New Law Championed by Rep. Nuccio Provides Added Consumer Protections for Funeral Services

HARTFORD - Planning ahead for funeral arrangements should provide families with peace of mind, not uncertainty.

Earlier this year, Rep. Nuccio proudly led legislation, PA 26-57, that established Connecticut's Funeral Service Compensation Account to help protect families who have been financially harmed by fraudulent prepaid funeral service practices. That law was created after hearing the accounts of people who did everything right, only to discover the funds they had set aside for their loved ones were gone.

As of July 1, and as part of that legislation, funeral providers must present consumers the fact sheet below before signing a prepaid funeral service contract. Consumers must sign a statement attesting that prior to executing the contract they received a copy of the fact sheet, and were given time to review the information.

If you or a loved one has a prepaid funeral contract, or you're considering purchasing one, it's worth taking a few minutes to review.

Some of the most important things to look for include:

• Who is holding your prepaid funds. The escrow agent cannot be the funeral director or embalmer.
• A clear description of the services and merchandise you're paying for.
• Whether your contract guarantees today's prices or whether costs could increase in the future.
• The cancellation and transfer provisions, along with what happens if selected merchandise is unavailable when it's needed.

Rep. Nuccio was also honored to be appointed to the legislative working group created under Public Act 26-57 to continue reviewing Connecticut's prepaid funeral service contract laws and identify additional ways we can strengthen consumer protections.