1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to commerce; regulating insurance for funeral 
  1.3             or burial expenses; allowing funeral establishments to 
  1.4             sell funeral insurance and receive commissions for 
  1.5             these sales; amending Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 
  1.6             72A.325. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 72A.325, is 
  1.9   amended to read: 
  1.10     72A.325 [INSURANCE FOR FUNERAL OR BURIAL EXPENSE; FREEDOM 
  1.11  OF CHOICE.] 
  1.12     No insurance company, agent, or other person engaged in the 
  1.13  business of providing insurance or other benefits for the 
  1.14  payment of any funeral or burial expense, shall designate, 
  1.15  endorse, or otherwise promote any particular mortician, funeral 
  1.16  director, funeral establishment, cemetery, or any other party 
  1.17  offering funeral or burial services or supplies, as the 
  1.18  beneficiary or recipient of the benefits, so as to deprive the 
  1.19  family, or next of kin, or other representative of the deceased 
  1.20  policyholder of the right to select the funeral or burial 
  1.21  services and supplies of their choice.  No owner, director, or 
  1.22  employee of a funeral establishment, or entity having a direct 
  1.23  equity interest in a funeral establishment, shall receive any 
  1.24  fee, commission, or other reimbursement on any insurance sale 
  1.25  facilitated through the funeral establishment.  
  1.26     No owner, director, or employee of a funeral establishment 
  2.1   shall receive any fee for endorsing insurance policies, plans, 
  2.2   or services.