20250SB__077794CHP INTRODUCED 2025-02-21 AMENDED_SENATE 2025-03-26 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2025-06-16 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2025-07-09 PASSED_ASSEMBLY 2025-09-10 PASSED_SENATE 2025-09-12 ENROLLED 2025-09-18 CHAPTERED 2025-10-11 APPROVED 2025-10-11 FILED 2025-10-11 2025 SB CHP CHP 0 Introduced by Senator Richardson LEAD_AUTHOR SENATE Richardson

An act to amend

Section 7612.12 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to cemeteries. cemeteries Abandoned cemeteries: report. Existing law, the Cemetery and Funeral Act, establishes the Cemetery and Funeral Bureau within the Department of Consumer Affairs and sets forth its powers and duties relating to the licensure and regulation of cemeteries, crematories, funeral establishments, and their personnel.

Existing law requires the bureau, on or before July 1, 2027, to convene a workgroup composed of representatives from the cemetery, county government, and other interested stakeholders to discuss options for ensuring continued care, maintenance, and embellishment of abandoned cemeteries, including the possibility of requiring counties to assume responsibility for abandoned cemeteries. Existing law requires the bureau to submit a report to the Legislature summarizing the workgroup’s discussions and its recommendations by January 1, 2028. Existing law repeals those provisions on January 1, 2029.

This bill would instead require the bureau to convene the workgroup on or before March 1, 2026, would revise the list of representatives required to be included in the workgroup, and would instead require the workgroup to discuss the possibility of requiring counties to assume responsibility for maintenance, irrigation, public works, and burial services for abandoned cemeteries. The bill would require the board to submit the report on June 1, 2026, and would repeal those provisions on January 1, 2027. MAJORITY NO YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION

Section 7612.12 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 7612.12. (

a) On or before March 1, 2026, the bureau shall convene a workgroup composed of interested stakeholders including, but not limited to, representatives from the cemetery industry, the California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions, the League of California Cities, the California State Association of Counties, the Urban Counties of California, the Rural County Representatives of California, public cemeteries, and legislative staff for the appropriate committees of the Legislature, to discuss options for ensuring continued care, maintenance, and embellishment of abandoned cemeteries, including the possibility of requiring counties to assume responsibility for maintenance, irrigation, public works, and burial services for cemeteries located within their boundaries that become abandoned. (

b) In accordance with

Section of the Government Code, the bureau shall submit a report to the Legislature summarizing the discussions of the workgroup and its recommendations no later than June 1, 2026. (

c) This

section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2027, and as of that date is repealed.