,
for immediate pick up by the customer, and for immediate
delivery.  The substitute also prohibits sellers of funeral
merchandise from holding funeral merchandise for more than 30
days and from furnishing any document redeemable for funeral
merchandise instead of providing merchandise for immediate use.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on state funds.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that there are fly-by-night funeral
merchandise sellers taking money from consumers in exchange for
certificates redeemable for coffins or other merchandise that
the buyer is unlikely to need for 10 years or so.  Then, after a
few months, the store closes down, and the consumers are left
with nothing.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Ransdall; Missouri
Funeral Directors' Association; AARP; and Reid Millard, owner of
Houser Millard Funeral Home.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Donna Schlosser, Legislative Analyst

HB 264 -- Merchandising Practices

Sponsor:  Ransdall

This bill prohibits the sale of certain funeral merchandise
without a valid preneed funeral contract, signed by the seller
and purchaser, with exceptions for immediate need or delivery.
The bill also prohibits sellers of funeral merchandise from
holding funeral merchandise for more than 30 days and from
furnishing any document redeemable for funeral merchandise
instead of providing immediate delivery.