Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed two bills into law that aim to overhaul state oversight of the funeral home industry following a series of gruesome discoveries, including 190 decomposing bodies found in a facility, families being given fake ashes, and the unauthorized sale of body parts. These cases brought Colorado’s lax funeral home regulations to the forefront and greatly impacted grieving families. Some families had unknowingly spread fake ashes, while others feared what their loved ones might have looked like in a decayed state.
The new laws bring Colorado in line with most other states by requiring regulators to routinely inspect funeral homes and granting them more enforcement power. Additionally, the laws implement licensing requirements for funeral directors and other industry workers, including passing background checks, a national exam, and possessing degrees and work experience. Prior to this, funeral home directors in Colorado didn’t even need a high school diploma. While the funeral home industry generally supported the changes, some expressed concerns that the strict requirements for funeral home directors might make it difficult to find qualified applicants.
The bill signings come after a tumultuous year for Colorado funeral homes. In October, a disturbing discovery was made in a building in Penrose, where 190 decaying bodies were found, including adults, infants, and fetuses. Some bodies were stacked on top of each other, while decomposition fluid covered the floors and flies and maggots swarmed. Families who had received ashes from the facility later learned that the cremains did not belong to their loved ones.
The mother of a man whose body was found in the Penrose facility expressed excitement about the new laws, calling them a great first step. She stressed the need for regulations that require crematoriums to independently verify the identity of remains and certify to the state that they were properly cremated. Prior to this, funeral homes in Colorado were not subject to routine inspections, but following the discovery in Penrose, the owners of the funeral home were arrested and face numerous charges of mistreating corpses.
In another disturbing incident in February, a woman’s body was discovered in the back of a hearse where a suburban Denver funeral home had left it for over a year. Additionally, at least 30 sets of cremated remains were found stashed throughout the funeral director’s home. With the new laws in place, the hope is that funeral homes in Colorado will now be held to higher standards, ensuring that families can trust that their loved ones are being cared for respectfully and professionally. The regulations aim to prevent further instances of mishandling of remains and fraudulent practices that have caused distress to many families in the past.
