State Board of Morticians and Funeral Directors – Board Operations and Regulation of Crematories and Reduction Facilities

HB 698 transfers regulatory authority for crematories and "reduction facilities" (natural organic reduction of human remains) from the Office of Cemetery Oversight to the State Board of Morticians, Funeral Directors, and Crematories. The bill renames the board to explicitly include crematories, alters procedures for removing board members, and changes quorum requirements to allow action with a simple majority vote. This transfer affects cremation and reduction facility operators by shifting their oversight to the new board, while also updating related code sections in Maryland’s Business Regulation and Health Occupations articles. The bill makes organizational and procedural changes without introducing new operational requirements for these facilities.