2006 Minnesota Statutes

149A.20 LICENSE TO PRACTICE MORTUARY SCIENCE.
    Subdivision 1. License required. Except as provided in section 149A.01, subdivision 3,
any person who takes charge of, removes from the place of death, or transports a dead human
body, or prepares a dead human body for final disposition in any manner, or arranges, directs,
or supervises a funeral, memorial service, or graveside service must possess a valid license to
practice mortuary science issued by the commissioner.
    Subd. 2. Effective date. The requirements in subdivisions 3 to 13 for initial licensure in
mortuary science are effective on July 1, 1997, except as provided in this chapter.
    Subd. 3. Age requirement. The person must be at least 21 years of age.
    Subd. 4. Educational requirements. (a) Effective on January 1, 1999, the person shall have:
(1) received a bachelor of science degree with a major in mortuary science from an
accredited college or university;
(2) received a bachelor of science or arts degree from an accredited college or university
and completed a separate course of study in mortuary science from a college of funeral service
education accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education; or
(3) completed credit hours at accredited colleges or universities that in the numerical
aggregate and distribution are the functional equivalent of a bachelor of arts or science degree and
have completed a separate course of study in mortuary science from a college of funeral service
education accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education.
(b) In the interim, from July 1, 1997, to December 31, 1998, the educational requirements
for initial licensure shall be:
(1) successful completion of at least 60 semester credit hours or 90 quarter credit hours at an
accredited college or university with the following minimum credit distribution:
(i) communications, including speech and English; 12 quarter hours or nine semester hours;
(ii) social science, including an introductory course in sociology and psychology; 20 quarter
hours or 12 semester hours;
(iii) natural science, including general or inorganic chemistry and biology; 20 quarter hours
or 12 semester hours;
(iv) health education, including personal or community health; three quarter hours or two
semester hours; and
(v) elective areas; 35 quarter hours or 25 semester hours; and
(2) successful completion of a separate course of study in mortuary science from a college of
funeral service education accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education.
    Subd. 5. Examinations. After having met the educational requirements of subdivision
4, a person must attain a passing score on the National Board Examination administered by
the Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards of the United States, Inc. or any other
examination that, in the determination of the commissioner, adequately and accurately assesses
the knowledge and skills required to practice mortuary science. In addition, a person must
attain a passing score on the state licensing examination administered by or on behalf of the
commissioner. The state examination shall encompass the laws and rules of Minnesota that
pertain to the practice of mortuary science. The commissioner shall make available copies of all
pertinent laws and rules prior to administration of the state licensing examination.
    Subd. 6. Internship. (a) A person who attains a passing score on both examinations
in subdivision 5 must complete a registered internship under the direct supervision of an
individual currently licensed to practice mortuary science in Minnesota. Interns must file with the
commissioner:
(1) the appropriate fee; and
(2) a registration form indicating the name and home address of the intern, the date the
internship begins, and the name, license number, and business address of the supervising
mortuary science licensee.
(b) Any changes in information provided in the registration must be immediately reported
to the commissioner. The internship shall be a minimum of one calendar year and a maximum
of three calendar years in duration; however, the commissioner may waive up to three months
of the internship time requirement upon satisfactory completion of the practicum in mortuary
science administered through the program of mortuary science of the University of Minnesota or
a substantially similar program. Registrations must be renewed on an annual basis if they exceed
one calendar year. During the internship period, the intern must be under the direct and exclusive
supervision of a person holding a current license to practice mortuary science in Minnesota. An
intern may be registered under only one licensee at any given time and may be directed and
supervised only by the registered licensee. The registered licensee shall have only one intern
registered at any given time. The commissioner shall issue to each registered intern a registration
permit that must be displayed with the other establishment and practice licenses. While under
the direct and exclusive supervision of the licensee, the intern must actively participate in the
embalming of at least 25 dead human bodies and in the arrangements for and direction of at
least 25 funerals. Case reports, on forms provided by the commissioner, shall be completed by
the intern, signed by the supervising licensee, and filed with the commissioner for at least 25
embalmings and funerals in which the intern participates. Information contained in these reports
that identifies the subject or the family of the subject embalmed or the subject or the family of the
subject of the funeral shall be classified as licensing data under section 13.41, subdivision 2.
    Subd. 7. Application procedure and documentation. After completing the registered
internship, the applicant for an initial license to practice mortuary science must submit to the
commissioner a complete application and the appropriate fee. A complete application includes:
(1) a completed application form, as provided by the commissioner;
(2) proof of age;
(3) an official transcript from each post high school educational institution attended,
including colleges of funeral service education;
(4) certification of a passing score on the National Board Examination from the commissioner
of the Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards of the United States, Inc.;
(5) a copy of the notification of a passing score on the state licensing examination; and
(6) a signed, dated, and notarized affidavit from the licensee who supervised the Minnesota
internship stating the date the internship began and ended and that both the applicant and the
supervising licensee fulfilled the requirements under subdivision 6.
Upon receipt of the completed application and appropriate fee, the commissioner shall review
and verify all information. Upon completion of the verification process and resolution of any
deficiencies in the application information, the commissioner shall make a determination, based
on all the information available, to grant or deny licensure. If the commissioner's determination is
to grant licensure, the applicant shall be notified and the license shall issue and remain valid for a
period prescribed on the license, but not to exceed one calendar year from the date of issuance
of the license. If the commissioner's determination is to deny licensure, the commissioner must
notify the applicant, in writing, of the denial and provide the specific reason for the denial.
    Subd. 8. Fees. Fees shall be paid to the commissioner of finance, state of Minnesota, and
shall be credited to the state government special revenue fund in the state treasury.
    Subd. 9. Period of licensure. All licenses to practice mortuary science issued by the
commissioner shall be valid for one calendar year, beginning on January 1 and ending on
December 31 regardless of the date of issuance. Fees may not be prorated.
    Subd. 10. Display of license. Each license to practice mortuary science must be
conspicuously displayed at all times in the holder's place of business. Conspicuous display means
in a location where a member of the general public within the holder's place of business will be
able to observe and read the license.
    Subd. 11. Nontransferability of license. A license to practice mortuary science is not
assignable or transferable and is not valid for any person other than the individual named.
    Subd. 12. Reporting changes in license information. Any change of license information
must be reported to the commissioner, on forms provided by the commissioner, no later than 30
calendar days after the change occurs. Failure to report changes is grounds for disciplinary action.
    Subd. 13. Application information. All information submitted to the commissioner by an
applicant for licensure to practice mortuary science is classified as licensing data under section
13.41, with the exception of the name and address of the applicant. Upon issuance of a license to
practice mortuary science, all application information becomes licensing data under section 13.41,
subdivision 4 , with the exception of internship case report data as classified under subdivision 6.
History: 1997 c 215 s 16; 2003 c 112 art 2 s 50