AFCCA Advocacy Updates – January 10 Committee of Reference Hearing Recap

On Tuesday, the House and Senate held a Committee of Reference hearing to discuss the Funeral Board. The video from Tuesday’s COR hearing can be viewed here: Video Player (azleg.gov). The Funeral Board discussion starts at the 2-hour, 50-minute mark. As expected from our discussion with Sen. Kaiser prior to the hearing, the Auditor General provided a brief overview of their previous findings and recommendations, and Sen. Kaiser reminded the Committee about last year’s bill to …

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AFCCA Advocacy Updates – 2023 Legislative Session is Underway

The 2023 Legislative Session is underway, to the best of its ability. This year started bumpy and there is a lot of chaos at the capital, but AFCCA and Capitol Consulting will remain diligent in keeping track of the status of the Funeral Board and Licensure. Over the past six months, there have been numerous stakeholder discussions with legislators, other interested parties, members of the funeral profession and the Association. The purpose of these meetings …

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Lifesaving Partnerships

By Christy E. Liddicoat LFD, LE, LC Soon after entering Chandler-Gilbert Community College’s (CGCC) Mortuary Science Program, students realize the purpose of their role in funeral service is to honor a life that was lived and to support those left behind by a loss. An important element of this role is for a funeral service professional to support families and individuals who have chosen to give the gift of life and improvement of life after …

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Compassion Fatigue in the Funeral Industry

International Grief Institute  |  www.InternationalGriefInstitute.com “I feel burned out and don’t know where to turn,” said the funeral director at a state conference this past summer. I admired his honesty, and an engaging conversation about compassion fatigue ensued. What exactly is compassion fatigue, and what makes the funeral industry at risk? As a primary caregiver to the newly bereaved, funeral directors are subjected to traumatic stories through the families they comfort. Absorbing repeat exposure to …

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Making the Most of Our Collaboration

Pictured above: Tim Brown, president and CEO of DNA, welcomes funeral home partners for the annual meeting at the new DNA office in Tempe Sept. 27, 2022.  Donor Network of Arizona (DNA) works in the realm of deceased organ, eye and tissue donation—with the addition of living donation through the placenta donation program, which comes after a planned C-section. A large element of making the gift of life possible is the support of funeral homes …

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December Advocacy Update: Capitol Consulting Legislative Update

While it seems like not much is happening and we do not have a final answer for our members of the future of our profession in Arizona, AFCCA and Capitol Consulting have been keeping the conversations flowing and advocating in the background. Here are a few updates from Jake Hinman, Capitol Consulting, to keep you in the know: Sen. Kaiser was recently named Senate Commerce chair which likely means he will be the bill sponsor …

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NFDA Survey Shows Value of Attending Funerals In Person

Funeral Directors have an opportunity to educate the public about the importance and value of meaningful memorialization. In the second edition of its “Value of a Funeral” Consumer Study, the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) learned that people who attended a funeral in person found the service meaningful and healing compared to those who attended a service virtually or did not attend a service because a direct disposition option was chosen for their loved one …

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Wreaths Across America Announces Theme for 2022

Each year, millions of Americans come together to REMEMBER the fallen, HONOR those that serve and their families, and TEACH the next generation about the value of freedom. This gathering of volunteers and patriots takes place in local and national cemeteries in all 50 states – most recently at more than 3,100 participating locations – as part of National Wreaths Across America Day. Each year, a new theme is chosen to help volunteers and supporters focus …

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Body Broker Bill Introduced in the Senate

Consensual Donation and Research Integrity Act would protect the dignity of donors and offer peace of mind to families. With the introduction of the Consensual Donation and Research Integrity Act (CDRI Act) (S. 4929) yesterday by Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), the Senate today took a significant step toward bringing meaningful change to the largely unregulated process of whole body donation. Donating a loved one’s body for medical research upon their death …

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Advocacy Update: September 13 Stakeholder Meeting Recap

Yesterday, September 13th, was the kick off of stake holder meeting discussions surrounding the Arizona State Board of Funeral Directors & Embalmers and a regulation model. This first meeting’s intent was to hear from the private sector, meaning funeral professionals, as well as other interested parties concerning regulation in the state of Arizona. We are thankful to those who came to represent our profession today, Donna Backhaus Program Director at CGCC Mortuary Science Program; Al …

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