24.147.302    FUNERAL SERVICE DEFINITIONS

As used in this chapter, the following definitions apply:

(1) "Funeral goods" means personal property typically sold or provided in connection with a funeral or the final disposition of human remains, including, but not limited to, caskets or other primary containers, cremation or transportation containers, outer burial containers, vaults, funeral clothing or accessories, monuments, cremation urns, and similar funeral or burial items.

(2) "Funeral services" means those services typically provided in connection with a funeral, or the final disposition of human remains, including, but not limited to, funeral directing services, embalming services, care of human remains, preparation of human remains for final disposition, transportation of human remains, use of facilities or equipment for viewing human remains, visitation, memorial services or services which are used in connection with a funeral or the disposition of human remains, coordinating or conducting funeral rites or ceremonies and similar funeral or burial services.

(3) "Guaranteed price agreement" means a prepaid funeral agreement under which, in exchange for the proceeds of a funeral trust or funeral insurance policy, the provider agrees to provide the stated funeral goods and services in the future, regardless of whether or not the retail value of those services and funeral goods exceeds the funds available from the funeral trust or funeral insurance policy at the time of death of the intended funeral recipient.

(4) "Hazardous implants" is defined as being any foreign object or substance that has been surgically or otherwise placed in the human body that may present a threat of injury to the operator or crematory retort or related equipment during the cremation process, or to the public.

(5) "Intended funeral recipient" means the person named in a prepaid funeral agreement for whose bodily disposition and/or related funeral services and goods and prepaid funeral agreement is intended to provide. The intended funeral recipient may or may not be the purchaser. This term includes the agent, guardian, or other person legally acting on behalf of the person considered the "intended funeral recipient."

(6) "Nonguaranteed price agreement" means a prepaid funeral agreement funded with a funeral trust or funeral insurance policy, the proceeds of which the provider will apply to the current retail value of the prepaid funeral goods and services previously selected at the time of death of the intended funeral recipient, but which agreement shall not bind the provider to provide the services and funeral goods if the value thereof exceeds the funds available at the time of death of the intended funeral recipient.

(7) "Permit" as referred to in 37-19-814 , MCA, is defined to be synonymous with "license" for purposes of this chapter.

(8) "Preneed funeral arrangement" or "preneed funeral agreement" means arrangements made with a licensed funeral director or licensed mortician by a person on the person's own behalf or by an authorized individual on the person's behalf prior to the death of the person.

(9) "Prepaid funeral agreement" means a written agreement and all documents related thereto made by a purchaser with a provider prior to the death of the intended funeral recipient, with which there is connected a provisional means of paying for preneed funeral arrangements upon the death of the intended funeral recipient by the use of a funeral trust or funeral insurance policy, made payable to a provider and in return for which the provider promises to furnish, make available or provide the prepaid funeral goods or services, or both, specified in the agreement, the delivery of which occurs after the death of the intended funeral recipient.

(10) "Prepaid funeral goods" means funeral goods purchased in advance of need and which will not be delivered until the death of the intended funeral recipient named in a prepaid funeral agreement. Prepaid funeral goods shall not mean the sale of interment spaces offered or sold by a cemetery company.

(11) "Prepaid funeral services" means funeral services which are purchased in advance of need and which will not be provided or delivered until the death of the intended funeral recipient named in a prepaid funeral agreement. Prepaid funeral services shall not mean the sale of services incidental to the provision of interment spaces offered or sold by a cemetery company.

(12) "Provider" means a licensed mortician or the licensed mortuary by whom the licensed mortician is employed, that is providing or offering to provide at-need, preneed or prepaid funeral arrangements, funeral goods or services.

(13) "Purchaser" means the person named in a prepaid funeral agreement who purchases the prepaid funeral goods and services to be provided thereunder. The purchaser may or may not be the intended funeral recipient. If the purchaser is different than the intended funeral recipient, it is understood that the relationship of the purchaser to the intended funeral recipient includes a means to provide administrative control over the agreement on behalf of the intended funeral recipient.

History: 37-1-131, 37-19-202, MCA; IMP, 37-19-705, 37-19-814, 37-19-827, 37-19-828, 37-19-829, MCA; NEW, 2000 MAR p. 1630, Eff. 6/30/00; TRANS, from Commerce, 2002 MAR p. 790; AMD, 2004 MAR p. 1622, Eff. 7/23/04; AMD, 2006 MAR p. 1169, Eff. 5/5/06.